Best Codec for HD Delivery?

[Ken Summerall]

[Chris Babbitt] “What’s the best file / codec type for delivering a 3 minute HD video that will be compatible with most computers with the least amount of compression that will fit on a data DVD?”

Well, it depends on what your rational behind “best” is. Best quality? Best compatibility? Both?

If it were me, and most files that I deliver to a client like this are for projection in a meeting setting, I would deliver h.264. I use Elgato’s Turbo.264 encoder and use the AppleTV preset for DVCProHD stuff. It looks amazing.

K

Ken Summerall
Wellwater Productions, Inc.
“A non-profit production company specializing in media with a mission.”

[Zane Barker]

[Chris Babbitt] “H.264? HDV? DVCProHD? “

Well of those H264 is easily the most compatible with other computers, especially if they have iTunes, then they will be able to play it.

If you give someone a HDV or DVCProHD file they will need to have Final Cut Pro installed in order to play those codecs.

There are no “technical solutions” to your “artistic problems”.
Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity!

[Chris Babbitt]

Thanks guys.
With that in mind, which H.264 preset in Compressor will give me the least amount of compression. If I use Apple TV HD (5000 kbs) I still see evidence of compression in some of the shots. I can afford a larger file size. Is there something better in Compressor?

[Chris Borjis]

just render it out as ProRes and include the pc reader installer and the quicktime component on the disc.

[Jeremy Garchow]

PhotoJPEG at 75% quality. ANy computer with Quicktime can read it and the quality is very nice.

Jeremy

[Dan Riley]

In my experience, you can get a much better looking picture with H.264 if you
export and encode directly within FCP, don’t use compressor. For a 3min piece,
you aren’t talking about a large amount of time to encode. Compressor is best
when you need to save time, not when you need to make a great picture.

Select sequence, export using quicktime conversion.
Select quicktime movie, options, h264, high quality will be a
large file and you will not see much difference from the original.
Best quality is great too at less file size. Try them to see what you like.
key frames automatic, data rate automatic,
size, 640×360 is a nice size for computer monitors,
but if you want to use 720p size, use 1280×720.
Audio AAC, 48k and 128kbps will be nice.

Presets and Compressor are nice and all, but not the best quality.
You gotta play around on your own. Do multiple encodes to see
what you like. That’s the only way. Compressor is the bees knees
if you have an 8 core Mac Pro and it takes you 5 minutes where it
used to take you 30 to encode. But for small jobs like you mention,
export directly from FCP. You will definitely see the difference in
quality of artifacts.

You also need to worry about what data-rate the computer that’s
playing back this data DVD will be able to process. Some can’t follow
high data rate DVDs. You need to experiment, in my opinion.

Dan

[Chris Babbitt]

Dan,

I tried it. Quicktime export from FCP, highest quality, multi-pass, etc., 1280×720. It took over two hours for a 3 min. piece, and direct comparison with the one I did in Compressor revealed no difference to my eyes, even though it was almost three times the file size, and after all that, one of my Chroma Key renders came out all screwed up.

[Jeremy Garchow]

Yes, sorry. I have to respectfully disagree with Dan on this one.

Compressor has yielded much better results for me, but I always make my own presets.

Jeremy

[Chris Borjis]

The fastest option with highest compatibility is Jeremy’s suggestion of photo jpeg.

[Dan Riley]

Well, your results are not what I see.
As for a 3 minute segment taking 2 hours, seems long to me.
My 2 minute segments, DVCPRO HD 720p 23.98, to H264 best quality, 640×360
take about 5 minutes. With Compressor they take under a minute, but using the
exact same settings and the same data rate output, the resulting file does not
look as good from Compressor, to me anyway. Graphics and titles are not as smooth.
But hey, if you have it working for you, go for it. Just passing along what I see. Maybe I’ve got something set wrong in Compressor.
Perhaps we can post our droplets somewhere and see if you guys
are setting something different.

Dan