These are instructions for outputting a pristine quality SD movie for:
- encoding in iDVD
- encoding in DVDSP when “Export to Compressor” does not work or when you want to keep a high quality original (perhaps to author an HD DVD in the future)
- exporting a high quality movie for encoding to any format for the web
1. In FCP, go to File > Export > Quicktime Movie.
2. From the “Setting” popup list, choose one of the following (for an NTSC movie- if PAL, choose the corresponding PAL setting):
Uncompressed 8-bit NTSC 48KHz (~20MB/sec)
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) NTSC 48KHz (~8MB/sec) (FCP6 only)
Apple ProRes 422 NTSC 48KHz (~5MB/sec) (FCP6 only)
(There is a method of exporting with Quicktime Conversion to a PJPEG format that will be ~2-3MB/sec)
3. Make sure “Include” popup is set to Audio and Video.
4. If you have markers in your timeline that you want to export, e.g. Chapter Markers, set the “Markers” popup.
5. Make sure that the “Make Movie Self-Contained” box is checked.
7. Now click “Save”.
8. Bring this movie into DVDSP or iDVD and let those apps do the MPEG2 encoding to make your life simpler. Or, bring this file into an application for encoding to H.264, Flash FLV, Windows Media, or Real for the internet.
Try a one second test on a section of your project including titles or graphics with both “Current Setting” and my recommendations above. You will be amazed at the difference between the crappy torn-up DV codec and the perfect, Uncompressed codec. On a TV, the titles and graphics on your DVD will pop right off the screen!
Look at the difference:
Normal way:
DVcreators.net’s way:
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DVcreator Light Kits
Photoflex Reflectors
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Apple Computers
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Digital Speakers
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Nattress Film Effects FCP Plugin
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Editing Techniques with FCP
APTS : DVD Studio Pro 4
APTS: FCP Advanced FX Book
FCP Visual QuickPro Guide
Well, that makes since, however, would it not be super large, like if you where running a 30 minute film it would be easy 7 GB so, that will not really work for the web….
Once you’ve exported using this method, you can encode into any format with the best possible results.
I’m trying this method right now but I have a question. Are you saying to export to this uncompressed format, then take that into Compressor to make the m2v files or are you saying avoid Compressor and take the uncompressed files directly into DVDSP and let that encode the m2v files?
Thanks,
Dan
Daniel, you can do either, the quality is the same. Try both and see which you prefer.
I have done what you said with the exporting process within FCP, and the file is 80+GBs. When I import it into DVDSP and starting encoding the file, the video bit-rate was too high came up. I went into preferences and lowered the minimal and max size to 5mb/s and 7mb/s and it still did it. Any ideas?
Thank you
The longer your video, the lower you have to go with your bitrate. Try a bitrate calculator (there are many on the web)
Using your settings, my export from FCP went up from 45minutes to 7 hours for a 110min video.
Turns out it eats up a lot more disk space (well, duh). I ran out space, so I can’t report back about my results.
I will run a short test using the new settings and compare it to the old settings.
I tried burning a disk using IDVD with the source being uncompressed Quicktime 4:2:2 8 bit… and have field image break ups. Does IDVD (consumer verison included in “I Life” package) not do uncompressed video?
Please ask questions in our forums:
http://dvcreators.net/discuss
I’m digitizing 8-bits uncompressed and encoding with compressor to mpeg2 dvd best quality 90 minutes… DVDSP4 gives me the error… I import the Uncompressed file to DVDSP4 and let it do the encoding, and still gives me the error…
i little help would be nice! thanx!
What error?
Thanks a lot for this tip!!!
It´s works fine !!
Hi, I read your suggestion and I try it, but that’s waht happend I capture some test clips like 45 seconds, from a mini Dv panasonic camcorder usin the easy setup from FCP 5, DV-NTSC (match the sequence to that settings) and exported using the current settings method then I used you’r method, then I view the two exported clips in quick time and I was very happy with the cuality of the titles in the 8 bit format there were great. Then I make a DVD using iDVD and when I look the clips in my TV the DV look good and the 8 bit look like crap, so I re-capture the clip using the 8 bit uncompressed settings (match the sequence to that settings) and exported using the 8 bit uncompressed make another DVD in iDVD and the titles still look bad in my TV. I’m doing something wrong?
Thanks
HI,
i’ve been trying your suggestion and i’m quite satisfied with the result.
i used idvd after exporting my video clip in uncompressed 8-bit.
after burning it’s all fine.
but now my question is, i need to give the file to my boss and he will himself include the clip to a final dvd.
when we export using quictime movie, the file is using FCP application to play it but i don’t really know if they are using FCP or Premiere. is there an export that still keeps the same quality but become a quictime file so they can use it with different players other than just FCP.
it need to be as good quality as possible and i’m working with Dance video so there’s a lots of fast movement.
i would really appriciate if you can help me since i’m fighting with this exporting since ever!!!
other wise if i’m burning the dvd myself it’s just perfect and i thanks you again for the tip.
Hi,
I’m reading that it’s better to export to dvd-r 4x or lower for good results. Is this true? What’s the difference between 4x and 16x?
Also, a very basic question (first time exporting to dvd) - does my project remain as it was in the fcp timeline even after export - that is, am I exporting a duplicate of the project or the actual project?.
I have about 86 minutes, shot on mini dv PAL & need to create dvds for film festivals and tv braodcast. Please, explain it to me as if I were a child!!!
Thanks.
Billy.
I am tring to export my final project, it is a wedding so the video is 1hr.58min. and i have been tring to export as a mov or in comppression now i am working on hd formate i understand that it is a huge file etc. what is the best setting in hd to export from compressor, and when i did the project it compressed at 20 gig. i know that is to big but i did a test and tried to import into dvdspro 4 and it says incompatible file, everytime…HHHEEELLLPPP
Howdy,
I followed the procedure. My movie is 17:41 min. long anamorphic (2:35:1). When I export uncompressed as suggested the movie gets cut off at 14:10 min. I tried opening in both FCP and Quicktime. Same result.
Everything has been rendered. If I export using Quicktime Conversion iinstead, at HD DVCPRO 720p60 at 24fps I don’t have any probleems and the movie will get exported in its entirety.
I have a 24 inch Intel Core Duo Mac with 1 GB RAM. 23 GB available in hard drive (after movie has been exported), using FCP 5.1.4.
1. What happened with the remaining footage? Why is the movie getting cutoff?
2. Also, when exported uncompressed, why is the movie not in anamorphic format?
3. Will I get a similar result (in terms of quality) if I export using HD DVCPRO 720p60 instead of uncoompressed?
Any suggestions will be very much appreciated.
Fernando
Just to clarify, did you guys turn on the “High Quality” toggle (apple-J in quicktime pro, inside video track) when viewed in Quicktime? It’s normally turned off, resulting in bad image “viewing” quality. However it should still look fine once you put it into DVDSP and rendered.
IMHO, DV’s good for 80-90% of the applications out there… while 8-bit uncompressed is only for “ABSOLUTE” pro work. Even then, if your original source was DV then you are just decompressing them, recompressing them, and then compressing again (DV -> 8-bit -> MPEG2). This is redundant, time consuming, space-hogging, and the resulting quality isn’t that much better.
The only reason for me to use 8-bit uncompressed is if my original sources where Digital-Beta from film or something, and I’ve captured it uncompressed to begin with.
Only titles, graphics and animations will benefit (quite a bit, as seen above) from exporting uncompressed. DV footage won’t look any better.
As long as you render the titles, graphics and animations in a uncompressed timeline.
If you render them in a DV timeline quality still gets lost.
So if you’re working DV/HDV render your fx/titles to 8 bit /10 bit SD or ProRes. Export quicktime movie uncompressed. And encode in application of choice.
How can you do this for Final Cut Express? When you choose to export to quicktime, it does not offer any settings options!
I’m with Randy on the FCE question. I’m having a horrible time exporting a decent copy of my game footage.
With FCE, you could output with QT Conversion, then choose PJPEG at 75% or better.