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MPEG-2 export from avid
What is the proper workflow? Our Avid exports MPEG-2 video and audio separate. We need it mauxed. Do we export a qtref and run that through cleaner? Do we go through a hardware encoder? Do we upgrade our lanshare to express pro or some other variation? We are probably moving towards a hardware encoder but thing would be simpler with an Avid upgrade if possible. Thanks.
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6 Replies
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Hello Phil,
It really comes down to quality and price (plus figure in speed, too). If you want to go with a software solution that you can install on the Avid workstation, check out Procoder from Canopus. It’s eclipsed Cleaner in a handful of ways, and is a “cleaner” encoding engine than Sorenson Squeeze, in my opinion.
Hardware encoders can produce fabulous results and have a definite speed advantage, but I wouldn’t install the hardware on an Avid system. Buy a cheap, basic, but fast PC for it. Export an uncompressed QT file for best quality to a external drive, start it up, and put a kettle on.
Valerie
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Thanks. That’s kinda what I thought, though I thought maybe Avid had a solution on one of their packages. Thanks again.
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[Valerie Shoaps] “Export an uncompressed QT file for best quality to a external drive, start it up, and put a kettle on. “
Ya know Valerie, this doesn’t seem to work everytime, for some reason.
I just had to re-edit a project that the client only had a DVD of the footage. I Digitized from that to my Avid, did the re-edit, now agreed the quality wasn’t the greatest, but it was acceptable. I exported a QT as I have done before into my PC and converted to MPG2. Had a bad artifact problem, so I checked the exported QT and the problem was on it. I did a simple analog output from my Avid MAC into my MPG hardware encoder into the PC and it was clean. Now ain’t that strange?Charlie
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May I ask what you are using for a hardware encoder?
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Val, Sorenson Squeeze just released an update – 4.1 which updates the MPEG engine – adding 2 pass VBR. Quality has improved. Canopus Mastering quality is still probably better.
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Phil,
I have an inexpensive setup here, since budgets in a hotel don;’t really favor the video promotions department unless they go out of house, in which case they will spend 40-50,000 or more for one project. The reason I say this is that I wouldn’t really recommend my encoder for broadcast because it is actually a prosumer product. I have the Dazzle which was sold to Pinnacle and recently bought by Avid.Charlie
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