Charles Simonson
Forum Replies Created
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I see from the templates that Apple provides that the Frame Controls are set to Automatic. Try duplicating the preset and then set the Frame controls to None. Then do an encode to test the time. Then activate whatever filters you may want to use one-by-one, and keep re-encoding to see what is causing the time disparity.
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It sounds like Compressor is using some kind of Quality-based setting to make sure the video doesn’t dip below a certain point. Essentially, the video you are encoding is too complex to encode to successfully at the targeted bitrate. Thus Compressor makes the adjustment to push over the average target. This is not that all uncommon for an encoder to do, but as you mentioned, Compressor 1 and QT don’t behave in this way, so it is odd.
Are you using 2-pass of 1-pass? If you are doing one pass encodes, try the two-pass encoding to see if Compressor can make better estimations.
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Please excuse the last few sentences of my previous post, I got your post and the topic below interchanged.
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The frame controls are located in the third tab from the left in Compressor 2’s settings Inspector window.
As far as 2 and 7, there should be no template provided from Apple that sets the target bitrate to 2mbps (the lowest I see is 3.7mbps). For full frame MPEG-2, if your video was actually encoded that low, then it would look terrible. The only way MPEG-2 at 2mbps can look at all decent is if it were encoded to 352×480. Which I doubt you did. Which may also explain why your target rate was so off. It sounds like Compressor decided that you made a mistake in your settings, and instead of abiding by your input, encoded to what it suspected was needed.
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Will MPEG 4 play in set top DVD players?
Really basic answer: No. At least not in most of today’s DVD players. In the high-def DVD players coming out within the next year, MPEG-4 Part 10 (AVC, H.264) will be playable in the players natively. Also, there are a number of special players out there currently that can play back some forms of MPEG-4 Part 2 content like DivX and XviD movies. But they are special-marked players, and if your player doesn’t have a logo, then its unlikely it will play it back. -
2 to 7 one pass vbr and taking app 2hrs.
What does this mean? Can you provide more (exact) details as to the settings of your encodes for each app? In Compressor, do you have the framing filters turned on?I have seen some extremely long encode times when using some of the field and frame based filters in Compressor 2 on progressive sources. Its so bad, that it makes any encode using them unfeasible. Select None for the the framing filters, and then see if your time doesn’t speed up some. As far as differences between encoders, if you can’t tell the difference between a QT and Compressor encode, then there is nothing to be concerned about, and go ahead and save the time and use QT. Really, Compressor’s only advantages are its batch encoding, image filters, cropping, and AC-3 encoding. Obviously, that’s a lot, but if you don’t need it, then just stick with QT.
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From my estimates, 101 minutes of video at 4mbps should net a file size of 3100MB, with 192kbps stereo AC-3 audio embedded. Obviously, QT doesn’t export AC-3 audio, but Compressor 2 should. Make sure that the 3800MB filesize you are getting isn’t due to the audio being converted to PCM and NOT AC-3, and then embedded (muxed) into the MPEG2 output stream.
If you are exporting an elementary MPEG-2 video stream, and the specified videorate is 4mbps, but the output is 3800MB, which indicates that the average is actually closer to 5mbps, then there is indeed a serious problem. Personally, I gave up on Apple’s MPEG-2 encoder long ago, and haven’t really touched it since. But, I have been mighty impressed with Apple’s MPEG-4 Part 10 encoder in Compressor, so if I can schedule some time soon, I will run a few tests for you to see what’s going on with their MPEG-2.
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If you are on a mac, there is SnapzPro X from Ambrosia Software. Its very nice.
If you are on the PC, the free Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft can capture video screens.
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Can I change the host by just changing the extension?
No. You need to open the movie in QT Pro, choose to delete the two MPEG-4 profile tracks (the non video/audio tracks) from the Edit menu, and then choose to do a Save As. Once you save this new file, you will have a proper QT .mov movie. -
Photo-JPEG hasn’t been updated in ages, so you should have the latest version. And it is a QT deal.