Exporting to quicktime

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Goran,
If the movie is Progressive, it doesn’t matter how you play it (Prog or Interlaced), will always look Progressive.
Progressive segmented Frames is a technology to record Progressive image using interlaced gear.
Instead of writing all the lines successively (1, 2, 3, 4,..) you write first the Odd lines (1, 3, 5,..), then the Even lines (2, 4, 6,..) or the opposite.
This is in your tapes. Once you download that footage is just Progressive footage.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Göran Thorén]

Thank´s for your answer Rafael.
I´m aware of how PsF is working up to final edit but I´m curious how quicktime deals with exporting chosing upper fields from a progressive timeline. I understand that It won´t be any visual difference but broadcasters want´s interlaced material delivered, that´s why I would like to know how qt handles this.

Göran

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Goran,
With MotionJPEG A/B you can choose a field order on exporting. But if your sequence is Progressive (NONE) whatever you get will be Progressive.
A problem is that there is not a real Field-order flag in QT.
When you bring back that movie (Upper or Lower) to FC, FC really doesn’t know the field order of the clip.
You must set manually the correct field order in the Browser.
FC will read the clip as you tell him to read it (Upper/lower/NONE).
In the three cases, if the original movie is progressive, will look the same: Progressive.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Göran Thorén]

Thank´s Rafael, you answered my question perfectly!
I´ve really been lacking this knowledge.
What do you recon would be a good workflow for this if -as in my case- I have a 2K timline shot on RED and final delivery will be an SD upper field motion jpgB? (yes, I know it´s a tragic going from RED to SD motion jpgB)
Should I make my 2K timeline upper fields or what? Is it possible at all to deliver an interlaced quicktime from true progressive material?

Göran

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Goran,
Who uses Motion JPEG?
Is considered a Legacy Codec.
have you converted the RED files?
If so, edit your movie with that codec.
When you are ready to export, change the sequence codec to MJPEG B.
In the compressor (Options) select Upper.
Set also Upper for field order in the Sequence Preset.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Göran Thorén]

What is a Legacy codec? (sorry for my ignorance)
All I know is that the broadcaster requires motion jpgB upper fields for delivery.
I have transcoded my Red files to ProRes422 HQ and are going to edit it in that format.
If I change the timeline to motion JpgB upper It requires rendering. (wich is understandable)
In that workflow, can I consider changeing the timeline to motion JpgB a “transcode” to that format?

I was thinking of sending my 2K timeline to compressor to get it to 10 bit uncompressed as the SD master and then make my motion JpgB from that. What do you think?

Göran

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Goran,
In QT 7, MJPEG A/B don’t show up as an option on exporting unless you check in QT Preferences “Show Legacy Codecs”.
In one word is considered old fashioned (Same than CinePack, Sorenson 3, etc).
People really don’t use them anymore because there are much better options (better picture with smaller files, faster encoding/decoding,.).
Export your HD movie as Proress or 1ob Unc (big file).
When finished you can go to SD with Compressor. FC makes also a very good job for downscaling setting “Render Motion Effetcs: BEST”.
Rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Göran Thorén]

Thank´s again Rafael!

Now I get the legacy thing. In Swedish it´s called “old codecs”.
Actually I do an “export quicktime movie” and do a custom setting with motion jpgB, I never export in quicktime player.

“1ob Unc (big file)” What is that?

I have tried to export directly from FCP to compressor and made an uncompressed 10 bit wich looks very nice.
While I´m at it… I tried to export a motion jpgB from my 2K timeline and I took it in to FCP again.
It look quite nice and FCP interpret it to be upper fields and when I changed it to “none” it looked bad. One strange thing though: When I play the file it looks dark and when I pause it lokks good again, very strange…

Göran

[Göran Thorén]

Thank´s Dave, that was certainly valuable info for me!
Actually I started out with Media 100 too years ago…

I have also noticed that FCP doesn´t do a very good downconerting jobb. I will definetly try After Effects for the same job and compare but in this case when doing a motion jpgB, wouldn´t it yield similar results?
Isn´t AE and FCP using Quicktime as the “engine” for rendering?
I´m really curious about how this stuff works.

Göran

[Göran Thorén]

Forgot one thing.

Wich is the best way to go, fitting the 2K comp in an SD comp in AE or have the 2K comp and render to an SD size?

Göran