Exporting to the same format as source without quality loss

[Kris Merkel]

I never export to ProRes from PrP or AME as the quality is never as good as the original. Anytime I need a ProRes file I use FCP7.

As far as the bitrate goes, that depends on what your deliverable size requirements are, length of program, do you need VBR or CBR ect. best thing to do is start with the presets and play with the settings from there to get the optimal encode.

Really the thing is, If you are already using particular codec there would be no need to re encode it to that codec. You will see a quality loss and that is why when you need to export a prores file you would want to use FCP7 and export the native file.

“Think of everything in terms of building capacity.”

Kris Merkel
twitter: @kris_merkel
Product Manager, Flanders Scientific Inc.
http://www.shopfsi.com
Co-Founder, Atlanta Cutters Post Production User Group
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[Run Rodriguez]

Thanks.

The reason I want to export back to prores is because I am to deliver to a client one high quality quicktime file of a project that is currently broken up into multiple files and arranged in premiere. My workflow has been to import raw BDMV to premiere, export prores mov’s to after effects, then effects are added and new prores mov’s exported back to premiere. I do have final cut and I could easily set up the files in a final cut project. If I then exported a same as footage quicktime within final cut, would this solve my problem and give me one prores quicktime mov without quality loss when compared to the prores mov’s in the timeline?

[Walter Soyka]

[Run Rodriguez] “My workflow has been to import raw BDMV to premiere, export prores mov’s to after effects, then effects are added and new prores mov’s exported back to premiere. I do have final cut and I could easily set up the files in a final cut project. If I then exported a same as footage quicktime within final cut, would this solve my problem and give me one prores quicktime mov without quality loss when compared to the prores mov’s in the timeline?”

FCP will not recompress the media, as you noted above.

Pr would recompress the ProRes media. Practically speaking, I wouldn’t worry about the quality loss. ProRes handles multiple generations of compression without visible degradation pretty gracefully. Two generations of ProRes should be fine.

That said, you can avoid the multiple compressions and stay in an all-Adobe workflow by using Dynamic Link between Ae and Pr, or by using lossless intermediates instead of ProRes.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
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