Exporting HD footage

Question

As some of you may know from a previous post, I am currently working on my Senior Capstone film project. My classes have all been FCP based, and I was really getting into risky waters by using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 for my edit - due to potential compatability issues.
My last post discussed issues with some rippling in my footage, which a friend recommended deinterlacing the footage.
Now, I am trying to export my footage and have strict guidelines for my file format, some of which are not a codec available for the PC (Apple ProRes 422). I have exported an MPEG-2 Blu-ray of my project (so far the only setting that produced a quality product for some reason) and have been trying (and failing) to convert the footage.
Here is my workflow (my required export settings will follow):
My footage was recorded on 3 different Canon HV20's. All of my footage is stored on an external harddrive connected via FireWire 400 (with FireWire 800 adapter).
The project file is HDV 1080i/60i (30fps).
I exported the footage directly onto my external harddrive (not a large enough internal HD) as MPEG-2 Blu-ray leaving the default settings (Maximum Render Quality and Frame Blending I believe were both checked).
The final result looks fine.
I downloaded software called MPEG Streamclip, as recommended for my fellow FCP classmates to use when converting their Apple ProRes files into H.264 .mp4 files. I chose the exact same settings as they were required. The result?: The first 10 seconds or so plays normally. Then, once the first visually chaotic scene (actors running all over the place on screen), the video cannot keep up and it appears to be playing in slow motion until it speeds up and slows back down.
I decided to try the H.264 Codec in PP. My Source Settings reads: 1440x1080 (1.3333), 29.97 fps, Upper, 00;14;41;22, 48000 Hz, Stereo
The Output settings chosen: NTSC, 1920x1080, 29.97 fps, De-interlaced AAC, 160 kbps, 48 kHz, Stereo VBR, 1 Pass, Target 30.00, Max 30.00 Mbps
Now, I understand the 1440x1080 doesn't match up with the 1920x1080 and I wondered if I should have approached this differently. I am required to either use 1280x720 or 1920x1080 for my output. 1440x1080 is NOT an option, even though this was the only setting I could use for my source footage which was captured from HDV tapes. Supposedly the Canon HV20 is 1920x1080 data compressed into 1440x1080, but I know nothing more than this as I wasn't familiar with the cameras before this project.
But for the official screening of our films, I'm required to provide the H.264 .mp4 file which will be placed onto a FCP timeline alongside my classmates' projects.
Any advice or recommendations to test out, please let me know. Here are the requirements for the output file which I've been adhering to but without successful results:
Drag the QuickTime file (.mov) youʼve just created into the center square (it has 5
blue dots) on MPEG Steamclip.
• Go to File > Export to MPEG-4
• Under Compression, H.264 should be automatically selected. Be sure that it is.
• Make sure the Quality bar is at 100%.
• Check Limit Data Rate and type in 30; then make sure you have mbps selected
next to it in the drop down menu, NOT kbps.
• Sound should set automatically.
• Frame Size should remain (unscaled), as you selected this during the creation of
your master file.
• Make sure that Interlaced Scaling is unchecked if your film is ProRes 422 (most of
your films will be). If your file is DV NTSC, leave Interlaced Scaling checked, and
check De-interlace Video as well.
• Click Make MP4 to export.
• Name the file and select where to save it on
your hard drive.
• Click Save.
I have played around with the Interlaced Scaling, trying both checked and unchecked as my original file is not ProRes 422. But the same video lag problem happens each time.

Answer 1

MissClareskister wrote:
So perhaps then my Computer cannot handle the HD footage? What would be the recommended requirements to edit HD so that when I invest in another machine can handle this so I don't have to rely on someone else's computer to export my projects in the future?
You can edit and produce HD footage just fine on your machine -- I thought you were only having trouble playing back the final result.  There will be jerky playback when you're previewing the timeline, and some exports might take longer, but there is nothing preventing you from editing the full result on the hardware you have now.  You just have to have realistic expectations on how smoothly the editing and previewing will go.  Your hardware is perfectly capable of producing a broadcast-quality H.264 output file.  You just can't play it smoothly on that machine, is all.
As for your next machine, Adobe lists minimum and recommended hardware requirements on their website for all their products.