Matrox Compress HD encode not any faster

[Craig Seeman]

Without more detailed information it’s hard to know how you’re comparing things and with what settings.

I’ve tested CompressHD on MacPro and MXO2 with MAX on both MacPro and MacBookPro comparing them to closely matched setting in Compressor with QuickCluster (especially on MacPro) using the exact same EX source file. The MAX speed advantage was so obvious with a 10 minute source that you wouldn’t need to time it to perceive the difference.

Imagine talking to a blind surgeon in which your life depended on. That’s the kind of detail you would need to provide. The same source file using matching settings (you can’t assume the presets on either are even close to matching) would be a very overt difference as I’ve tested and verified on my systems.

[Jimmy Garland]

I just ran another test. One min of video from XD Cam. Using Compressor w/ Matrox preset: You Tube: 1280 x 720 29.97 folder. Preset …from 1080i (5Mb/s). One minute of video took 2 mins.

[Craig Seeman]

[Jimmy Garland] “One min of video from XD Cam”

So you’re using XDCAM Standard Def MXF file?
Does Compressor 4 have Matrox presets?

[Jimmy Garland] ” Preset …from 1080i (5Mb/s)”

I have no idea what you mean by that. That doesn’t sound like XDCAM source.

Compressor 4 doesn’t even have a YouTube preset.

[Jimmy Garland]

Sorry to be imprecise. I’m running Compressor 3.0.5. The Matrox presets are in there (that’s why I’m confused).
Preset I used:
MAX H.264 for YouTube HD 1280 x 720p 29.97 44.1 kHz
Use this to create H.264 1280 x 720p 29.97 at 5 Mb/s video for You Tube HD using Matrox MAX H.264 codec.

The original video is XDCAM EX 1080i60 29.97.

I am running Leopard 10.5.8 and installed corresponding driver from Matrox site. Any input useful. Am still waiting for tech support to “get back to me”.

Thanks again.

[John Street]

Hi All,

As Craig has said, I definitely see a huge speed increase when using the Matrox Compress HD card, but I’m not using it at all these days because the video quality (that I’m getting) isn’t as good as I’d like it … I don’t remember it always being this way, but I haven’t been able to figure out how to improve it. The image has a lot more macro blocking going on and is real edge-y like an extra-strong sharpening filter is applied.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

I’m typically compressing XDCAM EX 1080i footage to a QuickTime as 854×480 2Mbps or as 640×360 800kbps.

thanks,

JS

—
John Street
http://www.inpoint.tv
Mac OS 10.6.7, FCS 7.0.3, QT 7.6.6, Mac Pro 2x3GHz Quad-Core, 16GB Ram