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How to get FASTEST compression help – PLEASE READ
How to get FASTEST compression help.
- Include the following information
- Computer – Mac or Windows
- Operating system including exact version number
- Software used including version number
- Source codec (file you put in)
- Destination codec (file you want out)
- Type of destination use
Why the above is important
Computer – sometimes cross platform software behaves differently. Examples might be Episode, Squeeze, Cleaner, Premiere Pro, After Effects and many others.
Operating System – Specific operating systems may have specific bugs. XP SP3 and Vista SP1 have different issues. The same can be said for Tiger (10.4.11) and Leopard (10.5.6) and note the need for version numbers and Service Packs as they often fix bugs (or may introduce new ones) or have different compatibility issues.
Software used including version number – Every piece of software and every version can have an impact on the issue. Exporting out of After Effects may present different issues then exporting out of Final Cut Pro even if the codecs and settings are the same for example. Playback in Quicktime can change based on version as well as encoding with any compression app. Note “Latest” is not a version number. You might think you have the latest and may be wrong. In some apps the bug may very well be the update feature isn’t working.
Source codec – makes a HUGE difference in compression issues and quality of output. Using DV, HDV, XDCAM, Apple Pro Res, etc. make a big difference. Note that AVI and MOV are NOT CODECS, they are wrappers or containers and may contain any number of codecs inside them. Use a player such as Quicktime, VLC, Windows Media and user their Inspector, Get Info, Properties commands and look at the codec and report it.
Destination codec – See above about AVI and MOV. Also note there are many types of “mpegs” so be specific (see above). Even Windows Media Video/Audio may contain variants so check as per above. Also include the settings or preset name used. Saying a file is bigger/smaller, etc. doesn’t have much meaning without the settings, which will indicate to us WHY it’s bigger or smaller, etc.
Type of destination use – describe your target. Playback from hard drive, DVD, Web are all different. Web is especially dependent on the viewers connection speed, whether the server is streaming or progressive download, the type and versions of players they have installed. You MUST make a best guess at this to have a clue what settings or preset to use.
Why the above info can be mission critical
The more details you provide the faster you can have a problem identified and accurate solutions suggested. A long back and forth taking days can be cut to hours or less with the above info. Without the above info they’ll be a lot of time spend with back and forth questions and maybe some wrong assumptions too. If you don’t know any of the above bits of info, say so, and someone will probably tell you how to check.If something turn out to be a bug contact the developer. They can’t fix it if you haven’t let them know it may be broke. Don’t assume someone else will tell them. Even if someone has, often the more people who report an issue will raise the priority of the fix.
Follow the above guidelines and people will likely be able to find a solution or identify a bug a lot faster.
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12 Replies
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Excellent Craig. This needs to be kept at the top.
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Two years from now, spam will be solved. – Bill Gates, World Economic Forum 2004 -
Nice!
Also, if its for DVD, include bitrates (CBR or VBR?), type of audio and media used.
E
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I’m having a major problem since turning to HD video. I can not export to DVD studio pro file. I am taking a 1hour 20 minute HD wedding video and saving it as a quick time file (current settings). I am trying to turn this into a DVD H.264 file to import into DVDstudio and burn onto a Dual Layered DVD. THIS IS TAKING DAYS! i even cut the file in half and tried the smaller file size. Still taking days. I understand hours.. but 2 days with little progress is way too much. I increased my RAM with no positive results. anyone?? Better setting? I want great output, but i can’t afford to wait this long.
i’m using:
17inch Mac Book Pro
2GB Ram
Final Cut Pro 6.0.5
Compressor 3.0.5
outputting to 1TB G-drive
FCP file to QT “current settings” -
[Nicholas Pollicino] ” I am trying to turn this into a DVD H.264 file to import into DVDstudio and burn onto a Dual Layered DVD”
No such beast. DVD is MPEG-2 Elementary stream. Try using the DVD Best 90 or 120 Preset in Compressor. I find Compressor misestimates the file size you might need to use 120 even though your source is less than 90.HD comes in many flavors too. If it’s HDV that might be slowing things down. Try exporting to Apple Pro Res from FCP first and see if that helps.
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Craig, you beat me to it 😉
I’d just add to that that 2GB of RAM is simply not enough.
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“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”Steve Ballmer To USA Today: 30 April 2007
“We and Apple are neck and neck and we’re chasing the two
other players,”Steve Ballmer, referring to Nokia and Research in Motion. October 6th 2009
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[Nicholas Pollicino] “I want great output, but i can’t afford to wait this long. “
Don’t use a laptop.
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“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”Steve Ballmer To USA Today: 30 April 2007
“We and Apple are neck and neck and we’re chasing the two
other players,”Steve Ballmer, referring to Nokia and Research in Motion. October 6th 2009
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Craig, can you recommend a source for reading and learning about compression? There are lots of things I don’t understand, and would like to be able to have a better grasp on things…
Thanks,
Andy
Andy
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Jan Ozer’s DVDs on the subject are very thorough. See review below. He’s got one specific to Final Cut Pro if you’re on Mac.
https://www.eventdv.net/Articles/Department/Continuing-Education/Continuing-Education-Jan-Ozer‘s-Critical-Skills-for-Streaming-Producers-49449.htm
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Craig,
I appreciate your help in these matters. I have read several other posts, but I figure I should ask about my particular situation. I am working with an Apple Powerbook G4 with OS X.4.11. I edit on FCP 6.0.6, Compressor 3.0.5 and I have Quicktime Pro 7.6.4. Codec DVCPRO HD (720p60). The video was shot 24fps. The destination codec is my question. This video is going to be used on a webpage for potential clients to view, so the quality has to be pretty good. Having said that, the file size needs to be small for those that don’t have fast connection speeds. This is a marketing video that’s being sent cold to meeting planners, so the ability for them to view quickly is vitally important. I typically use compressor to make h264 movies, but based on some of your other posts it sounds like MPEG 4 is better for web? you wrote the following to someone else:
Here’s the trick – crunch it down as a quicktime and then open it in Quicktime Pro and export it as an MP4 but ONLY wrap it. Don’t re-encode. Select pass through for audio and video. Load it up in JW Player or Flow Player and tell it to auto buffer.
I am not certain about what you’re saying here. I am hoping to get it in the ballpark of 60-80mb without losing too much quality (I know it won’t be as good). When you say crunch it down as a QT and then open it in QT Pro, do you mean just a normal QT movie, or use QT conversion? You then say export as a MP4 but ONLY wrap it don’t encode? I don’t understand this, I don’t see anything in my version that offers “wrap it”. You then say load it up in JW player or Flow Player. I am not aware of these, i assume they are for website developers etc?
Thanks again,
Carl Hathcoat
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Hello,
I’m on a Mac Pro.
My OS version is 10.5.8.
I output from After Effects CS3, sometimes from FCP.
I usually output as Quicktime with the animation compressor.
I want the most web friendly output at the pixel aspect the client requests (720p at the moment).
To be used as editorial and advertising content in an iPad app for a major magazine.Looking forward to your input,
Clayton Light
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