Exporting HDV to H.264 codec

[Mike Velte]

1. What are your Project Settings?
2. What are the Properties of your HDV video?
3. What are your export settings?

[Tom Sefton]

Project settings = Matrox HDV 1080i @25fps
1440 X 1080
HD anamorphic
Upper Field First

HDV properties – HDV video 1080i anamorphic shot with Canon XL-H1

export settings

Format – Quicktime
Video Codec – H.264 encoder
W – 1440
H – 1080
Frame rate – same as source
Field order – upper
Aspect Ratio – 1080 Anamorphic
Bit Depth – 24 Bit-colour
Bitrate – tried various settings to no difference – but say 10 mps
Key frame distance – 1 frame

[Mike Velte]

[Tom Sefton] “Bitrate – tried various settings to no difference – but say 10 mps”

10 Mbps is about half of what it should be. Try VBR 2 pass, Target=20Mbps, Max =25.

[Tom Sefton]

I dont have the option of encoding with 2 pass VBR whilst in QT and H.264 codec – any ideas why?

[Dustin Brown]

As far as it being washed out, once you have the video exported, open it in QT Pro, Window > Show Movie Properties. Select the Video Track. Go in the Visual Settings tab. Set your Transparency mode to Straight Alpha in the drop down. Save your file.

-Dustin

[Mike Velte]

In the Adobe Media Encoder, choose H.264 as the Format and “HDTV 1080p 25 High Quality” as the Preset…that is 32 Mbps, 2 pass VBR.

[Tom Sefton]

I don’t have those options – I am running Premiere Pro 2 – is this why? I am assuming that H.264 encoding is something that CS3 can do as standard, but Prem 2 won’t…..

When I run Adobe or Matrox encoder, I can define that I want to encode in Quicktime, but there are minimal presets that you would use within here. I have to specify within the video settings that I want to use the H.264 codec, not Sorensen.

[Mike Velte]

[Tom Sefton] “I am running Premiere Pro 2 – is this why?”

Yes

Other good options;
QT Pro $30
Mainconcept Mpeg Pro plug-in $399