PLEASE HELP. Importing .mov files with text into FCP – text distorts

[Kevin Monahan]

It’s probably fine. Since you haven’t filled out your profile, I have NO idea what kind of system you have, so that would be a helpful way to start things off.

My guess is that you are not using a proper NTSC or PAL video monitor as you work and that you are being fooled by viewing a non-square pixel composition in a square pixel computer monitor.

Answer: Hook up a proper video monitor and tell us how it looks there and NOT on the computer.

Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Workshop!
fcpworld.com

[Jaimeywb]

Updated the equipment part of my profile. Am running FCP HD on a Dual 2GhZ tower using Tiger.

The edited clips will be shown directly on laptop computers, so there is no NTSC output happening. What I’m getting in the way of distorted titles is what my client is seeing on her laptop and subsequently what will be seen when her client presents. Her client may be connecting a laptop to a projector, but will that make a difference or will that just project the distorted titles seen on the computer screen. My thought is the latter.

Thanks
Jaimey

[Todd Beabout]

[JaimeyWB] “I am grabbing a number of VOB files from DVD, converting them .mov using mpeg streamclip so that I can edit them for the client in FCP. Afterward, I am using Flip4Mac to convert the file to .wmv format for the client to use in PowerPoint for Windows.”

Your original video file was already compressed to begin with (MPEG2). You then have converted that, edited it in another app (which also probably forces another conversion on the footage), then exported to yet another type of compression (.wmv). Seriously, what did you expect? Your graphics are most likely getting worse with each step of this workflow. I would suggest retyping the graphics from withing FCP (if that is even an option) or come up with some other way of doing this.

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Todd Beabout]

Hey, just had another thought.

When I’ve had to pull material from DVD, sometimes I have better luck actually capturing from the DVD. I usually have the footage dubbed to Beta SP and then bring it in by capturing it from the tape. Don’t know if this will help, but it’s worth a try.

Good luck and post back if you figure something out.

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Jaimeywb]

Exactly. That’s what I told the client, which she doesn’t seem too happy about, but I’m on the same page as you. I’ve tried to explain it to her as a digital equivalent of making a copy of a copy of a cassette or VHS (with less degradation obviously) to get her to understand the loss of data with each round of compression.

I just wanted to see what other options might exist before telling her that the quality we have would have to suffice.

Dubbing to the Beta tape is a good idea for the next time one of these projects pops up, but unfortunately is not an option at this point in the game.

Thanks!
Jaimey