ProRes422HQ codec quality

Looking for comparison of (1080i) compositing quality comparison of anyone using Shake with the new 4:2:2 ProRes422HQ codec verus MPEG2 4:2:0 XDCAM files, HDV and DVCPRO HD.

Perhaps the "quality" being referenced is simply the interlace flag. If you open the clip in QuickTime player, open the properties window (⌘J), and select the Video Track, is the High Quality box checked? If you check it and save the clip (⌘S), how does it affect the analysis?
Patrick

Similar Messages

Codec quality of motion clip

I have a question about codec quality when creating slow motion effects in FCP 6 vs. motion 3.
I slowed down a clip in fcp 6 by 50% with simple frame blending and then sent the same clip to motion 3 and sent it through optical flow. While the clip from motion looks better I was surprised to discover the codec quality (when analyzed in fcp) stated it was of least quality and the same clip with the 50% speed reduction in fcp stated it was most quality.
I’m confused. ? I’m screening on a monitor not the computer screen. I would have expected the opposite. Can anyone explain?
Footage was shot DV NTSC 29.97
Here is the analysis of the fcp clip:
Video Track 1 (40.2 MB)
Duration : 00:00:10:03 (at 100 % speed)
Frame Size: 720x480
Color Depth: 24-bit Color
Codec: DV/DVCPRO-NTSC at Most Quality
Frame Rate: 29.97 fps
Average Data Rate: 3519k/sec (117k/frame)
Here is the analysis of the motion 3 clip:
Video Track 1 (11.8 K)
Duration: 00:00:20:06
Frame Size: 720x 480
Color Depth: 32-bit Color
Codec: at Least Quality
Frame Rate: 29.97 fps
Average Data Rate: 1k/sec (0k/frame)

Perhaps the "quality" being referenced is simply the interlace flag. If you open the clip in QuickTime player, open the properties window (⌘J), and select the Video Track, is the High Quality box checked? If you check it and save the clip (⌘S), how does it affect the analysis?
Patrick

FCE codecs vs. FCP codecs: Quality?

Hi,
I'm using a Canon HF10 (AVCHD) to shoot and Final Cut Express to edit. Quality is good for the most part, but I am wondering if the quality would be better if I upgraded to Final Cut Pro. If so, how?
Thanks very much.
Vic

Wow! I've been away from the forum for awhile. Thanks for all your inputs, folks! And, I actually understood some of it. I realize my HF10 is of limited quality capability, but the problem I'm having is this: I operate a real estate video tour business (just started it). I'm new to digital video, and really don't know a whole lot about codecs, etc. Nonetheless, I obviously want good quality for all my projects, and would like to be able to create video for television, eventually. In fact, that's what prompted my question. I recently began to run some 30-second clips on the local cable station, as a way to attract more business from Realtors. What I'm finding is that the picture quality (of MY clips) on the cable station is somewhat jittery and a little pixelized. Certainly, not what one would call 'pro' quality. (For the record, my videos look fine on the Net)
I use a Steadicam Merlin and a tripod for all my shooting, so my original footage is good. In fact, it looks really good on my HD TV which I use for a monitor. But how can I get the 30-second clips which I show on cable TV to look closer to pro-level stuff? I mean, if I could keep the quality up to what I see on my monitor, I'd be delighted. Here's where I think the problem lies: I shoot in AVCHD. I ingest into my MacBook Pro with FCE. I output as a QT movie, and then compress as a Flash video. I then email the footage to the cable station and they convert to their preferred format of MPEG-2. I don't have the ability to output to MPEG-2 (at least not to my knowledge). FYI, I'd bring them the files in QT format, but when I tried that, they couldn't open the files. A glitch???
Anyways, that's the situation. ANY advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Can you touch on what the weak links in my workflow might be? Also, can an HF10 camera shoot with enough quality for television??? Should I upgrade to FCP so that I can output in MPEG-2??? Other comments or advice???
Thanks very much for your help (all of you)!
Vic

FCE 4 codec

Hi all; new to the community and appreciate the help! I'm using FCE 4 to edit my Contour HD clips. I am wondering what the best Format & Codec options to use for best results (export quality for web and DVD) in the easy setup? The clips are H.264, AAC mostly 1280 × 960 @30fps and rarely 1920 × 1080 @30fps. I have searched for forums but have not found a solution to this issue.
Thanks again!
B

Al,
Thanks for your help. So I had already downloaded streamclip, but of course there are a about 50 different options to choose from. So most of my shots are in 1280x960. What options should I used in MPEG streamclip?
I'm guessing i need to use the following options (again for the best quality with import and export): Compression: Apple intermediate codec, quality: 100%, sound: uncompressed, Frame size: unscaled. Now I get a little confused. What boxes do I need to check and uncheck as far as interlace scaling etc.
Again appreciate the help!
B

Codec problems in audio editor

Has anyone else ever experienced a "codec" error that prevents playback of audio files attached with Presenter? I found I could eliminate them by replacing the offending audio with a bit of "silence" or new audio, but I have never figured out what caused the corruption in the first place. It isn't a show stopper but it does get a bit annoying.

There is no way to add more codecs to FCE, that I know.
But you could try using the free application MPEG Streamclip to convert your movie to some standard FCE codec.
For example, after opening the file in MPEG Streamclip, you might Export to QuickTime (cmd-E) with Compression: Apple Intermediate Codec, Quality: 100%, fps: 25 for PAL, Frame Size: 1920x1080 (HDTV 1080i), Audio: uncompressed, Stereo, 48 KHz.
When imported to FC into a sequence with settings: AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080i50, the resulting .mov will not require video nor audio rendering.
Piero

Export iMovie '08 project to QT-how to get best quality?

Hi,
Attempting to export iMovie '08 project to QT file. What are the best settings? Here's what I've chosen, but it won't let me select anything better than "medium" for quality. Any way around this?
Compression: Apple Intermediate Codec
Quality: Medium
Progressive
Dims: 720x480 (853x480)

I would like to know the same thing but not for another Mac... just another user. Should be almost the same procedure right?
My iMovie '08 is crashing like crazy! I just want to get the projects into iMovie using a fresh user and hope that fixes it. I can see where copying/moving preferences into the library of the other user (along with duping the projects in the movies folder) might succeed in opening the project in another user. I'm just afraid of moving bad prefs or something.

JAI - Creating High Quality thumbnails

I am using JAI to take in large images and proportionally resize it to around ~300 x 220 image.
Using the "scale" returns horrible quality
ParameterBlock pb2 = new ParameterBlock();
pb2.addSource( src );
pb2.add( scale );
pb2.add( scale );
pb2.add( 0.0f );
pb2.add( 0.0f );
JAI.create( "scale", pb2, null );Using "subsampleaverage" is much better, but still returns worse quality than the original.
ParameterBlock pb2 = new ParameterBlock();
pb2.addSource( src ); // The source image
pb2.add( ( double ) scale ); // The xScale
pb2.add( ( double ) scale ); // The yScale
pb2.add( new InterpolationBicubic2(8) ); // The interpolation...I Tried all Interpolation Types already
JAI.create( "subsampleaverage", pb2, null );I want an exact quality copy of the original. Is there a way to do this in JAI?

I mean in photoshop it saves much clearer (higher
quality image) than through JAI. I know in Photoshop
you can choose clarity on a scale from 1 to 12 when
saving image files for the web. The only thing I see
in JAI is interpolation which provides 3 or 4 choices.Ah, you mean the JPEG codec quality level. JAI's JPEGTileCodecDescriptor has a quality resource:
"A factor that relates to the desired tradeoff between image quality and the image data compression ratio. The range of this parameter is from 0.0 to 1.0. A setting of 1.0 produces the highest quality image at a lower compression rate. A setting of 0.0 produces the highest compression ratio, with a sacrifice to image quality. The default value is 0.75."

I am unable to capture 16:9 footage shot on Sony DSR PD170 correctly.

It appears "stepped or skipped". The audio is in sync, but the picture looks as though a few frames are skipped. Sort of like the old "Max Headroom" tv show. I am using firewire cable directly from the camera to the computer. Recorded on miniDV tape - new.
My Capture Settings are:
Device control: Firewire NTSC
Capture Input: DV NTSC 48 kHz Anamorphic
Audio/Video Settings are:
Device Control Preset: Firewire NTSC
Video Playback: Apple Firewire NTSC (720x480)
Audio Playback: Firewire DV
I have FCP 7.0.3
OS X 10.5.8
Camera is Sony DSR PD170
I logged the footage without a picture or audio in FCP, used my camera's monitor. FCP was reading the TC in the Log and Capture window, and I was able to input In and Out points to log.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Russ,
Many, many thanks for sticking with me. I've finally got the footage to work. Checked it by shooting new 16:9 footage and inputting it as well. Have gone back to the original and discarded the iMovie stuff.
Believe my problem was in my settings when I changed these, everything worked: Under System Settings.> Playback Controls I changed RT to unlimited, Video Quality and Frame Rate to Dynamic, and Record to Full Quality, Frame offset is 4. (I don't know what the frame offset is.)
Under User Preferences> Render Control Render and Resolution are now 100%, Codec is same as sequence codec, Quality is Best, and I've checked always use best quality when rendering
Sorry, I don't know what the settings were before I began, just know that I changed some of them to these. Thanks again.
Aliciachi

Should I use Compressor 4 before sending over to DVD Studio Pro

I am making a FCP X movie and when it's finished I want to put it on a DVD using DVD Studio Pro. I have done this before but now I'm wondering if I should first export it to Compressor 4 and then to DVD Studio Pro. I understand that if I was puting it on YouTube or an iPod device I would need to Compress it however why would I need to go to Compresss 4 first if ultimately going to DVD Studio Pro? Would I get a better Codec quality then what I get from exporting in FCP X using their default Compression format i.e. Quicktime? Should I use an Apple ProRes Compression from Compressor 4? I guess I really don't understand the encoding quality options very well however I do want the best quality on my finished DVD. The DVD or Sequence is somewhere around 20 - 25 minutes if that makes any difference in your response.

This is (at least) a triple post. It's best not to ask the same questions multiple times in multiple forums.
Russ H

Importing video from iPhone 4 to QuickTime

I've seen several threads on this topic, but when I use MPEG Streamclip, my iPhone 4 footage comes out jumpy and stretched. I'm importing into iPhoto, dragging the clip onto the desktop, then dragging the desktop file into MPEG Streamclip. There I select:
File: Export to QT Video
Compression: Apple Intermediate CODEC
Quality: 100%
1280:720 (HDTV720P)
Frame Rate 29.97
Turn on Frame Blending and Better Downscaling
Turn off Interlace scaling
Everything else is as MPEG Streamclip defaults
The resulting file is stretched. I find it odd also that the original footage (as seen in MPEG Streamclip) seems narrow and tall. I'm in Australia (a PAL country?). Not sure if that has anything to do with things. I've seen the above work fine in a Final Cut Pro tutorial, but my video is stretched and jumpy.
Ultimately I'm trying to get it into Final Cut Express, but see the video as stretched at the MPEG Streamclip stage. If we can get that to work, then what easy set up codes (for a PAL country) do I use in FCE?
Thanks!!

Thanks so much for the reply, Tom. I've only taken a few clips as tests at this point, so it's no worries to process one taken with the phone vertical (I can just delete it and try again). I've taken another test clip with the phone horizontal and exported to quicktime using the same settings:
compression: AIC
Frame Size: 1280x720 (HDTV 720p)
and the rest as I've said above...
The file still seems stretched, though not to the degree it was when I held the phone vertically. It may be that I've still got the wrong settings, or maybe it isn't, in fact, stretched. I can't tell for sure with the test footage. But either way, when I import it into FCE and drop it into the timeline, it drops frames immediately (I can't get through the ten second clip without it dropping frames four or five times).
I believe I've set the Easy Setup to match, but not sure:
AIC, 29.97, and HDV AIC 720p30
My questions:
1. If I did the quicktime export properly, would the clip come into FCE without needing render?
2. When I saw the conversion done on a tutorial, they used MPEG Streamclip settings as 1280x720 (unscaled). Version 1.9.2 doesn't have that setting, so I was forced to use 1280x720 (HDTV720p). Is it possible this is my problem?
3. Does the AIC codec require a faster hardware setup than my previous method of capturing from a SONY video camera? (I'm using an external drive, 200G).
4. It's possible that though I'm using an external drive, that when I do an import of the quicktime clip from the desktop, it's sticking the raw file somewhere less efficient (like on my internal drive) than when I do a capture w/ scratch disks set to external drive?
Sorry for the basic questions, but I'm beside myself!! Anything you can point me to is greatly appreciated!!
Jeff
This made me think I still had the wrong format when exporting into a quicktime clip. The tutorial I located that was doing exactly what I want used Streamclip to convert it to a 1280x720 (unscaled). My version of streamclip (1.9.2 as opposed to 1.9) doesn't have that option, so I've been forced to use 1280x729 HDTV s720. Is this the reason that the clip (when played in the sequence) keeps dropping frames? Or is it that any AIC codec has trouble w/ processing?

23.976 Quicktime exports one frame short

Hi,
I'm having a recurring problem with 23.976 fps exports missing the last frame of any comp. I'm working with prores 4444 files shot at 23.976, comp settings also 23.976, footage interpreted correctly at 23.976. When I export to quicktime in any codec at 23.976 the exported clip is one frame short.
This isn't a framerate issue as far as I can tell as all previous frames match the original footage, also an image sequence export will produce the correct number of frames. It's just not exporting the last frame. Is anyone else having this problem?
Obviously the workaround is to extend every comp by a frame before render, or always render an image sequence, but as I'm working on a show with an extremely high number of shots to turnaround and all have to be imported back into the edit at Avid DNX36 offline codec quality, this seems like a much more time consuming (and storage space consuming!) solution to what is an obvious glitch.
Can anyone help? A solution will save me weeks of time over the coming six months!
Many thanks in advance for any help.

It's probably just a counting error. AE, like many applications that work with video, begins with frame ZERO, not frame one.
Count the number of digits in the following list: 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Even though the highest value is nine, the number of digits is ten. Thus, in AE, close to one second of 23.976 fps video is contained in frames 00-23, and not 00-24... which would be twenty-FIVE frames.

Blocky and pixelated at same time in different sequences

I film in XDCAM 1080i60. Edit in FCP, all footage has been taken through Color and all clips in sequences are in ProRes422HQ (codec that comes out of Color).
I am doing a long (six-hour) nature project, broken up into 4 separate files that I planned on bringing together at the end. I am almost finished and have been burning DVDs to check audio levels on various TVs. The DVD of #1 plays perfectly, but the compressed files of both 2 and 3 have horrible blockiness at the exact same times, for example, at exactly the one hour point. This is not DVD playback errors--I have looked at the compressed files in the Quicktime viewer and the blockiness is viewable there.
It has been awhile but I think I may have used the sequence from #1 (after the entire program #1 had been built I duplicated, labelled it #2 and deleted the #1 clips) to provide me with a template for #2 and #3 (haven't bothered to compress #4 yet until I get an answer to this). Could the sequences be corrupted somehow?
I have copied the clips that get blocky and pasted them into a new sequence and when compressed there is no blockiness. I then copied the entire project, created a new sequence, pasted and compressed. The blockiness was there in exactly the same spots.
I'm new on this forum but I have been using FCP for 7 years now. Thanks for the help!

Thanks for that, but it doesn't answer my question. I
know how to connect my stereo to Airport, but what I
want to do is have the same tune playing
simultaneously in more than one room. Airport only
allows you to communicate with one stereo at one time
doesn't it?
With the most recent firmware and iTunes you can now stream the same audio to multiple Airport Express base stations, which will allow you to achieve the result you want.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108038#9
iFelix

Exporting direct from FCP vs. sending to Compressor?

I've done both, but the choice ends up being a coin toss. So I'm curious if there's any accepted wisdom as to the Pros & Cons of each workflow (using the current versions of each app, and in a hypothetical All Things Being Equal scenario)?
In other words, if you were to create the exact same "Master File" from a given FCP Project using each route (in terms of the finished file's dimensions, frame rate, etc), and you selected the exact same codec/quality options to create that file (assuming the identical options exist to be chosen), would there still potentially be any significant difference between the two files? Either in terms of file size, length of time it takes for the file to be created, or any appreciable difference in image quality (despite the theoretically identical file settings)?
Because a difference in any one of those three categories might be enough to tip the scales towards using one workflow vs. the other, depending on the priorities in a given situation.
(And for the sake of this comparison, I'm leaving aside the issue of which app could still be used for other tasks while the export is in progress. Let's just assume for the sake of argument that in both cases the machine would not be being used for ANY other work during each of the exports.)
Any theories? Real-world experiences? Or has some 3rd-party test site already attempted this kind of direct comparison (using the latest versions of FCP-X and Compressor 4.x)?
Thanks,
John B
Toronto

Without considering every possibility, here are a couple of general thoughts.
Given the same Compressor preset there should be no quality difference between the output from a master fie to Compressor and sending it from the timeline to Compressor. There are speed differences and exporting from FCP X is the fastest workflow. Lately, I've found second fastest to be Send to Compressor. But the inferences differences aren't great.
Most of this depends on one's workflow preferences. The most lengthy workflow is to first export a master file and then bring that into Compressor;. Funnily enough, that is how I work because I want to have an iFrame master file that I can compress for different purposes over time.
One user recently posted that he used Send-to-Compresssor because it gave him the opportunity to pause the processes without losing his work.
In the past (particularly with legacy FCP) the Send-to-Comnpressor workflow was something I avoided. It was slow and unreliable. 10.0.x to 4.0.x was faster but troubled in other ways. The latest versions, however, seem to get it done efficiently.
Final thought: if you do your own tests, check o ensure you have similar amounts of free memory. Otherwise, it's not a "fair fight"/
Russ
edit: override the auto complete

Exporting with alpha channel and edges are ragged

I've got a short animation that is mainly a PSD of a map of NC with some animated push pins on it. I've got a local cable provider wanting an export of the animation with an alpha channel. He's using Premiere on a Mac, I'm on PC. No matter what codec I use that supports an alpha channel, the outer edge of the graphic of the State comes out ragged. Zooming in to the PSD in PhotoShop shows that the edge is antialiased, so I would imagine that this is what is causing the ragged edge on export.
Here's grab of the export. This is with QT Animation codec-quality 100, but the same results occur with DNxHD, Cineform, PNG, etc.

I think you are just seeing the extra areas of the fill.
If the output files works correctly in the editor, you should be good to go.
MtD

Unrendered and Easy Setup

I have a new Sony SR11 and I'm experimenting with a FCE workflow. I've recorded a few minutes of video at the camcorder's highest setting, but am having problems getting it to play in the viewer in FCE - the audio plays, but the video shows "unrendered". I've read through the forums but haven't found an answer that helps me yet.
Source video:
Recorded at 16 Mb/s with a frame size of 1920x1080.
Easy Setup:
HDV AIC 1080i/60
When I create a sequence even after setting the above Easy Setup value, the sequence has a frame size of 1400x1080. If I read other posts correctly, the reason that FCE needs to render my clips before playing them in the viewer is that the frame sizes don't match. 1400x1080 != 1920x1080.
Assuming that's really the problem, how do I change the sequence frame size to 1920x1080? Or does FCE/AIC not support 1920x1080?

Found answers to my own questions. Posting here for others in case they have the same issues:
Alright...here's the fix. It's a PITA but it works:
You need to download this free converter: MPEG Streamclip
File -> Export to QuickTime
Compression: Apple Intermediate Codec
Quality: 100%
Sound: Stereo/48 kHz
Import the converted file into FCE and everything will work smoothly. Here's the rub:
1. Extra step
2. Extra, larger files. A h.264 original out of the camera that was 69mb turned into a 216mb file after conversion.
Kinda defeats one of my primary purposes for moving to FCE instead of iMovie (save disk space by using referenced files instead of imported ones)

ProRes422HQ codec quality

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