encoding for .wmv

Can anyone please tell me the proper way to export a movie out of Final Cut with a .wmv extension?

Do I need an aftermarket converter? Or is there a setting in the Preferences to make it happen internally?

Jason

[Patrick Mac]

Offhand, I don't thin a Mac will output a wmv. file. I use Cleaner 6 at times, and they do have presets for windows media, but I don't recall if it results in a wmv. file.

There is software out there to do this for you. One is called Flip4Mac:
http://www.flip4mac.com/flip4mac_home.htm

Another is called Popwire WMV-9 for $30 (download only). I bought this but haven't played around with it yet. Having a little problem w/installation, but I'm sure its just me.
http://www.popwire.com/product_info....&products_id=7

You could export to MPeg 4, and Windows players should be able to play it. It doesn't have to be an wmv.

Patrick

[Twofer]

FCP doesn't have a wmv export, but like Patrick said, Cleaner does, and it does result in a wmv file. After Effects can export wmv's too. And what seems to be the rage is flip4Mac, like Patrick suggested again. Haven't used it myself, but others here have, and they seem to like it.

Chris

Patrick,

Thanks for your help!!! You're right about both Popwire and flip4mac... I ended up with the flip4mac (althyough it was $100.00) and all is GREAT now!!!



good call!!!



Jason

[padraig]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Patrick,

Thanks for your help!!! You're right about both Popwire and flip4mac... I ended up with the flip4mac (althyough it was $100.00) and all is GREAT now!!!

good call!!!

Jason

Interesting.....I wonder if anyone's used either of the programs mentioned and compared the results to exporting an uncompressed file from FCP and bringing it into the Windows Media encoder? With as little demand as I've had for .wmv files (although it is increasing), that's what I've been doing. I'm always willing to try new things if the quality will improve, though.

padraig.

[Michael S.]

Another is called Popwire WMV-9 for $30 (download only). I bought this but haven't played around with it yet. Having a little problem w/installation, but I'm sure its just me.

I downloaded Popwire to tryout and had a similar installation problem. I contacted the company, and they said they are not yet supporting Tiger or QT7, thus giving the error message during installation; but... the component *was* actually installed.

To use, just open a file with the QT Player and choose Export. Under the export type pull-down menu, you will now find Windows Media format.

It works like a charm. A QT to .wmv solution for $30.

http://www.popwire.com/product_info....&products_id=7

Michael

[Patrick Mac]

Originally Posted by padraig

Interesting.....I wonder if anyone's used either of the programs mentioned and compared the results to exporting an uncompressed file from FCP and bringing it into the Windows Media encoder? With as little demand as I've had for .wmv files (although it is increasing), that's what I've been doing. I'm always willing to try new things if the quality will improve, though.

padraig.

Something I recently learned is that if you export out of FCP uncompressed, the resulting file has no codec and will not play. Perhaps its just my set-up and the analog beta that I work with, but I ususally always export a show out of FCP using the animation codec. From there, I send it through any number of tortuous avenues. My 2 cents.

Patrick Mac

[dnx]

Read through the previous posts and purchased Window Media Export Pro or whatever it's called. Have exported from FCP 5 using the animation codec, then dumped that .mov into Cleaner 6 to encode using the WM9 codec. Well it is taking absolutely hours - to compress 1m 16s it has taken 47m 50s so far and there is 8m 49s to go! To make things worse, it seems to be getting slower

Is there anything I can do to make this whole process a little quicker? Am I doing something wrong here or have I got my workflow wrong???

HELP. Please. This project should have been finished and delivered by 5pm today and it's now 9.03pm.

Thanks

Dnx

BTW - the sequence consists of audio (vo and audio backing track), video and animated screen shots - so nothing too heavy.

[padraig]

Originally Posted by Patrick Mac

Something I recently learned is that if you export out of FCP uncompressed, the resulting file has no codec and will not play. Perhaps its just my set-up and the analog beta that I work with, but I ususally always export a show out of FCP using the animation codec. From there, I send it through any number of tortuous avenues. My 2 cents.

Patrick Mac

Actually the files will play in QT w/o any problem, and will play (and convert) to Windows Media and Real if you give them an .avi extension (they *won't* work properly converting to Real without an extension). I ran into the same problem trying to export chromakey segments uncompressed and drop them into my PC-based keying program. I ended up having to give them a *Quicktime* extension for it to work! But it did work.

padraig.

[padraig]

Originally Posted by dnx

Read through the previous posts and purchased Window Media Export Pro or whatever it's called. Have exported from FCP 5 using the animation codec, then dumped that .mov into Cleaner 6 to encode using the WM9 codec. Well it is taking absolutely hours - to compress 1m 16s it has taken 47m 50s so far and there is 8m 49s to go! To make things worse, it seems to be getting slower

Is there anything I can do to make this whole process a little quicker? Am I doing something wrong here or have I got my workflow wrong???

HELP. Please. This project should have been finished and delivered by 5pm today and it's now 9.03pm.

Thanks

Dnx

BTW - the sequence consists of audio (vo and audio backing track), video and animated screen shots - so nothing too heavy.

Wow. I haven't used Cleaner in a while, but I don't remember it taking that long for short files. Must be the way the .wmv plugin works with Cleaner.

Do you have access to a PC? If so, export your project out as an uncompressed FCP file, and give it an .avi extension. Drop it directly into the free Windows Media encoder and it should be MUCH faster than what you describe.

I just tried this again to make sure it actually does work; I took a 1.9GB uncompressed FCP file, gave it an .avi extension, sent it to my PC, opened up Windows Media encoder, dropped in the file and set a few parameters and hit "encode". It tells me it'll take about 18 minutes to compress a file whose duration is 9m 23s.

padraig.

[Josh]

That's a really good suggestion, Padraig. Windows Media Encoder is actually a fairly sophisticated free program.

Given that a PC costs less than some encoding software...

Originally Posted by Josh

That's a really good suggestion, Padraig. Windows Media Encoder is actually a fairly sophisticated free program.

Given that a PC costs less than some encoding software...

I feel like a FCP traitor, posting that. If the customer wants a .wmv file, though.....it does do a pretty good job with video. Not my first choice, but it works. I'm running into more and more people whose organizations either can't or won't let them install anything on their PCs so if they want any sort of streamed media......it has to be something that'll play natively in Windows.

My *first* choice would be an MPEG4 or h.264 encoded file that works on EVERY player out there, but that seems to be too much to ask at this stage. Pity. Way too many "standards" out there.

padraig.