How to render MPEG2 out of FCP?

[Rob Grauert]

I don’t believe FCP is capable of outputting MPEG. Your best option is Compressor. Do you know how to do this?

Rob Grauert, Jr.
http://www.robgrauert.com
command-r.tumblr.com

[John Ranta]

Damn, another program to learn 🙂

No, I have not used Compressor. I did accidentally click on it once, on one of our iMacs, and for weeks afterwards we got CompressorD messages all the time. I think I’ve been avoiding it…

Are there good tutorials out there? I’m guessing that some 11 year old will teach me everything I need on youtube, in a video tutorial…JR

[Bouke Vahl]

check the specs for the playout system.

You can export from FCP to XDcam in MXF, using the (free) Sony XDcam transfer application.
This is in fact MpegII, but another style as you would put on a DVD.
(and way better looking)

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Walter Soyka]

[John Ranta] “The video server for the cable channel only accepts mpeg2 files.”

A lot of video servers have very specific compression requirements. Not all servers will play just any MPEG-2 file. Can you get more information on what you’ll need to provide from the broadcaster?

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

[Zane Barker]

[John Ranta] “I teach Video Production”

[John Ranta] “How to render MPEG2 out of FCP?”

Umm you don’t render out of FCP. You render a timeline, and you export out of FCP.

You will need to export a self contained file and then bring it into compressor.

If you don’t know compressor LEARN it, it can be your BEST friend. I rely on it more then I do FCP.

**Hindsight is always 1080p**

[John Ranta]

Thanks to all for the quick answers. Further questions, and info:

What is MXF and XDcam? I’m not familiar with these acronyms. It may help to explain more of how the process works for me. I have Vegas and FCP systems, all on our internet. I also have the video server for the cable channel on the same internet. When we render videos out of Vegas as mpeg-2 videos (straight to a hard disk file – not to tape or DVD), I simply transfer these over the network to the Nexus server, and schedule them to run. I’d like to be able to do the same on FCP – export an mpeg-2 video our of an FCP editing session straight to a hard disk file, and then transfer that file over the net to the Nexus server.

As for the Nexus mpeg-2 requirements (I am the broadcaster 🙂 ) – they are:

• Acceptable stream types:

[John Ranta]

(post was cutoff) The NEXUS supports
• MPEG-1 System Stream or MPEG-2 Program Stream
* Elementary video stream
• Three video resolutions (pixels) are allowed.
352 x 240 (Horizontal x Vertical)
352 x 480
720 x 480
• Picture rate must be 29.97 pictures per second.
• A maximum bit rate of 10 Mb/s is allowed.
• National TV Standards Committee (NTSC) with 4:3 aspect ratio required.
• Audio, if present, must be encoded into the MPEG file using Audio layer II, encoded at a 32, 44.1, or 48KHz sampling frequency.
• MPEG filenames may contain up to 27 characters (no spaces) in addition to the required “.mpg” extension.

[Bouke Vahl]

Sorry, but you TEACH video production?

I would recommend you get some education first, to know the basics.
(and that includes a tech background and knowing how to read manuals, test and experiment before asking others.)

I’m out of this thread.

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Walter Soyka]

Bouke, I have tremendous respect for you and your work, and I have learned a lot from you going back to the Avid-L — and thank you for that! John may be a teacher, but he’s here to learn, too.

John, perhaps you have more of a traditional video engineering background, but it sounds like you’re new to the video/IT convergence that’s been going for a few years.

Compressor itself is pretty easy to learn — once you understand a bit about video compression. The Compressor manual is a bit of a slog, but reading the intro and the section on MPEG-2 will help you understand the Nexxus spec.

Wikipedia has pretty decent (though somewhat dry) explanations of MXF and XDCAM. I’d start there for the basics, then come back with questions.

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

[John Ranta]

Walter, thanks. I come from high tech, having worked in Unix, CAD/CAM and Publishing for 25 years, but I’m pretty new to video. I’ve been teaching high school for 9 years now, and added Video Production to my classes (which include Flash Animation, 3D Studio Animation, Advertising, Entrepreneurship, and Broadcasting) 4 years ago when the teacher who taught it retired. I’m self-taught, and being the only Tech/Media teacher in the school I need to know a little about a lot of things. It’s a lot of fun, actually, and my students do quite well in film contests and college acceptances.

I’ve taught myself the basics of editing with Vegas and Final Cut, but I’ve never worked in the film/video industry (pre or post convergence). I didn’t mean to abuse the forum, I first did a search here (and in Google) on exporting mpeg-2 from FCP, and found very little. I’ll do some more research, and figure it out. It sounds like it’s time to learn Compressor.

Bouke, you may yet have one or two things to learn, yourself…