Brian Alexander
Forum Replies Created
-
After many many many hours of pulling my hair out and even trying Terminal commands I’ve finally fixed my issue!
I tried everything except the re-install first then when nothing else worked I deleted all the files listed in this article: https://support.apple.com/kb/TS1888?viewlocale=en_US
My next step was to use the app Pacifist (https://www.charlessoft.com/) to extract just the Compressor and Motion installers from the FCP Install DVD and it did it!
Argghh!
Good luck!
-
Hi Daniel. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
[Daniel Low] “Quicktime H.264 has a subtle gamma shift bug which you may not like”
I know and have lived the gamma issue. My current workflow is completely unaffected by this bug. My IOHD to ProRes to QuickTime H.264 gamma stays the same. Files I get from clients are susceptible to this gamma shift and unfortunately I never know when or where it will strike. When it does strike my fix is to add a Gamma of 1.2 in Compressor and that leaves the video unchanged – no gamma bump. I’m thinking this happens when the video shifts from an RGB to YUV or possibly (not as likely) when we go from a 10bit to 8bit.
[Daniel Low] “compressor (or rather Quicktime) does not support the H.264 Levels and Profiles required for 4:2:2 support
“I’ve notice that leaving the settings to “Automatic” and “Best Quality” that the bit rate usually ends up around 16 Mbps, double my standard target of 8 Mbps. I figured this might double because we’re going from a 4:2:0 to a 4:2:2 but I’ve found no documentation that supports this; only wishful thinking.
[Daniel Low] “Have you considered Data tape? “
Nope, I do not know much about tapes. Are they expensive? What does a Data Tape Deck cost? What format do I lay to Data tape or is it just Data in general? Would I still want to compress my video to save on tape costs? I’m set up for an all digital and optical workflow so I haven’t considered much else since I have so much material coming in.
I appreciate it the feedback.
Thanks again. -
What is your intent for playback? If you’re taking this to the web or computer based playback then you’ll want to convert your anamorphic pixels to square pixels. If you’re dumping this sequence to tape or DVD then you’ll want to leave your anamorphic frame intact.
The best way for you to get your sequence from FCP to Compressor (imo) is to create a QuickTime reference movie (same settings, audio/video, chapter markers if you have them). Take your reference file to Compressor.
Compressor is easy to use once you get used to the interface and when you start understanding the intricacies of video codecs and compression.
If this was easy just anyone could do it!
—
Brian. -
You’ll get better image quality if you use image manipulation software to down scale your image before bringing it into FCP. If you’re using Photoshop, use ‘Bicubic Sharper’ interpolation – you’ll get better/sharper quality.
Alan is right. If you can provide detailed information about your intended workflow it will help clarify these and other questions.
—
Brian -
The Apple TV would work but I do not suggest any of my clients ever use an Apple TV for playback. For a higher quality playback device I use a MacBook Pro with either QuickTime or Playback Pro; This will provide us with a much more suitable product for professional workflow. Better interface, 1080p vs 720p, DVI vs HDMI, etc.
There are many open workflow questions that are not presented or answered here so I’ll keep this as short as possible:
The quality of your film presentation depends on the quality of your source media (you know this). What really matters is the playback device for your film and the compression or transfer method you use to get it to your playback device. If it is truly a digital cinema environment with DCI standards then you’ll need to create an .MXF wrapped file to load into the Digital Cinema Server. Digital Cinema projectors have a native resolution of 2048 x 1080.
You’re best bet for maintaining image quality is not to up or down rez your material but leave the frame size the same as your native sequence. You’re playback device will do a better job scaling the video then using software based methods. If you are working with standard def material you will want to consider converting your NTSC frame size to a square pixel format for digital playback so your film does not inadvertently display at the wrong aspect ratio. You will most likely want to de-interlace your media at some point as well.
You need to find out the best method of presenting your digital file to the venue. DVD is a great distribution format but these days it is not the best way to present your media. HDCam SR is excellent but it usually goes for $1,500 to $2,000 per day rental rate. The Mac is great for high def playback but if the venue doesn’t have any options for DVI then we need additional interface equipment or a different solution for playback.
Let me know if you have questions.
—
Brian Alexander
Video Engineer/Digital Media Specialist
PixelManagement@gmail.com -
Hi Maurice,
I’ve been trying to demystify thses settings for quite some time and I have been able to make a little headway but before we start talking details, I have a couple of questions that could help us troubleshoot these mysterious encoding issues.Mac or PC?
What Encoding Software are you using?
HD or SD or Both?
What codec are you currently using to feed the Turbo?I have an all Mac workflow and the biggest factor that I’ve uncovered that would prevent reliable results every single time is the fact that the Turbo likes CBR MPEG2 files. I have not been able to find a way to encode CBR MPEG2 Files on a Mac. Episode or Sorenson might be able to do this but I do not own either one of those programs.
I look forward to your answers.
—
Brain -
Do you have a scope to verify your video signal is intact?
Do you have another monitor to test with (just to rule out monitor issues)?
Have you tried a different cable (doubt this is the problem, just throwing it out there)?
-
What is the native frame rate of the EX-1 (I realize I could google it but what fun would that be?).
Are you reducing your HD frame size to PAL frame size or are we talking frame rates?
Is the flickering and interlaced issue or a video judder issue?
-
My F4M WMV Studio Pro HD is up to date: 2.2.1.11.
Do you use the built in presets or do you create custom settings?
Can you send me a preset to try?
What is your source material? Does it matter?
I just can’t seem to get predictable results using F4M. I’m thinking that it’s something I’m not doing right.
Thanks for your help.
-
I only learned of Compression Master after looking at the license key detail using this WMV-9 componenet in QuickTime.
Here’s the link I found: https://mac.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Popwire-WMV-9-Component.shtml