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FCP X to Compressor or other compression apps guidelines
Need to copy 2 hour 1080P video shot with P2 cameras to 8 GIG flash drives. Student performance, student production team, Haven’t used compressor since the HDV to SD days. Any basic advice or link to solid tutorial would be great. I’ve read that mpeg 4/H264 (x264?) is a good choice and mpeg streamclip or Handbreak might do a better job than Compressor does?? My system is the latest version of OS X and all the FCP X suite apps.
Not only do we need a workflow for this project but we plan to set up a site on-line to post our videos and sites like Vimeo suggest similar compression.
I get that “Size equals duration times data rate”
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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8 Replies
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It’s not that Compressor does a bad job, it’s that Apple’s implementation of the H.264 codec is not good. Handbrake uses the x.264 version instead. Drop your video into Handbrake, set the constant quality slide between 18-20, and the x264 preset slider to medium or slow. This should give you a file under 8 GB, unless your entire movie is all crazy fast action sequences, in which case the data rate will be a lot higher, thus bigger file.
@ericstrand11
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Thanks. Will the x version of 264 be compatible with vimeo and other sites?
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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what do you think of this?
https://transpositionfilms.com/best-compressor-settings-for-vimeo-v2/
GETTING READY & THE EASY WAY
Secondly, you need x264 on your system! Download x264 (scroll down a bit, it’s not the first one on the list), open the DMG, and copy the x264Encoder.component file to Macintosh HD/Library/Quicktime/ Be careful, though, not to copy this file to your user Library, which is located elsewhere at Macintosh HD/Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/ otherwise it won’t work!
Now, if you are using Compressor, download this file, unzip, open it with Compressor, and drag&drop the presets into your Custom settings. Four presets, one of each standard frame rate – 29.97 & 23.976 (24p) per standard HD resolution – 720p & 1080p. Also included is a preset which should automatically set your output resolution and frame rate based on your source. Now you have them saved for the future and you can go ahead and use them!
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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Hi Craig, yes Vimeo and computers that can play H.264, which is pretty much every computer, can also playback x.264.
The link to the x.264 component in the article is to MyComet3G’s component, which is good and widely used, but he stopped developing it a year or two ago. I prefer Handbrake because it uses the latest implementation of x.264. Also, the Handbrake x.264 preset slider is the same as the tune options the article talks about. Same thing, different interface.
I would go with whatever you feel comfortable with.
@ericstrand11
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If you have Compressor 4.1.1 I’ve heard (but haven’t tested personally yet) that Apple’s new H.264 High Profile CABAC single pass (no multipass) setting is reasonably close (but not quite as good as) x264 quality.
Just thought I’d let you know if that’s the option you feel most comfortable with. As Eric states, Handbrake would be one of the best current choices given its x264 implementation.
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Thanks. I have compressor already installed and I thought it would be the better option given its a pro app. But if Handbrake does it better, I’ll do that. After I read that one, Larry Jordan also mentions adding x.264 to compressor.
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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Got it. Thanks. I’ll give Handbrake a shot. I’m not comfortable or uncomfortable with any compression software. I follow the tutorials and live with the results. HDV to SD was a huge hit in quality but the tutorial’s result (ken stone) were better than I got otherwise. Compressed videos on Vimeo look pretty decent to me so this should be fine.
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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Yes, just to say that Compressor works well with x.264.
It would be interesting to test h.264 CABAC against x.264.
Russ
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