Why are my exports ugly?

[David Dobson]

What are your project settings?

Premier Pro doesn’t have a preset for H.264 Quicktimes.
You might try using one of the XDCAM or DCVProHD presets.
If you import the footage into a NTSC projects – it will downconvert the footage to DV and if you try to blow that up to HD it will look ugly.

But this is all guessing without knowing more about what you did.

Interesting camera though.

[Brandon Eckert]

I am kind of new to premiere but this is my current settings:

General
Editing mode: Desktop
Timebase: 60.00 fps

Video Settings
Frame size: 1080h 720v (1.200)
Frame rate: 60.00 frames/second
Pixel Aspect Ratio: D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2)
Fields: No Fields (Progressive Scan)

Audio Settings
Sample rate: 48000 samples/second

Capture Format
DV Capture

Video Rendering
Maximum Bit Depth: Off
Preview File Format: Video for Windows
Compressor: None
Color depth: Millions of colors

Default Sequence
Total video tracks: 3
Master track type: Stereo
Mono tracks: 0
Stereo tracks: 3
5.1 tracks: 0
Submix mono tracks: 0
Submix stereo tracks: 0
Submix 5.1 tracks: 0

I found that if I export using adobe media encoder…choose mpeg2…if I choose 5 quality, 1080×720, and fps of 60….that the video quality looks good…but after about 20 seconds the video gets choppy.

[Jon Barrie]

General
Editing mode: Desktop
Timebase: 60.00 fps

Video Settings
Frame size: 1080h 720v (1.200)
Frame rate: 60.00 frames/second
Pixel Aspect Ratio: D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2)
Fields: No Fields (Progressive Scan)

Audio Settings
Sample rate: 48000 samples/second

Capture Format
DV Capture

Why aren’t you using a preset? HDV NTSC 60i or DV NTSC 29.97fps

Why is your time base 60p, r u sure it recorded in 60P? I doubt the Canon camera can do that (can do 30p – kinda).
What is with the settings for frame size? 1080×720. never heard of it. 1280×720 is considered 720p HD/HDV. 1920×1080 for FullHD in either interlaced or progressive. HDV is 1440×1080 (anamorphic) widescreen and actually always interlaced (even in progressive it embedded in the interlacing). The PAR of 1.2 is only for DV NTSC not HD or HDV.
Capture format is DV? Did you shoot HDV or DV?

1. If you know what format you shot, use a preset based on it. The frame rate size and format (NTSC/PAL) will determine the frame size/rate/etc and should be correct.
2. Use a preset.
3. THANKYOU for sending us the project details you have no idea how many people just say my export looks weird without sending the project specs.

– Jon Barrie 😉

How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
http://www.jonbarrie.net

[Brandon Eckert]

My camera says it will shoot 1080P @ 30FPS….and 720P @ 60FPS. In premiere, top left hand corner it says:

Movie: 1280×720(1.0) 59.96FPS

So wouldn’t that be what the movie I imported was shot in? I just tried using the preset for “HDV 720P”…and it only allows for 29.97FPS….and as before when I export to mpeg2…the first couple seconds look/sound great…then I get a lot of skipping.

[Brandon Eckert]

I just did some testing in after effects CS3…and if I export as quicktime…use H.264 compression…my video exports perfectly…great quality…no skipping…but when I do the same thing in premiere cs3…I get the weird stuff mentioned above…anyone know? I just tried using the HDV 720P…and I get the same results as above.

[Jon Barrie]

If it start out ok and proressively gets worse I’d say its a frames per second issue. If it doesn’t match its start out ok and gets worse as time goes on. You need to be certain the 720 footage is actually running at 60p. The reviews out there say this can go upto 60p. Means it might not actually be at that mode.
As much as this is annoying to hear, but this camera is far from professinal. I’d recommend you doulbe check the properties of the mov files in QT. then make a new project, have the same fps, frame size and when you export it make sure the properties of the export are correct too.
If it plays back fine in the timeline, but gets bad on the way out (export) the properties in the export settings are not matching.
– Jon 🙂

How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
http://www.jonbarrie.net

[Brandon Eckert]

Yes, it progressivly gets worse with the choppiness. Here is the QT information for the original mov:

Format: H.264, 1280 x 720, Millions, AAC, Stereo, 48.000 kHz
Movie FPS: 59.94
Playing FPS: 59.94
Data Size 549.81 MB
Data Rate: 5.98 mbits/sec
Normal Size: 1280 x 720

[Jon Barrie]

IF the fps is 59.94 on the clip then that is exactly what it needs to playback properly in the timeline.
60fps is not 59.94
59.96 is not 59.94
that tiny amount difference is what adds up over time to a poorly synced up video by the end.
The export needs to be the same too. 59.94

Try using the SONY EX preset 720p you’ll see the 60p that uses the 59.94 fps for clips.
Start there…

– Jon 😉

How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
http://www.jonbarrie.net

[Brandon Eckert]

I will try those presets when I get home. Do you know which export I should use that will keep the quality? I noticed that even though my film is using quicktime H.264 @ 59.94 FPS…the most I can export as quicktime H.264 is 30FPS.

[Brandon Eckert]

“Try using the SONY EX preset 720p you’ll see the 60p that uses the 59.94 fps for clips. ”

Stupid question… just looked for the import presets…and don’t see anything that says SONY EX?