Can Apple’s Compressor meet DGFastchannel specs?

[Daniel Low]

Do a search in this forum, there’s been a ton of posts about DG FastChannel

[Fred Connors jr.]

Last time I checked Compressor would not do it.

We use Episode.

Fred

The Troupe – Modern Media Design & Production

[Sney Noorani]

I’ve successfully used compressor 3.02 to crunch a spot that DG Fast Channel accepted no problem. The world did not end, all was good.

it wasn’t exactly their specification, but I tweaked it so that hopefully it wouldn’t exceed their boundaries.

here are the settings I’m using:

Name: Fast Channel – MPEG-2
Description: For Sending to DG Fast Channel
File Extension: mpeg
Estimated file size: 6.75 GB/hour of source
Type: MPEG-2 program stream
Video Encoder
Format: M2V
Width: 720
Height: 480
Pixel aspect ratio: NTSC CCIR 601/DV
Crop: None
Padding: None
Frame rate: 29.97
Frame Controls: Automatically selected: Off
Start timecode from source
Aspect ratio: 4:3
Field dominance: Automatic
Average data rate: 15 (Mbps)
2 Pass VBR enabled
Maximum data rate: 18 (Mbps)
High quality
Best motion estimation
Closed GOP Size: 6, Structure: IP
Audio Encoder
Format: MPEG
Sample Rate: 48.000kHz
Channels: 2
Bits Per Sample: 16

I used the ‘IP’ structure for the GOP because I had a lot of fast motion in my spot and there was some freezing of the picture just as the spot started. Actually I think I fixed that by shaving three frames off the slate of the spot so that the ‘I’ frames would fall in different locations, and that seemed to work great…after 2 f*ing hours of experimenting with different GOP settings…

I use size 6 GOP, I figured it was alright as long as it didn’t go over Fast Channels specification of 9 GOP.

All I’m saying is that you can use the other frame structures such as IBBP, or IPPPPP or IPB or whatever, just don’t select 15 for your GOP size. 9 is greyed out, but I’m pretty sure you’re allowed to go lower, and not higher, and my spots weren’t rejected so my theory must be right?

hope this helps people 🙂

cheers

Sney /

[Matt Steeves]

No, compressor cannot do the job unfortunately. It can’t render an mpeg with 4:2:2 color space and make the frame size the required 720×512. We had to buy Episode from flip4mac.com to get certified.

Apple Certified Final Cut Pro 6
Mac Pro 3.0 Quad
Kona LHe
Panasonic HPX-2000

[Craig Seeman]

And I’m testing an Episode “patch” that will allow Episode to meeting DG’s 720×512 spec with the click of a checkbox. It’ll “automatically” add the 32 lines at the top of an MPEG2 encode.

If the tests go well it could be ready today or at least by Tuesday. Fingers crossed.

[Matt Steeves]

I actually was just speaking to a tech at DG about having the capability to do this in Episode…and they have no clue as to how. If you are able to pull this off, you will be a God among Men!

He also mentioned a new system they are implementing soon (about a month or a few) that will automate most of these processes on the back end so that we dont have to worry about most of the compression settings.

Please keep us updated

Apple Certified Final Cut Pro 6
Mac Pro 3.0 Quad
Kona LHe
Panasonic HPX-2000

[Craig Seeman]

I’m a beta tester for Episode.
Have a look over here at the other end of the COW.
https://forums.creativecow.net/viewforum/232
What I’m testing is not yet available but will be ASAP if it passes DG certification.
I did one test that passed and I testing another spot to make absolutely sure it’s ok.

[Craig Seeman]

I tested Telestream/Flip4Mac Episode DG Fastchannel Patch with both 720×480 and 720×486 source and both passed. With 720×486 source one must crop the top 6 lines with the Resize Filter. In both cases the resultant encode is 720×512.

Telestream has given me the green light to distribute.

If you would like the patch post your email and I’ll send it with instructions to install.

[Matt Steeves]

blueflamez@aol.com … Thanks!!!

Apple Certified Final Cut Pro 6
Mac Pro 3.0 Quad
Kona LHe
Panasonic HPX-2000

[Jon Daly]

Craig

Can this patch be used with Episode 4.2 or 4.3?

Thanks