Quicktime image quality problems in FCP

[David Roth weiss]

[Ed Hart] “The original QT movie capture is crystal clear.”

How are you determining that?

What is video codec and aspect of the video you captured using SnapZPro?

How are you monitoring?

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

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[Ed Hart]

Thanks for the response. The codec is not one that I am too familiar with – Animation, IMA 4:1. The aspect ratio option that I used is the 4×3 standard option on the software.

This project will ultimately be converted to flash and put on-line. The original QT file that SnapZpro produced plays back fine in QT Player. When I imported into FCP and made some edits to the track – at this point only cutting some of my “ums & ahhs”, rendered the project and then play back in the viewer, the clarity is pretty fuzzy. Then I exported as a QuickTime movie using DV/DVCPRO-NTSC it still looks bad when played with QT Player.

I’m thinking from your questions that the settings in my FCP sequence are probably not matching up with the QT movie. I’m not good with the codec stuff yet & still have a lot to learn.

[David Roth weiss]

Okay, here’s the deal…

Quicktime is designed to display all types of QT video files at their native resolution. Meanwhile, FCP is essentially designed to display video that conforms to established broadcast video standards, and it will scale non-conforming video to a standard size, because it’s programmed to do exactly that. So, that explains why some video looks great in the player and lousy in FCP.

I have never used SnapZPro, but I’ve seen many here with similar issues to your own. You need need to be able to set it to capture video to a codec that FCP likes, or get yourself another app, such as IShowU ($20) that will. The Animation codec is not a good choice, you should probably be capturing to DV or DVCPro50, 4×3 aspect ratio.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Ed Hart]

Thanks. That was very helpful. I changed the sequence settings in FCP and that seemed to help. Also downloaded IshowU and I really like the fact that it encodes on the fly. I appreciate the help.

[David Roth weiss]

Glad to help Ed. As you’ll find over time, there can seem to be a daunting number of options in FCP, but you’ll find there are only a few in any particular case are that are really right on the money. I liken FCP to the gambling at the craps table, there are lots of possible bets, but usually only one or two good ones. I try to tell people about the good ones.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Andrew Kimery]

Just to add to what David has already said, Ed. Basically what you did is recorded in a very high quality codec (Animation) and then beat the living snot out of it by reducing it to DV25 (both in FCP and in the exports you tried). That’s why you saw the big drop off in quality. If you choose a progressive format to work in (DVCPro HD for example) that will help keep quality up since you are recording a progressive signal (your computer monitor) and delivering progressive as well (progressive compresses much cleaner than interlaced does).

-A

[Ed Hart]

Is there a good resource anyone could direct me to so I can get a better understanding of the different codecs and in which situations particular ones are optimal? The FCP manual isn’t that helpful to me there. I suppose if I had a strong background in production, it might be more helpful, but I need the “codecs for dummies” version. Thanks again for all the good advice.
Ed