F4V Questions

[Daniel Low]

Sure. Do Kath or Ron have a better solution to posting private details on the forum!?

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Sent from my iPad Nano.

[Craig Seeman]

It might be why there’s no promotion but MyCometG3 was the one to bring up getting it to work in Episode, yes through QT and maybe that makes it “safer.” It’s how ScreenFlow accesses it of course. The qualitative difference in handling screencast encoding with x264 vs Apple’s H.264 is MAJOR.

BTW I should mention that Telestream has officially they are adding MainConcept support to Episode 6.
2nd paragraph
https://www.telestream.net/episode/new.htm
But x264 certainly has so much potential.

[Tom Laughlin]

Would it be then safe to assume that an export out of QT Conversion using x264, would yield still a much better quality encode that from Episode, in terms of h.264 encoding, or is Episode using the QT (without permission) as an engine to encode that x.264 for you, I’m a little confused there. If you had the FLV plug-in to export out of FCP, or export a F4V out of FCP in some way, would the Episode’s quality be better?

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCS3/Sony EX-3/Mac Intel

[Daniel Low]

IF, and it’s a very big IF you know your way around the settings of x264 then you will get the best results out there.

e.g. –
What’s the best:

ME (Motion estimation) setting..
Trellis?
AQ mode?
B frame strategy
Wighted P frame prediction
AQ strength
Lookahead value
psy values

etc
etc.

Episode uses the H.264 from Dicas, it’s a very good codec and does most of the complicated decisions for you.

Bottom line is if you wna the absolutely best, most efficient transcode you learn all about he parameters of x264 and use it.

If you want something almost as good in 9/10 cases then Dicas or Mainconcept will do fine.

That said, the Quicktime x264 codec does come with some presets you can resort to if you can’t be bothered to learn all about it, but it’s still not for the average compressionist!

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Sent from my iPad Nano.

[Tom Laughlin]

Are the presets found in the actual QT player export options area, or can you attach a screenshot of where the presets are listed, is it in a drop-down window somewhere in QT, or in the QT conversion window…?

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCS3/Sony EX-3/Mac Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

We did some more testing with the MainConcept trial software, and we plan on encoding the same test clips using Adobe Media Encoder, we are not there yet, but has anyone else done this kind of encoding or testing of these softwares. I’d love to hear your preferences, any resource links, and reasons why you have gone with MainConcept or AME and why. Thanks,

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCS3/Sony EX-3/Mac Intel

[Daniel Low]

[Tom Laughlin] “but has anyone else done this kind of encoding or testing of these softwares. I’d love to hear your preferences”

Yes, hours and hours of it. So, to save your time, if you are solely Mac based, just get Episode. It is far better and far more versatile than either AME or MainConcept.

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Sent from my iPad Nano.

[Tom Laughlin]

Which encoder do you prefer for most of your encoding, whether PC or Mac? If I went with Episode, would it give me the x.264 option, as well as a MainConcept h.264 option as well?

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCS3/Sony EX-3/Mac Intel

[Craig Seeman]

Episode currently uses Dicas but in the next major update to Episode 6 coming this summer it will use Main Concept.

x264 integration works through Quicktime and it may be subject to additional functionality as time goes on as MyComet3G seems willing to work on it.

[Tom Laughlin]

Craig,

Have you seen tests with Mainconcept vs. AME? Would it be safe to say that if one used and got good with x.264 (free), it would be just as good as an encoder rather than purchasing MC or AME? Would it be safe to assume that the majority of those doing professional encoding use MC more, or is it a toss-up?

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCS3/Sony EX-3/Mac Intel