Export as quicktime vs compressor?

need to export a couple sequences. they are apple prores hq 720p. want to export w/ same settings as sequence. other than batching, is there any advantage to using compressor as opposed to export as quicktime movie from fcp? seems to take a lot longer using compressor. thanks.

"Seems to take longer" may not be correct if you let it run all the way to completion.
The advantages are numerous if you understand how to use Compressor's advanced functions including frame settings and distributed encoding. If you don't need them, don't use Compressor.
We see a similar post every few weeks so you can search the forum for additional information that I'm not providing.
bogiesan

Similar Messages

Exporting via Quicktime good Compressor=Bad

I'm perplexed! I send a 16:9 video SD out through Compressor and when i import that file into DVDstudio pro, it's 4:3 aspect.
Exporting through a self contained QT file and importing into DVD studio it retains its 16:9.
Why does this happen???

What preset or settings did you use in Compressor?
-DH

Compressor vs. Export Using Quicktime

Hi, all. I need to export a movie from FCP as a Quicktime movie for web streaming. Should I Export "Using Compressor" or the "Using Quicktime Conversion?" I can't find a reason to use one over the other in all the Apple documentation. So what is the difference between the two? Why use one or the other? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

i use the "export to quicktime movie" if i'm going to recompress to many different formats. i.e. i export the full quality version and then run that through compressor to create hd, sd, web, and dvd versions for viewing.
exporting straight to compressor is useful when exporting a lot of sequences to web etc...

Export to Compressor or Export to Quicktime then into Compressor

Hi,
Already for a long I am wondering whether it would make a significant difference when you export video directly to compressor from FCP or indirectly via Quicktime to Compressor. If you have any experience regarding this, please let me no know.
Thank you

The main difference is that using the Export Using Compressor method, Compressor will look at the original format & framerate of each clip in your sequence and will render out based upon that. So if you have some higher quality clips in your sequence, Compressor will take that into consideration when producing the final encode. It could actually give you a slightly better quality picture.
If you were to export a movie first, then run that through Compressor, Compressor only sees the one file and one format.
MacBreak weekly produced a small episode that explains how Compressor works in this manner. It should answer your question.
http://www.pixelcorps.tv/macbreak89

I can't export to QuickTime, it gives message "Codec not found."

I have long sequence, in which I have some Channel Swap effects. I get an error message saying it can't be rendered for a sequence this long (72 minutes) with my hardware (2009 iMac running OS 10.6.8). When I try to export to QuickTime, it tells me "Codec not found." I'm trying to export to Apple Pro Res HQ. What should I do? I took out the Channel Swap effects and didn't get the message anymore in the sequence, but I'm afraid the codec issue will crop up again, even though I changed it to Apple Pro Res in the Render Options tab under Sequence settings, rather than just "Same as Sequence". Eventually, I will have to export to HQ, and I'm not sure this codec lets me do that. Help!

You don't give any details about your format or sequence settings, so I'll be general here.
Just a couple of observations...
The only time limitation messages I've seen (in the last decade) have been resource-oriented, not NLE constraints so if your system doesn't like a 72-minute sequence I'd be looking at drive space or something like that. Have you tried outputting two 36-minute pieces?
I don't understand your logic in using the sequence codec option (which is limited to two specific formats) to control output of the sequence rather than the output "same as sequence" dropdown) options. Personally, I don't use either, I output the sequence as is and transcode in Compressor.
Simple as it sounds, "Codec not found" generally means exactly that, so I'd be looking at whether the codecs need to be re-installed.
Hope this helps

16:9 Exported to Quicktime Becomes 4:3

How do you preserve 16:9 aspect ratio in exporting a FCP sequence to Quicktime?
File>Export>Using Quicktime Conversion>and then I typically select Broadband-Medium or Streaming-Medium (I think that's 15fps). And eventhough I check Preserve Aspect Ratio, I still get a 4:3 square with 16:9 squeezed video.

Greetings,
I was in a similar situation as this fellow editor;
Most of my footage is 4:3, however I show it on plasmas that are 16:9 and some DVD players simply stretch my image. Can compressor fix this problem? I imported a 4:3 sequence into compressor and I want compressor to export it to a 16:9 format with pillarboxes. How do I do this? Thank you.
And your response was;
Hi,
select your encoding preset (i.e. DVD best quality 90 minutes) in settings window, drag it onto your video. Highlight/select the video to activate the inspector window info and tools. As you know in inspector you can click on 6 buttons to view/change settings (i.e. encoder, frame controls etc.) click on geometry.
Now in Crop to: select 16:9 and in padding select 16:9 but in the boxes below change top and bottom to 0 and left and right to 72.
Submit the encoding and once that's done import your MPEG2 as asset in DVSstudio, drag it on the track frame in the graphical window, single click it and in the track window (lower right side of the screen) select 16:9 as display mode. You should now have your 4:3 movie in a 16:9 ratio with pillarboxes.
G.
I followed your advice and after bringing into DVD studio pro, the only format I could export to was a video stream mpeg that doesn't open up for me. I want to export it as a mov file to import back into my final cut project. Is it possible to export a 16:9 format out of compressor as a mov file.
I am trying to see what would be the best road for me to go down.
I spent five years doing a documentary and half of the footage was shot 16:9, the other half 4:3. I like the 16:9 look and want to eventually try to convert all the 4:3 to 16:9.
what are your thoughts,
Thank you very much,
Julian

Export to Quicktime Movie Results in Aspect Ratio Distortion

All of my original footage was shot in miniDV. I have created a sequence with the following settings:
Frame size: 720 x 480
Compressor: DV/DVCPRO - NTSC
Pixel Aspect: NTSC - CCIR 601
Vid rate: 29.97 fps
Ultimately the sequence needs to go to DVD with a standard 4:3 aspect ratio. To export, I am using:
File > Export > QuickTime Movie...
I have tried using several different settings including:
Apple Pro Res 422 NTSC 48 kHz
Apple Pro Res 422 NTSC (HQ) 48 kHz
Apple Pro Res 960x720 30p 48 kHz
DV NTSC 48 kHz
etc...
All settings yield the same result: a slightly squeezed aspect ratio. At first, I thought that this might simply be the fact that I was playing back files in QuickTime which uses square pixels I believe. But in both DVD Studio Pro and iDVD, the simulation shows the same effect. (By the way, Finder's "Get Info" reads the resulting Final Cut Pro Movie File dimensions 720x486.)
I'm fairly new to FCP so I'm hoping there is something obvious that I have missed. Can anyone explain what I need to do to get the video to DVD without a distorted aspect ratio?
(Incidentally, I have managed to export using quicktime conversion with no problem. But I need the export to be a Final Cut Pro Movie File so as to maintain chapter markers, etc.)
Advice welcome!!!

Hi David, I know this was discussed in you posting already but I just wanted to make sure I had it clear. I have a 4:3 film and I've exported as a quicktime movie with current settings, which should be 4:3 and found that the image when played back in quicktime, looks horizontally stretched. Almost as if quicktime is trying to play it back as a 16:9 image. I think this is the same issue the other fellow was having but I just wanted to be clear. You're saying that the 4:3 image distortion is perfectly normal when played back in quicktime on a computer screen and that the export will look fine when put to DVD or sent to a monitor? I just wanted to make sure because this problem is freaking me out and I don't want to deliver a distorted image to my client. Could you also explain briefly why this happens with quicktime export and not quicktime conversion and what causes quicktime to distort the 4:3 image? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
james.

Error Occured in exporting to Quicktime with Conversion

hello... I am gettin a general error on final cut pro and im needing just a little help... When i export to Quicktime with Conversion on the streaming medium setting... i get an Error Occured Message...
This error has never occured before on any of my other video's but with this one... i did add some music to the background and it is a bit longer video... almost 10 mins... What do you think i need to do to export this to quicktime with conversion on the streaming medium setting?
Thanks again,
Charlie Jabaley
SpitYoGame.com

First, try exporting as a selfcontained quicktime with sequence settings and try using compressor for the conversion.
It's unlikely the audio being longer than the video is causing the problem, but try adding a big of slug to the end of the video track so the material on the video track extends to at least the end of the audio.

After exporting to quicktime file, the file has sound but no video, what am I doing wrong?

after exporting to quicktime file, the file has sound but no video, what am I doing wrong? The self contained movie box is not checked.

Hi
Did You go via Compressor ?
Did You use QuickTime Conversion ?
I don't
I do
• In TimeLine set In and Out-Points to the full Movie/Project
• Select ALL - Clips and Audio
• Go up to Sequence and down to Render Only - down to Mix Down Audio
• then Sequense and Render Selected - Both (Video and Audio)
• then Export and as QuickTime .mov (NOTHING ELSE)
• I use to do - Not Self-Contained as it saves both time and space
Your Start-Up (Mac OS) Hard Disk - Needs lot's of free space to work OK - I never go under 25Gb free space on this one,
Good Luck - Yours Bengt W

FCP project not the correct aspect ratio when exporting to Quicktime

Hello All;
I am trying to export a FCP project in its native resolution (1440 X 1080) to Quicktime but everytime I try, the aspect ratio is messed up and people look taller and thinner than they should.
The project is a resolution of 1440 X 1080 as determined by examining the sequence settings in FCP.
I configure quicktime (see below) to a resolution of 1440 X 1080.
So why isn't my Quicktime video the correct resolution when I play it with the IMac's Quicktime player ? I shrink the player to 1/2 size to fit it all on the screen.
My exact settings are below ...
Export - Using Quicktime Conversion
Format - Quicktime Movie
Video Settings - Compressor - MPEG-4
Quality - Best
Not sure if I changed the framerate - if I did, I probably changed it to 29.97
I didn't touch the other settings in the video settings - left them to default
I didn't change the filter settings - I left them at default
Size - 1440 X 1080 (The actual resolution of my source video)
I checked the box - preserve aspect ratio using letterbox (If applicable)
Other settings were left at default
Sound Settings - Format - AAC
Rate - 48 KHZ
Render Settings - Quality - Best
Target Bitrate - 128 KHZ (This was left at default - I did not change it)
Prepare for Internet Streaming - Fast Start checked (This was default - I did not change it)
All other settings not specifically mentioned were left at default.
Thanks. Tim

I don't have much of an answer for you, but to test try not checking the preserve aspect ratio. Rather than reexport the entire 1 hour just export 10 seconds so that you can trouble shoot different things.
Hope that helps a bit,
Eric

Keynote 09 exporting to QuickTime playback issue

Hello,
I am looking for some amazing expertise and really appreciate any help and guidance.
I've exported a presentation from Keynote 09 to Quicktime and have an issue. When I try to play the presentation in QT X, I click to advance from slide 1 to 2 and it works perfect, but then when I click to advance to slide 3 it returns me to the start of slide 1 every time. Meanwhile when I use the spacebar/quickview without opening QT the entire presentation plays perfectly.
When I look at the QT file on a PC (using a thumb drive or a CD) QT 7 the file plays correctly in my testing. I have heard from others who these CDs were provided to that some may have had a similar issue, but I can not verify.
Please let me know any additional information I can supply. Can anyone help me understand this issue better and possibly help me correct it? Is this a known issue, or a simple user error?
Many thanks,
Michael

Thanks Dani and Glad...
As an update on my side:
I called in to Apple to try and find out if I jump up to Final Cut Studio (with a bit of a learning curve), if I would be able to replicate exactly the (slideshow) video I made easily in Keynote, hopefully avoiding this issue with the assumption that it is specifically related to Keynote.
Prior to getting on the line with a Final Cut expert, I did fully explain why I was calling with the hope of getting a solution for this issue as I would like to keep Keynote in my arsenal, especially since I am semi-fluent in it.
The person helping was very nice and asked to put me on hold for 3-5 minutes, which I am perfectly happy to wait for complete and accurate information. The solution I was presented with was as follows:
1) Go to export to QT as usual.
2) Click the second drop down (Formats) and select 'Custom...'.
3) A new window will pop up, click the 'Settings...' button.
My 'Compression Type' drop down was set to 'H.264'....I was told to
4) Change the 'Compression Type' to 'MPEG-4 Video.
(I do not think it is related to the fix being suggested or just as a preference, I was told to slide the Compressor - Quality slider on the bottom left to 'Best')
5) Click the 'OK' button on the bottom left
That window will close.
6) Click the 'Next' button and continue with your export.
I did this and the QT file worked, unlike the original I had done. I can not confirm it isn't a hit or miss like Glad saw...but I did ask if this was a "just try this and let's see" (like Microsoft, altctldel...try restarting your machine) or if this is a known issue....it wasn't totally clear, but I was told (not exact words, but basically) there may be something funky about Keynote or QT with H.264. I don't know codecs so have no idea, but I continued....
In case I still don't feel comfortable with this "fix" (which I am not sure I do...I also made a new, but less complex video and switched back to H.264 - this one worked...) I asked to still be connected to a FC expert, just to ask my questions anyway as it would be good knowledge to have, even if just for future self development.
I again did my best to explain what was going on, and the Final Cut person did not understand how changing to H.264 would make any difference...to mention, it is possible I had a hard time getting on the same page as this person who was trying to help me so he may not have understood exactly what I was asking exactly - but he did understand my bottom line - I need to make this video that works when exported to Quicktime!
Not sure if related (would be curious if this is relevant to others here), again not being familiar with codecs, etc - I had dropped a few QT movies I was given from someone else not being sure what they used to create it. I thought a Quicktime movie is a QT move - universal standard....apparently so for playing but not for re-exporting.
I was advised to get a QT 7 Pro key so in the future I can open QT movies I am sent in QT and re-export it as a QT movie from my machine (OS, codec, etc, etc, etc) before dropping it into a project I am working on.
Being on OS 10.6 I have QT X, which does not have this functionality (as mentioned - no Pro version) and when I tried to get a QT 7 Pro key in the past I was misinformed that I wouldn't be able to install it on my machine since it is running a newer version and wouldn't let me install an outdated/older version. Apparently, this is not totally accurate - it is missing from my Utility folder, but I need to do a custom install of it (only way to do it - can't just DL it) from the 10.6 OS disk.
Please, let me know if any of this worked for you or if I can add more details I left out.
Best of luck (...for us all)!!!!
Michael

Export to quicktime best (and only) way to go?

I have a 160 gb Apple TV. I use a Canon HG 10 1080 X 1440 AVCHD. In FCE the only good way to export (that I've found) is export using quicktime. But it takes only about 90 or seconds or less of video exported to consume one gigabyte of disk space-- an Apple TV can only accommodate perhaps 2 or three hours of FCE exported video plus all the other stuff I've got on my Apple TV.
In FCE I have tried compressing to high definition MP 4, playing with the various settings, but it doesn't seem to come close to export using quicktime. I've incrementally tweaked every setting and lots of combinations of settings and nothing seems to come close to straight quicktime.
So I guess the best (and only good way?) way to export hd video from FCE is with straight quicktime?
Are there any media players with gigabyte hard drives that can play .mov files? I don't think there is adequate room on Apple TV-- the hard drive is way way too small. You can't keep more than a couple hours of hd videos there.

The reason you can tell the difference between Quicktime and Quicktime Conversion is, as I've said before, because Quicktime Conversion compresses the video whereas Quicktime Movie leaves it uncompressed.
FCE is a single program, FCS is a whole suite of programs that include Final Cut Pro for editing, Color for color correction and such, Motion for motion graphics, Soundtrack Pro for specialized audio editing, DVD Studio Pro for DVD authoring, and Compressor for compressing. I believe what you mean when you ask about exporting is whether the compression is different in Final Cut Studio. Because FCP can export to Compressor for advanced options of compressing, there are many more ways to export than in FCE.

General error in FCP re: rendering and export after Quicktime 7.5.5 update

Hi
My FCP 6.0.4 rendering and export to Compressor no longer works after an update to Quicktime 7.5.5.
Rendering fails after a few seconds "General Error!" pops up. Exporting to Compressor, after setting it compressing, Compressor after a few seconds fails. (audio is processed) My current work around is exporting a sequence using Quicktime conversion (time consuming) and then opening in Compressor.
I've done the usual, deleting prefs, new sequences and projects, even saving movs in different codecs.
(been using H.264)
My sequences are all custom sizes but tests using presets also fail.
Any ideas anyone?
And I was so happy the Quicktime upgrade could play sequence movs recorded months earlier that until now I couldn't play properly due to previous Quicktime upgrades!
Apple gives with one hand and takes with the other....

Hi There,
Thanks for your reply on this.
Well basically since I'm using content already in the H.254 codec (eg: a trailer off the internet, or the downsizing of HD footage) i'm just exporting to a codec that didn't have to be rendered and gave quality results. I used motion jpeg B as an export codec because it was quick (although HD space hungry) with no drop in quality. The resulting exports could be imported into a custom sequence (720 x 405) as square pixel aspect ratio files. Overlapping the canvas with other windows (eg: viewer) meant I could play a clip (with dropped frames) but not have to render it. I selected the H.264 codec as the sequence codec because I've found other codecs introduce darkening or lightening or blurring or other undesirable artefacts when exported to Compressor. H.264 used in the sequence settings exported through Compressor would give resulting m2v's as sharp and contrast accurate as the source file.
That was until the recent 7.5.5 Quicktime update where attempts to do the same things I did before result in "General Error!" coming up after a few seconds of play or rendering.
Traditional DV codecs are "blurry" in my opinion, especially when coping with web content or conversion of HD downloads.
If you can suggest an editing codec that works best with FCP that is quick, doesn't introduce blurring or general degrading of the image I'd be happy to try it out. I typically downsize HD content from the web for DVD playback, so it's usually in a H.264 codec already. So i would need a codec for export from Quicktime that would work best with a codec in FCP. That doesn't alter picture quality when compressed to m2v in Compressor.
Thanks!

Export to Quicktime Movie rerendering. Why?

Hi
I have a DV project edited in FCP 5.11 which is all completely rendered. It's actually made up of a number of sequences joined end to end each of which is rendered before rendering the final 'top' sequence. There are some heavily rendered motion still sections in there, so I don't really want to render them again.
However when I Export to Quicktime Movie, using the current settings, ie not making a self-contained movie, it takes hours to render and looks like it is rerendering everything I painstakingly made sure was rendered to full quality already. Is there anything I can do to stop it doing this? (I am doing this to make things much easier for Compressor, rendering the whole project as a referenced movie.)
Thanks for your attention.
Regards
Jeff Cole
PowerMac G5 Dual 2Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Just checking that you are, in fact, leaving the menu as Current Settings... and not changing it to match the settings of your timeline...
Also, you say you are not making a self contained movie - you've left that unchecked? Are you sure you don't have any gray realtime bars over the top of your clips - resize, dissolve, etc don't require rendering until export. You need to check the Render All menu (opt-r) under Sequence has everything checked...
Patrick

Export to quicktime=photoshop logos have rough edges

I work @ a TV station and we are switching to a tapeless format for getting finished promos from my department to the department who plays the promos spots on the air.
I use FCP 4.5. here is the issue
Our station logo goes in the bottom right corner of the screen on all of the spots I make. When I dub these to tape it looks perfect and smooth. When I export to quicktime (720 x 486, self contained movie compressor=none) the edges of the station logos become jagged, and blocky/pixilated. Does anyone have any idea what I might do to fix this problem? I have tried multiple ways of exporting but can't seem to get it to work. The logos are all Photoshop files.The machine the spot has to play on @ the other end of the FTP is a windows system using video2dv software.

when i export, i use quicktime conversion, compression=none, size=NTSC 720x486
and sometimes i try compression type uncompressed 10bit.
The files that look bad are photoshop files with clear backgrounds super imposed onto video backplates.
I am not well versed in all of the technical lingo involving codecs.
I capture via AJA composite 10bit. It always looks flawless going to tape, i am using NTSC monitors to view everything, it even looks good when I open the exported quicktime file before I upload to the FTP server.

Export as quicktime vs compressor?

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