Bret Williams
Forum Replies Created
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Geez, even Microsoft uses flash for videos on it’s own web site. IMHO h.264 blows any flash codec away, but I find that too many people don’t have QT 7. And all a web browser can do is check for QT, but not a specific version. Whereas it’s easy to have a browser check the flash plugin and send the viewer there and install. If QT could do that, I wouldn’t use flash. Also, when they install QT, it starts asking them if they want it as their main player, etc. Depending on what they decide things can get messy. It’s a mess.
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As the video pointed out many programs have trouble discerning just what needs to be transparent in a premultiplied matte, and in turn, leave black fringing around the edge, so when in doubt use a straight matte. FCP is not the best program for dealing with mattes & transparency. So this is probably good advice for FCP.
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Or upgrade everything to 5.1.4. 5.1.3 was the shortest lived version in FCP history I think. 5.1.4 seems to be an improvemetn over 5.1.2 on my DV based system, but if you have kona or IO or decklink or any other hardware you should check with them before you upgrade.
But in any case, go backward or forward. Say no to 5.1.3.
Your other systems should at least be 5.1.2. It’s not just for intel. It’s an upgraded version. There are a good number of little features, new effects, and of course bug fixes compared to 5.0.x versions.
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Are you plugging the camera and the deck into the same port? Via daisy chain? Perhaps the front is slower and just can’t handle the daisy chain. I’ve got a deck in the back an drive in the front.
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slightly ot, but If one is charging people for their editing services it’s also thier JOB to know these things. I run into things I don’t know all the time that is part of editing. I don’t charge clients for my learning curve. I learn it, then I know it. Then I charge the next guy. 🙂
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Ah, you’re right. I couldn’t see any reason to buy the full version, when the flash version did all I need. WMV & Flash. Compressor does everything else. So, for $249 you can get squeeze for flash with ON2 support or you can get the ON2 exporter for $199. Squeeze has a lot more features and details and settings. Lots of custom filters, presets, watch folders, ftp support and can even import video right off your deck or camera.
I’ve been playing with settings for a current flash project, and I’ve actually been having better results with the sorensen spark codec. I run at around 500-600kps, but at lower bit rates the ON2 VP6 may shine, I’m not sure.
The biggest problem with the spark is that it’s kind of contrasty. An adjustment of the gamma corrects that.
And a little OT, what the hell is with Windows? For nearly every client I have to crank the gamma adjustment so that a perfect video looks decent on a windows machine. And secondly, why don’t the compression engines do this by default? Drives me nuts. Trying to find the right balance of looking acceptable on a mac, and not too dark on a PC.
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Purchase squeeze for flash. Compressor does everything else.
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That is incorrect. Squeeze either comes with everything, including the flash exporter. Or with ONLY the flash exporter (squeeze for flash) which actually includes wmv via flip for mac. It’s a good product in that you can set up watch folders for websites and automatically ftp files to a site.
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Nobody captures non-square as square. Yes, you’re losing 80 pixels of information. How would you even do that? If you you’re capturing DV you can’t adjust anything. It captures as it is. Anyway, all video is non square. Capture it. Edit it. Then export it to the format of choice. Beyond the intricate details of your compression software (compressor, sorenson squeeze, cleaner, etc.) it’s really that simple.
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I thought the only reason to use premultiplied was for older systems that didn’t support straight, or for when it also needed to be a stand alone graphic. It always seemed odd to premix transparent areas with black (think feathered edges) and that’s where I have had issues with it back in the old media 100 days. I switched to straight and never had a problem again. With straight it appears to premix transparent areas with the same color as that particular part of the animation. That way the alpha for a feathered edge is applied to a solid color, not to a gradient of color to black (premultiplied).