[James Bayliss-smith]

I also have this question, any answers??

[James Bayliss-smith]

Hi there I’d like to join the discussion here as I have a relevant point. I’ve just received some archive footage that I would like to use in my documentary. They are all avi files. I used an application called VideoSpec to check them out here is the report

*** General Parameters ***
– Name: INV184463.avi
– Container: AVI – Audio Video Interleaved
– Creation Date: 1904-01-01 08:26:44
– Size: 55085.0 MiB
– Duration: 0:34:33
– Bitrate: 223 Mbps
– Encoding Library: Undefined
– Encoding Application: Undefined

*** Video Track Parameters ***
– Format: Apple FCP Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2
– Size: 53.4 GiB (99%)
– FourCC: v210
– Track number(s): 0
– Bitrate: Max.: Undefined
Average: 221 Mbps
Min.: Undefined
– Frame rate (fps): Max.: Undefined
Average: 25.000
Min.: Undefined
– Bitrate mode: Undefined
– Encoding profile: Undefined
– Resolution: 20 bits
– Width (Pixel number): 720
– Height (Pixel number): 576
– Pixel Aspect Ratio: Undefined
– Display aspect ratio: 5:4
– Chroma subsampling format: YUV422p
– TV standard: PAL
– Interlacing: Undefined
– Encoding library: Undefined
– Additional Parameters: Bits/(Pixel*Frame) ratio: 21.333

I imported them into FCP and I got the error message: The following media files are not optimised for final cut pro.

My instinct is to convert them all to ProRes 422 using Compressor. Is this the way forward?

If I convert them to ProRes422 should I up-res them?

Should it be HQ?

What is the Format: Apple FCP Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2?

My ultimate use for them will be in and HD (HDV) documentary 16:9. I may crop them so they are 16:9 aspect ratio. All my footage was captured as DV but I will ultimately recapture all the tapes at ProRes422 1920×1080 for final post-production. I am also using some archive from a DVD. I have converted the DVD using MPEG Streamclip.

Again should I up-res thee DVD footage if my ultimate project will be 1920 X 1080?

I know that FCP can handle different formats in the timeline but I’m a little confused about the whole up-ressing business. I would say 95% of my documentary is HDV so I would like to make an HD version but I don’t understand how to properly use the SD footage, both archive and stuff I shot not in HDV

Should I up-res the DV footage as well as the archive?

Any help on any of these points would be much appreciated,

All the best

James Bayliss-Smith
https://www.youtube.com/jamesbaylisssmith

I’m using FCP 7.03 Compressor 3.5.3 OSX 10.6.5

[James Bayliss-smith]

So I’ve just finished compressing something. It took 5 hours 41 minutes. The last time I checked it had been going for 5 hours 20 minutes was 41% complete and had 7 hours 20 odd minutes remaining. The amount of time remaining steadily rose from the beginning onwards. I was checking regularly because I wanted to see what happened once it reached 50% and therefore would start compressing the audio. It appears to have reached the audio before it even reached the 50% mark. I can’t be sure of this as I wasn’t watching it. Nevertheless it appears to have behaved something like you explained. SO my next question is why do they bother? It’s so inaccurate to be a joke. I guess If I was just compressing audio or video it would be more accurate. Do other programmes behave in this way?

[James Bayliss-smith]

Thanks for your answer Dave, I understand your point but I don’t see a distinction in Batch monitor for video and audio. Mine just says time remaining and the time remaining for the job is the same weather I expand it or not. I also do not see a magnifying glass anywhere.

I’m using compressor version 3.5.3

[James Bayliss-smith]

Hi Guys, thanks for all the responses to my original post. I’ve been using https://www.inqscribe.com/ to do this, it’s great.

[James Bayliss-smith]

Thanks for all your replies and just for the record what are the profile setting for? Excuse my ignorance,

James

[James Bayliss-smith]

Thanks for the link, I can see that it is a very useful programme although not upadated for the iPhone 4 yet. So I put through my two test videos and everything is the same except for the bit rate

– Bitrate: Max.: Undefined
Average: 15.4 Mbps
Min.: Undefined
– Bitrate: Max.: Undefined
Average: 1 475 Kbps
Min.: Undefined

So I guess 15.4 Mbps is above the “Threshold”. Is that what you mean by threshold, the bitrate threshold?

If I cut and paste the specs again from the Apple website and ignore the audio for a moment

Video formats supported [by iPhone 4]:

H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats;

MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats;

Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, .avi file format

Does this mean I will achieve better quality with motion Jpeg as I can go up to 35 Mbps?

What is the threshhold for h.264, MPEG 4 is clearly stated as 2.5 Mbs but the H.264 only says up to 720p. What do you think this means?

What is the profile level? What does this mean?

What do you mean when you say Compressor sets the ‘level’ and the ‘profile’? What “level” the bit rate?

Sorry for all the questions I’ll do some more reading and some more tests but I’m just trying to get my head around the theory?

Cheers

[James Bayliss-smith]

Hi Craig, sorry I should have made it clearer. I’m using Apple’s Compressor programme. I customised the setting by using the h.264 codec to make a .mov file. I know how to use compressor fairly well I just don’t know what format’s apple accepts. I can only seem to put files with a .m4v at the end on to my iPhone any others don’t seem to sync eben though apple says it accepts these different filetypes. I can create the .m4v using the preset for “Apple devices in compressor but it does not let me manipulate the frame size I can only do 640 x 320.

[James Bayliss-smith]

Hi Jerry, thanks for your response. Do you know the reason why? With Final Cut 7 you can run compressor in the background from a timeline without even exporting a quicktime movie first. It seems astonishing to me that one cannot run word while working on Final Cut. What is the logic behind this? Also do you know a tool within Final cut Pro where I can write a long note while watching footage in the viewer as this is basically all I need then I can cut and paste. Or do you know how to get Quicktime to display time code as this would also solve my problem. I don’t want to have to export all my footage with burnt in timecode using compressor. Any workarounds would be great, I really want to be able to log in real time without having to stop the video to often.

Thanks

James

[James Bayliss-smith]

Hi Daniel, any ideas?