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Activity › Forums › Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy › Canon 5D to FCP to Vimeo workflow – Still degraded after so many tries.

  • Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

    Canon 5D to FCP to Vimeo workflow – Still degraded after so many tries.

    Posted by Bronwyn Harvey on January 6, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    Hello All,

    Again – not an uncommon question on compression techniques from DSLR to FCP to VIMEO.
    My exports from FCP seem to be a bit more degraded than other peoples on Vimeo and I’m not sure what’s potting here.
    I have searched everywhere and am not a newbie to Editing but I’m worried I’m missing something.
    The footage doesn’t look terrible – It just doesn’t look as slick as other films that come out of 5D cameras.

    Here is my workflow – Can anyone spot anything amiss?

    Footage shot on DSLR 5D. 1920×1080. 25fps

    I convert the footage using MpegStreamclip and these settings:

    Then I edit this footage on an FCP timeline with these settings:

    It’s worth noting here that I had to change the Field dominance to “None” as Final Cut was reading the footage as Interlaced and marking it as Upper(Odd) Apparently it does this (randomly assigns progressive footage as interlaced)
    This change I also did in the browser to each clip. So the sequence is now seen as progressive again.

    Then I export from the sequence using Quicktime (current settings)

    I do a batch export in Compressor using these settings:
    UNDER ENCODER:
    File Extension: mov
    Estimated size: 9.22 GB/hour of source
    Segmentation on cluster disabled
    Audio Encoder
    AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz
    Video Encoder
    Format: QT
    Width: (100% of source)
    Height: (100% of source)
    Selected: 1920 x 1080
    Pixel aspect ratio: Square
    Crop: None
    Padding: Preserve source aspect ratio
    (L: 0, T: 0, R: 0, B: 0)
    Frame rate: 25
    Frame Controls On:
    Retiming: (Better) Motion Compensated
    Resize Filter: Statistical Prediction
    Deinterlace Filter: Best (Motion Compensated)
    Adaptive Details: On
    Antialias: 0
    Detail Level: 0
    Field Output: Same as Source
    Codec Type: H.264
    Multi-pass: On, frame reorder: On
    Pixel depth: 24
    Spatial quality: 75
    Min. Spatial quality: 25
    Temporal quality: 50
    Min. temporal quality: 25
    Average data rate: 20.48 (Mbps)

    And under Frame Controls in Compressor:

    So if anyone fancies digging into that – perhaps someone somewhere will spot something! I hope so,

    Thanks in advance…

    Bronwyn

    Warren Eig replied 11 years, 6 months ago 4 Members · 10 Replies
  • 10 Replies

  • Bronwyn Harvey

    January 6, 2015 at 9:54 pm

    Hi Dave,

    Thanks for responding.
    The Cameraman is using available light and most of the shots are outdoors. Big Skies and buildings.

    Yes I have graded the shots in Final Cut Pro. I haven’t gone mad with the saturation or blacks or anything.

    Stills seems like there’s loss of information…

  • Shane Ross

    January 6, 2015 at 11:26 pm

    Vimeo re-encodes anything you upload…so your compression is recompressed, by them.

    Shane
    Little Frog Post
    Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

  • Warren Eig

    January 7, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    Go to the App store and download the free utility 5DtoRGB this will solve all of your problems. If you want to do batch transcode to ProRes there is a paid version called 5DtoRGB Batch.

    Warren Eig
    O 310-470-0905

    email: warren@babyboompictures.com
    website: https://www.BabyBoomPictures.com

    REEL: https://www.babyboompictures.com/BabyBoomPictures/Reels.html

    For Camera Accessories – Monitors and Batteries
    website: https://www.EigRig.com

  • Bronwyn Harvey

    January 7, 2015 at 11:07 pm

    Thanks guys – Shane – This is even before I upload to Vimeo.

    Hey Warren. Ok great thanks. So If I had to re-convert all the footage I have using this app and then relinked the timeline to that – in theory that should work?

    What difference does this app make? What makes it special?

  • Nick Meyers

    January 8, 2015 at 2:49 am

    Warren:

    how is this better than other solutions: MPeg Streamclip, or FCP itself?

    Bronwyn:
    as you are not changing the frame size or frame rate you don’t need to use the frame controls.
    not sure that will solve your particular issue.

    Shane:
    are you saying it’s best to just upload an uncompressed version?
    i thought (or hopped, perhaps?) that if one hit the Vimeo settings sweet-spot they did not re-encode

  • Shane Ross

    January 8, 2015 at 5:02 am

    [Nick Meyers] “Shane:
    are you saying it’s best to just upload an uncompressed version?
    i thought (or hopped, perhaps?) that if one hit the Vimeo settings sweet-spot they did not re-encode”

    I’ve used the VIMEO presets in Adobe Media Encoder…and in Sorenson Squeeze…and Vimeo still “processes” the video. YouTUbe too…even when you use their exact specs to encode.

    Shane
    Little Frog Post
    Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

  • Warren Eig

    January 8, 2015 at 8:03 am

    [Nick Meyers] “Warren:

    how is this better than other solutions: MPeg Streamclip, or FCP itself?
    “

    From doing comparative tests, the result look better with 5DtoRGB.

    Warren Eig
    O 310-470-0905

    email: warren@babyboompictures.com
    website: https://www.BabyBoomPictures.com

    REEL: https://www.babyboompictures.com/BabyBoomPictures/Reels.html

    For Camera Accessories – Monitors and Batteries
    website: https://www.EigRig.com

  • Warren Eig

    January 8, 2015 at 8:05 am

    [Bronwyn Harvey] “Hey Warren. Ok great thanks. So If I had to re-convert all the footage I have using this app and then relinked the timeline to that – in theory that should work?

    What difference does this app make? What makes it special?”

    I’d recommend trying the free version and see the results for yourself. I would image if all the reel names and assets are the same name they should relink.

    Again, it’s free for the version that doesn’t batch. Give it a try.

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/5dtorgb-lite/id502347425?mt=12

    Warren Eig
    O 310-470-0905

    email: warren@babyboompictures.com
    website: https://www.BabyBoomPictures.com

    REEL: https://www.babyboompictures.com/BabyBoomPictures/Reels.html

    For Camera Accessories – Monitors and Batteries
    website: https://www.EigRig.com

  • Bronwyn Harvey

    January 8, 2015 at 10:45 am

    Thanks Guys,

    I have downloaded and will try.
    With the settings in 5d to RGB – Which Decoding matrix do I use?
    And should I change anything for gamma correction?

    Also I am now thinking of changing to Premiere Pro for the upcoming edits.As Premiere can edit h.264 natively – Is it worth me converting using this software first and then bringing it in? Or better to just plonk it on the timeline?

    Thanks for all the help!

  • Warren Eig

    January 8, 2015 at 6:05 pm

    [Bronwyn Harvey] “With the settings in 5d to RGB – Which Decoding matrix do I use?”

    If shooting HD REC 709, unless you shot flat then try RAW.

    Do a test and compare.

    Warren Eig
    O 310-470-0905

    email: warren@babyboompictures.com
    website: https://www.BabyBoomPictures.com

    REEL: https://www.babyboompictures.com/BabyBoomPictures/Reels.html

    For Camera Accessories – Monitors and Batteries
    website: https://www.EigRig.com

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