Best way to convert 1080i ?

[Oliver Peters]

Why are you doing 1080i for the web? This is a broadcast TV format. Interlaced and the web should never be put together if you can avoid it. The most optimized setting at a high, reasonable quality level these days for YouTube and Vimeo is 720p/30 or 720p/24. None of these actually stream your videos in the true sense of “streaming”. They are set for download, but are optimized to play in real-time, more or less. Furthermore, they re-encode anything you upload.

For what you are trying to do, there are two options. The first is to send your project to Compressor and pick a setting that’s appropriate. The second is to make your sequence into a compound clip and then edit it into a new project timeline with the desired sequence settings. In the first case, Compressor does any necessary conversions in addition to encoding. In the second, FCP X will do the conversions. Encoding would follow using either Compressor or the Share function.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Erik Anderson]

Hi Oliver,

Thanks for the quick reply! The best answer for why I filmed in 1080i is because I’m an absolute newbie. I just borrowed some cameras from the local University here and shot the video. For the last video I did (which can be seen here > https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=outdooreducation.bow) I used the same cameras. The process of converting it to play on Youtube and Vimeo was awful, and it came out looking bad. I had thought the problem was iMovie 09, but now I’m realizing that the problem is the interlaced video(?). Is that correct?

So I have this latest video all laid out in Final Cut Pro X. I do have Compressor. So do I import the project into Compressor? And then what would be the appropriate settings for playback on Youtube and Vimeo?

Thanks again for taking the time to help out. I’m a fisheries biologist, and I’m way out of my league here!

-Erik

[Mark Dobson]

[Erik Anderson] “So I have this latest video all laid out in Final Cut Pro X. I do have Compressor. So do I import the project into Compressor? And then what would be the appropriate settings for playback on Youtube and Vimeo?”

Eric you really don’t have too much of a problem. And there are many ways to catch a fish.

Simply create a new project and set the project properties to a progressive format. You will need to highlight the custom button to do this. For Vimeo and YouTube I would recommend 720p HD at the same frame rate you shot it at which as you are in the US would be 30p or 29.97

You can find out the properties of your source footage in the inspector.

So having created a new progressive project, simply edit your programme in it. Anything you edit into the project will be transcoded to the new setting.

Once your edit is complete I would suggest that rather than using the Vimeo or YouTube Share options you export the movie as an H264 encode by selecting cmd E and in the video codex select H264. This will create a .MOV file which will be suitable for uploading.

If you save the movie to a folder on your computer you can review it before uploading it to Vimeo or YouTube.

[Erik Anderson]

Hi Mark,

I’m about to reveal my ignorance in its full glory here…

So I’ve created the video in Final Cut Pro X with all of the cuts, transitions, overdubs, music, titles, etc.,…

The inspector says that it is 1080i HD 29.971 Surround.

Now do I press the shift key and highlight each and every clip and then go to edit and choose copy? Then open a new project, change the settings to 720p HD 29.971, and then paste my movie into the new project with a different name?

I’m imagining people reading that question and then falling out of their chairs laughing at my ignorance, but that’s truly where I’m at.

Anyway, thanks for the help, and if you need to know about fish in Alaska, I’m your guy!

-Erik

[Oliver Peters]

Don’t worry about the experience level. That’s how we all learn. Mark pretty much answered your question, but if you use the Send to Compressor function, then you can go into Compressor. There you want to pick an appropriate preset. Possibly one of the Apple TV presets would be right (I’m not at the machine right now). The key is to pick a setting that uses deinterlacing. You may have to do a bit of trial and error to get a satisfactory look. Mark’s suggestion basically does the deinterlacing, too, but within FCPX. I would say to try that first, as it will require less digging into settings in your part. Hope that helps.

-Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Mark Dobson]

[Erik Anderson] “The inspector says that it is 1080i HD 29.971 Surround.

Now do I press the shift key and highlight each and every clip and then go to edit and choose copy? Then open a new project, change the settings to 720p HD 29.971, and then paste my movie into the new project with a different name?”

Hi Eric,

Sounds likeYou are on the home straight! You’ve done all the hard work and all you need to do is get the film out into the world.

As Oliver suggests for simplicity stay within FCPX – whilst compressor works really well you could be opening up another can of worms.

Just a couple of suggestions that will convert your project easily.

1. First as a safety precaution go into your project library and make a duplicate of your project. (cmd d) Choose the default Duplicate project only option and untick the include render files –

2. Next set up a new project with the 720p 1280×720 / 29.97 settings – in the audio section click custom and select stereo.

3. Now go back to your finished project and select everything and create a compound clip ( just makes life easy ) . Now copy the compound clip -cmd c –

4. navigate back to the project library and and open up the 720p project you have just prepared and copy paste the compound clip into it.

It will show as being un rendered – so just let it render – might take a while if its a long film/ Once it’s rendered there you are with a new 720p film.

Then just follow the share options from my previous post.

Hope that helps

[Erik Anderson]

Hello again,

So I’ve tried copying all of the clips from my original timeline and then pasting them onto a new project timeline with the custom settings of 720p HD 29.97 in stereo (from the original 1080i HD 29.97 Surround Sound).

I’ve tried this twice, and both times the 720p project came out with problems. When I tried to play the movie, a clip or two was black and from that point on the sound was out of sync. In addition, some of the clips were out of place after the black spaces too. Each time I deleted the faulty 720p project.

Now, I have to admit > I didn’t collapse everything from my original 1080i project into one giant compound clip. For some reason, I was too nervous to do this. (I don’t why.) Could that have been the problem.

As a refresher, I’ve been tasked with taking this 1080i project and making two versions of it > one for playback on Vimeo and the second version to be burned onto dvd’s.

Any ideas?

Not even experienced enough to be called a rookie,
Erik