Help! Verify my workflow ProRes, Compressor, etc.

[Russell Lasson]

[chris gorman] “Does it make sense that it would be about a 20 hour compression time?”

That all depends on the type of computer you’re using.

[chris gorman] “DVD: Best Qualtiy 90 minutes, and then select both dolby 2.0 audio 192kbps, and MPEG-2, 6.2 mbps-2-pass. “

That sounds right.

[chris gorman] “Is it correct that I render my timeline and export with the same settings as the sequence, eg. 8 bit ProRes 422? “

You can just export using “QuickTime Movie – Current Settings”

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Rafael Amador]

If you have set “Frame control: ON”, and you have set some parameters to BEST, 20 hours is not strange.

[chris gorman] “I think I should be exporting audio and video separately from final cut”
There is not any advantage to send them separated.

Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
JVC DTV-17″
SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
..and always a big mess on top of the table.

[Chris Gorman]

I’m on a G5 2.3 dp. 3.5 MB ram.

Is is correct that I first render my TL, or by chance does Compressor re-render anyway? As far as quality and compression time, what’s the best re: rendering before exporting the QT?

[Chris Gorman]

“Frame Control” was automatically set of “Off” with Apple’s pre-set. Any reason to do a custome setting and do something with “Frame Control”?

I see that with this pre-set, it does 90 mins. with dolby 2.0, but only 60 mins. with aiff audio. My seq. if 70 mins.

So, in this case, I think it would go to a lesser quality compression rate if I use a QT with combined a/v, which would mean aiff audio.

[Chris Babbitt]

Chris,

You should always use Dolby. That way, for a program of that length, you can use CBR instead of 2-pass variable, which will cut your encoding time almost in half. You really don’t need variable bit-rate encoding until you get to about 100 mins. in length, in fact, you’ll probably get better quality with CBR encoding. For a 70 min. program, you can encode with a constant bit-rate of around 6.5 as long as you’re doing Dolby audio.

[Rafael Amador]

[chris gorman] “So, in this case, I think it would go to a lesser quality compression rate if I use a QT with combined a/v, which would mean aiff audio.”
No Chris. You just import your clip to Compressor . On top of your clip you drop the MPG2 preset for the video and the Dolby, or AIFF preset for the audio. That’s all.
If you only drop the MPG2 preset, you won’t get any audio at all.
About the CVR or VBR, I do not agree with Chris Babby. I do everything VBR. Even the 20 sec clips.
You have 70 minutes program so you must be careful with your file size.
When you have a shorter movie, you set it in Double pass VBR, Short-open GOPs and you rise the data-rate. You will se a huge difference in the picture of your DVD.

Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
JVC DTV-17″
SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
..and always a big mess on top of the table.

[Chris Gorman]

“You just import your clip to Compressor . On top of your clip you drop the MPG2 preset for the video and the Dolby, or AIFF preset for the audio. That’s all.”

The mpeg-2 preset does not specify, it just says it will do aiff or dolby and doesn’t let me choose which one. I do not want it to do aiff, so I’m reluctant to have the audio attached to the video at all. I thought if I had a separate audio only file, I could drop the dolby preset onto it, and then be sure I had Dolby. Am I wrong about how that pre-set works?

“When you have a shorter movie, you set it in Double pass VBR, Short-open GOPs and you rise the data-rate. You will se a huge difference in the picture of your DVD.”

shorter than what? with my 70 min. movie, if I do VBR, ya think I can also do one of the other parameters you mention above. if so, how much?

If I can have one option but not the others, what’s the best one to choose, eg., increased data rate (how much?) or vbr, or the other you mention, which I don’t understand (short open GOP)?

[Rafael Amador]

Chris,
In the Compressor presets, you have few folders: DVD: Best Quality…
Inside you have an MPEG-2 and a Dolby preset.
If you drop only the MPG-2 preset you will not get any audio at all. The MPG-2 is only for the picture.
You need to add the Dolby preset, or an AIFF preset if you want .aiff sound.
The AIFF presets are in the Formats> Audio folder.
But with 70 minutes film you must use Dolby audio.
You could use AIFF but this would increase a lot the total data rate of the DVD. So probably you would need to decrease the data rate of the picture to compensate.
Using Short/Close GOPs is always possible, but this will improve your quality only if you can increase the data rate of the MPG-2. I set “Average data-rate: 7.5”, “Maximum data-rate: 8.9”
You need to increase the data rate because you are inserting more “I” frames (original picture).
I think that with this data-rate you can accommodate 40 minutes in a DVD without problems. You get much clean picture.
Compressor’s manual explains all those topics very well.
If you see that you still have room for a bit of data, try to rise the quality of your Dolby audio. There is a big difference in the quality from 192Mbps, to 320Mbps, and the file won’t get much more fat.
And, always use Double Pass VBR.

Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
JVC DTV-17″
SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
..and always a big mess on top of the table.

[Chris Gorman]

This is compressor 3.0.3. Up to now, I’ve only been using compressor 2. I had several custom setting in compressor 2, but can’t see a way to customize in 3.0.3. All the settings in inspector are greyed out.

I just read the compressor manual re: open vs. closed GOP. It’s still not clear to me if I should leave it at the default, or use open and IP, for this movie with lots of movement (dance).

If I do a custom setting I see I have to choose between 4:3 and 16:9. With my previous encoding test, aspect ratio was set to automatic, and it came out as expected: top and bottom bars viewed on 4.3 monitor, and full screen on HD monitor. In DVDsp I selected 16.9 aspect ratio, but let it at auto in compressor.

Now, if I have to make a custom choice in compressor, I’m not sure what to set it at. The footage is hdv, captured and edited as 8 bit ProRes.

[Rafael Amador]

[chris gorman] “his is compressor 3.0.3. Up to now, I’ve only been using compressor 2. I had several custom setting in compressor 2, but can’t see a way to customize in 3.0.3. All the settings in inspector are greyed out. “
If you want to customize some setting you need to duplicate the preset first. Then click in the “Video Format” button to change from Automatic to PAL or NTSC. Then you will be able to touch the GOPs structure.

[chris gorman] ”
If I do a custom setting I see I have to choose between 4:3 and 16:9. With my previous encoding test, aspect ratio was set to automatic, and it came out as expected: top and bottom bars viewed on 4.3 monitor, and full screen on HD monitor. In DVDsp I selected 16.9 aspect ratio, but let it at auto in compressor.

Now, if I have to make a custom choice in compressor, I’m not sure what to set it at. The footage is hdv, captured and edited as 8 bit ProRes. “

Keep aspect ratio in Automatic. The only thing you will do to your movie before the MPG-2 compression is down-sizing and change the pixels aspect.
So you can set “Frame Control” ON, and let the values as they are: Best for RESIZE Filter. The rest doesn’t play nothing here.
However this will increase the compression time.

Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
JVC DTV-17″
SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
..and always a big mess on top of the table.