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MP4, edit, export as MP4?
I’ve used an Elgato video converter to make an MP4 file from a VHS tape.
In FCPX I’ve trimmed the file and used the Sharpen effect a tiny bit. Now I’d like to ‘Share’ it and, ideally, get a similar sized file back. The closest option seems to be “Apple Devices 720p” but that seems to produce only M4V files and from what I’ve read they might not have the broad compatibility that I think I get with MP4. Is there a way of getting FCPX to output an MP4? Thanks!
Near Geneva, Switzerland
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3 Replies
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Sorry, I think I might have found something.
Share – Apple Devices 720p – Settings – Format: Computer – Video Codec: Better Quality.
The resulting file will apparently be twice the size of the original but that’s better than a “Master File” which would be about twenty times larger.
All the same, is there an option somewhere which would make the output file size even closer to the original MP4 file?
Near Geneva, Switzerland
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You can either choose on of the other lower quality options or, if you have Compressor, you can create a custom preset with whatever settings you want. I personally tend to export a ProRes “Master File” then use the Handbrake app to convert that to MP4.
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Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer & Cinematographer
Hobart, Tasmania | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
Many thanks for the reply Jeff. Yes, I have Compressor and use it very frequently in my normal workflow as I create DVDs for my insatiable clients – amateur dramatic/choral society productions, school shows etc.
My ‘worry’ about Compressor in this area is that with a name like that it will somehow compress things even further from the original compressed MP4 format and make the image quality lower than it is already. Starting with 1980/90s VHS on non-professional cameras isn’t great anyway.
FWIW, I put the input and the output MP4s next to each other on the screen, compared them in a few places and they both look equally bad.
I just wonder why the output file ends up being a bit more than twice the size of the input even after I trimmed off a bit at the start and the end. Oh well…
Near Geneva, Switzerland
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