[Andrew Stuckey]

Thanks Brett.

[Ian Dillon] “Also, the sequence it puts it in has messed up settings and I have to go into each image’s sequence settings and change to square pixels, etc.”

Sorry, I took this sentence to mean that he was having trouble with pixel ratios since he had to change elements to square pixels.
Perhaps it meant something else.

[Andrew Stuckey]

IMPORTANT

*i5 and i7 iMacs will not do high speed Ethernet*.

Dumb… but true
https://blogs.creativecow.net/blog/1092/i5-and-i7-imac-ethernet-controller-update

I know time has marched on since this thread, but thought I would post this for anyone else who has just found this thread via a search.

[Andrew Stuckey]

@ Brett. Grouping layers into a smart object is hardly complex. lol.

If you want to work with individual layers of a Photoshop file inside FCP, then smart objects is the way to go to preserve any effects like shadows. Saves you from having to save and export each layer as it’s own separate PNG.

But since Ian only wants a single layer/image than yes PNG would be more suitable…note I didn’t say less complex 😉

As for the pixel ratio issue, this one IS a little more complex… but at least I offered a solution.

Whether IAN uses individual PNGs or a layered PSD with smart objects, if the pixel ratio of the Photoshop image is not compatible with the pixel ratio of his FCP sequence then it will still be off when he imports it. So he either needs to make an adjustment before or after import.

I prefer making the adjustment in FCP because I can correct one image, then apply the change in bulk to the rest by copying and pasting attributes>distortion.

[Andrew Stuckey]

Not sure about the Alpha layer stuff but…

To retain the shadow (and any other layer effects), have you tried grouping the layers as a smart object before importing into FC?

Also, the setting Motion > Distort > Aspect(?) can help with correcting pixel ratios. Eg: I use +/- 33.33333 to convert anamorphic/square pixels.

[Andrew Stuckey]

SOLVED!
———

At last a solution for Handbrake.

The latest nightly build of Handbrake not only manages to encode my master file but it also seems to support ProRes formatted files, which is a big win.

https://build.handbrake.fr/

Now all that is left is to compare the ProRes x264 encodes from Handbrake with the ones from MPEG Streamclip. Should be pretty close I imagine. 😀

Thanks

[Andrew Stuckey]

So I tried the x264 codec in QT and I wasn’t overly impressed.
Not sure if QT does something to it or maybe I didn’t have it fully optimised. Either way I was very surprised because its known to be such a great codec.

However I then tried x264 with MPEG Streamclip and got some excellent results, on par with Handbrake!!
(Very strange that QT could not deliver similar results with the same codec).

So it now seems that I have a viable workaround. What’s even better is that unlike Handbrake, MPEG SC will handle AIC formats like ProRez, which is excellent.

Thanks all for your help.
I’ll churn my master through and see how it goes.

[Andrew Stuckey]

I had tried ProRes originally but the latest release of Handbrake wouldn’t recognise the source file. I tested this on more than one ProRes file, which is why I resorted to HDV.

Anyway. I also posted the same issue an another forum and ended up working out a solution which I’ll post below for the sake of completeness.

[Andrew Stuckey]

Sorry just realised that I said the master .mov was 1280×720. That was a typo out of habit working with files for youtube HD. 😉

The correct format for the master .mov file is Apple HDV 1080i50 1440 x 1080.

[Andrew Stuckey]

Handbrake log

[12:42:21] hb_init: checking cpu count
[12:42:21] hb_init: starting libhb thread
[12:42:21] macgui: Handbrake Version: 0.9.5 x86_64 (2011010300)
[12:42:23] hb_init: checking cpu count
[12:42:23] hb_init: starting libhb thread
[12:42:23] hb_init: checking cpu count
[12:42:23] hb_init: starting libhb thread
[12:42:25] macgui: hbInstances path to this instance: /Applications/HandBrake.app
[12:42:25] macgui: hbInstance found instance pidnum:12360 at path: /Applications/HandBrake.app
[12:42:25] macgui: hbInstance MATCH FOUND, our pidnum is:12360
[12:42:25] macgui: Pid for this instance:12360
[12:42:25] macgui: HBQueueController : My Pidnum is 12360
[12:42:31] macgui: trying to open video_ts folder (parent directory chosen)
[12:42:31] macgui: Preview: Disabling HUD Controls
[12:42:31] macgui: Minimum length of title for scan: 900000
[12:42:31] hb_scan: path=/Volumes/MYBOOK 2/Video Masters/Workshops/2011 Adv Workshop/AWP4_HDV_1080i.mov, title_index=0
libbluray/bdnav/index_parse.c:157: indx_parse(): error opening /Volumes/MYBOOK 2/Video Masters/Workshops/2011 Adv Workshop/AWP4_HDV_1080i.mov/BDMV/index.bdmv
libbluray/bluray.c:960: nav_get_title_list(/Volumes/MYBOOK 2/Video Masters/Workshops/2011 Adv Workshop/AWP4_HDV_1080i.mov) failed (0x104102000)
[12:42:31] bd: not a bd – trying as a stream/file instead
libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 4.1.3
libdvdread: Encrypted DVD support unavailable.
libdvdnav:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO failed
libdvdnav:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP failed
libdvdread: Can’t open file VIDEO_TS.IFO.
libdvdnav: vm: failed to read VIDEO_TS.IFO
[12:42:31] dvd: not a dvd – trying as a stream/file instead
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from ‘/Volumes/MYBOOK 2/Video Masters/Workshops/2011 Adv Workshop/AWP4_HDV_1080i.mov’:
Metadata:
major_brand : qt
minor_version : 537199360
compatible_brands: qt
Duration: 01:32:36.88, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 26546 kb/s
Chapter #0.0: start 33.320000, end 36.640000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.1: start 36.640000, end 37.400000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.2: start 37.400000, end 515.160000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.3: start 515.160000, end 953.400000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.4: start 953.400000, end 1026.080000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.5: start 1026.080000, end 1132.120000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.6: start 1132.120000, end 1634.080000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.7: start 1634.080000, end 2053.040000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.8: start 2053.040000, end 3124.560000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.9: start 3124.560000, end 3695.720000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.10: start 3695.720000, end 4022.400000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.11: start 4022.400000, end 5163.200000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.12: start 5163.200000, end 5163.240000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.13: start 5163.240000, end 5384.600000
Metadata:
Chapter #0.14: start 5384.600000, end 5523.480000
Metadata:
Stream #0.0(eng): Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 1440×1080 [PAR 4:3 DAR 16:9], 25000 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 25 tbn, 50 tbc
Stream #0.1(eng): Audio: pcm_s16le, 48000 Hz, 2 channels, s16, 1536 kb/s
Stream #0.2(eng): Data: tmcd / 0x64636D74
Stream #0.3(eng): Subtitle: text / 0x74786574
[12:42:32] scan: decoding previews for title 1
[12:42:32] scan: 10 previews, 1440×1080, 25.000 fps, autocrop = 0/0/0/0, aspect 16:9, PAR 4:3
[12:42:32] scan: title (0) job->width:1440, job->height:816
[12:42:32] libhb: scan thread found 1 valid title(s)
[12:42:32] macgui: showNewScan: This is a new source item scan
[12:42:32] macgui: Preview: Enabling HUD Controls
[12:43:34] macgui: Rip: Pending queue count is 0
[12:43:38] macgui: Rip: Pending queue count is 0
[12:43:38] macgui: Rip: Pending queue count is 0
[12:43:39] macgui: Rip: Pending queue count is 0