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Question about Quicktime Converter from FCP
So I shot a program in DVCPro50 30p 16:9. I edited a multicam show from it and the final show is 88minutes. I’m trying to deliver a web viewable version of this progrm even thoughmy Master is going to DVD. The client wants to put it on google video and asked for a quicktime medium broadband settings. Being 16:9 I made the asspect ratio 360×202 for 1/4 full screen. This just looks best but what should the ratio be?
The Quicktime Medium comes with a few standard settings which I manipulated and I suspect this is where I caused my problem. I adjusted the fps to 30fps from a preset of 15…thinking that 30fps was correct since that’s what I shot it in. I also picked progressive since that’s what I shot it in. Lastly the present was set for optimize for download but I have assumed that I needed to make it streaming for Google.
This 88 minute show with these encoding requests has taken me 16 hours so far and it says it needs another 8!!!!! I’ve wasted an entire day of editing!!! It seems that I shouldn’t makes these changes. At least not for the reasons that I did… Is this right?
FYI I had to use Quicktime Converter out of FCP because Compressor kept giving me a error of “Error: An internal error occurred: ContentAgent server not found.” Any thoughts on how to fix this problem?
thanks
Chris Baldwin
Shoulder High Productions
Media of the World; For the World!
https://www.shoulderhigh.com
ne*********@**********gh.com -
3 Replies
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Hi Chris,
I’ve posted some thoughts about your various issues below.
Take care,
Warren
Frame Size
A “medium” QuickTime is 320×240, but as you’ve noticed, this number is best suited for 4×3 material.
320×180 would be your 16×9 equivalent. Relative to your DVCPro50 source footage, this is a little less than 1/4 screen, but it corrects for both the anamorphic squeeze and the non-square pixels of your source.
Frame Rate
It’s common to reduce the frame rate to either 1/2 or 1/3 of the source for web, CD-ROM, iPOD, PSP, etc. If all other settings remained the same, a converted QuickTime at 15 fps will require half the storage space as a converted QuickTime movie at 30 fps. Accordingly, a 10 fps movie will require one third the storage space. For the web, the smaller the file size then the quicker the download.
QuickTime movies based on 29.97 fps (or 30) source are typically reduced to 15 fps or 10 fps.
QuickTime movies based on 24 fps (or 23.98) source are typically reduced to 12 fps or 8 fps.
Google Video’s support page states that they require no less than 12 fps.
HTTP Streaming (“Optimized for Download”) vs. RSTP Streaming (“Optimized for Streaming”)
Leave your Video Settings as “Optimized for Download”. You will be creating a self-contained file for HTTP Streaming (a.k.a. “Progressive Download”) that will play as it downloads. If your Video Settings are set to “Optimized for Streaming”, then you are creating a QuickTime file to be streamed from a Mac OS X Server running Apple QuickTime Broadcaster to QuickTime Player (Google Video isn’t using this).
Google Video has some information specific to creating content for their service here:
https://video.google.com/supportInterestingly enough, for footage originating from DV source, they recommend MPEG2. That being the case, you might reconsider going MPEG2 rather than Broadband – Medium QuickTime (although, the Broadband – Medium setting is iPod friendly while MPEG2 is not).
Progressive
Any digital video intendend for playback on a computer display, like web video, should be progressive. If interlaced, you will see what is typically described as “combing” (thin horizontal lines) in your picture, especially in areas of high motion. If your source footage was not already progressive, you would want to “de-interlace” it prior to doing an export using QuickTime Conversion.
Transcoding Time
H.264 provides very effecient video compression (good picture quality at a very small file size). Accordingly, it takes a good amount of time to transcode source material to H.264. On a PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0GHz, 10 minutes of DV (or DVCPro) source will require about 26 minutes to transcode to the Broadband – Medium QuickTime preset.
Based on this, your 88 minute cut will take about 4 hours to transcode at the default Broadband – Medium settings (but you have a Quad G5, right?).
You can get a rough benchmark for how much time your system will require to transcode your source footage to a delivery format by subtracting the “Created” time stamp from the “Modified” time stamp of the exported QuickTime movie. Export 10 minutes of a Sequence and then “Get Info” in the Finder (or look at the Preview Column information while in Columns view in the Finder) to get these time stamps. You can also do the conversion from the Viewer window in FCP. If portions of your Sequence require rendering in FCP, then render prior to doing the QuickTime Conversion as unrendered footage in your Sequence will lengthen the amount of time it takes to export a file
Compressor Errors
Look up your error message on the Apple support website.
While you’re there, you might look up the instructions on how to uninstall and then reinstall Compressor. It’s not uncommon to reinstall Compressor to fix various errors (like a failure to connect to the background process after submitting a job).
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Wow! I am soooo grateful for the time you took to answer these questions for me!
This all helped so much.
Chris Baldwin
Shoulder High Productions
Media of the World; For the World!
https://www.shoulderhigh.com
newsletters@shoulderhigh.com -
Chris,
I’m glad this helps.
Hey, if you ever need freelancers on any of your projects, keep me in mind!
Take care,
Warren
wheaton@ucla.edu
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