FCP & Compression

[Alan Okey]

[Don Walker] “Aren’t Mpeg 4 and H.264 basically the same thing, and if not what are the differences and what are typical applications of each?”

MPEG-4 is not a single format, it’s a broad group of specifications that consists of a number of different standards, or “parts,” not just h.264. h.264 is technically MPEG-4 part 10. h.264 is the newest and most efficient MPEG 4 codec, but it’s not the only one. h.263 is still widely used in videoconferencing, for example.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4

h.264 is not an Apple technology, it’s an open standard that Apple has thrown its weight behind to help speed mass adoption. h.264 has been hugely successful, to the point that specialized h.264 hardware decoders are now embedded in many mobile devices for efficient, low-power decoding.

[Walter Soyka]

[Alan Okey] “That preset produces an h.264 encoded video with a Quicktime .mov file wrapper. Matt needs an .mp4, not a .mov. They are different file wrapper types, and .mp4 files are preferable in some cases.”

MPEG Streamclip can re-wrap H.264-encoded .MOVs in an MP4 container (without re-compressing). Open the file in MPEG Streamclip and Save As.

This is also Batch-able if you have more than one to do at a time.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Alan Okey]

[Walter Soyka] “MPEG Streamclip can re-wrap H.264-encoded .MOVs in an MP4 container (without re-compressing). Open the file in MPEG Streamclip and Save As.

This is also Batch-able if you have more than one to do at a time.”

Great information. Thanks for sharing, Walter.

[Steve Eisen]

Simply change the file extension to mp4 or m4v. You can even tell Compressor to do this.

Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group

[Walter Soyka]

[Steve Eisen] “Simply change the file extension to mp4 or m4v. You can even tell Compressor to do this.”

I am somewhat wary of changing file extensions to indicate a different wrapper; re-wrapping an MOV with MPEG Streamclip to MP4 and running diff (a command-line file comparison utility) on the two files indicates that they are different.

I’m not sure precisely what the differences are, or if they would matter to applications reading them (MP4 did adopt Quicktime’s wrapper after all), but it might be important to note that these files are not bit-for-bit identical.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Jeff Greenberg]

Two tricks, both will work. Hope you’re still reading this.

First, you can BATCH EXPORT in FCP. Load up all your movies, batch export them, and in the batch export window use the MP4 setting that you like. Boom – just like Compressor – some level of batch work.

Second, drag any FINISHED MP4 movie into compressors preset window.
It’ll build a preset based on your MP4 that you can now use for other files.

Best,

Jeff G

Apple Master Trainer
Avid Cert. Instructor DS/MC
Avid & Color Videos Vasst.com
Compressor Essentials Lynda.com

[Matt Campbell]

thx jeff. I’ll give the second one a try. I think you might have missed an earlier post though for the first one. I’m not using FCP on these particular files because they are already exported as ProRes masters that I’ve received from my post facility. I have about 10 or so master that I want to make into H.264, MP4 files and I don’t want to have to open FCP and set everything up. Compressor is the easiest option here. Or in this case, I think I’m going to try MPEG Streamclip.

but thx for your reply. appreciate the comments.

OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card

[Jeff Greenberg]

Matt,

Gotcha. Yeah – must have missed you not wanting to go back to FCP.

Try #2 then:
Second, drag any FINISHED MP4 movie into compressors preset window.
It’ll build a preset based on your MP4 that you can now use for other files.

Best,

Jeff G

Apple Master Trainer
Avid Cert. Instructor DS/MC
Avid & Color Videos Vasst.com
Compressor Essentials Lynda.com

[Matt Campbell]

Thx, Jeff. Just an FYI, I just tried #2 and that didn’t work. I dragged in a H.264 MP4 file into Compressor that I created in QT Pro and it created a new preset, however it was only just a MP4. The resulting file from the encode was not a H.264, MP4 file. Oh well. It looks like MPEG Streamclip and/or Adobe Media Encoder it is. Thx for the help though.

OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card

[Keith Pratt]

If your preference is to encode in Compressor, I’d recommend what Walter suggested above. Compress to a MOV in Compressor, then do a batch ‘Save As’ in MPEG Streamclip to rewrap to MP4.

Steve Eisen: “Simply change the file extension to mp4 or m4v.”

I’m not sure that that rewraps the video. I think it just changes what the OS thinks the file is and thus what it will attempt to do with it.