Editing question... output format at DVinfo.net

Anna Clara · February 21st, 2010, 09:27 AM

Hello,
so finally got to the end of this beautiful process, and now, I need to export the files.
I read that a good option is mpeg 2, so I'll keep that as one, but is it the best option?
I need to put the videos on dvds that will be played without my assistance so everything needs to run smoothly and they need to be light enough not to have problems, while still keeping a full hd level of quality.
Ideas, thoughts?

P.S. More to Edius users. To be able to export in dv avi, which is what I used to export in, do I need an edius plugin or a codec on my pc? Because now dv appears underneath avi, but it has no possibilities in it.
Thanks for the help

Perrone Ford · February 21st, 2010, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Clara

Hello,
so finally got to the end of this beautiful process, and now, I need to export the files.
I read that a good option is mpeg 2, so I'll keep that as one, but is it the best option?
I need to put the videos on dvds that will be played without my assistance so everything needs to run smoothly and they need to be light enough not to have problems, while still keeping a full hd level of quality.
Ideas, thoughts?

P.S. More to Edius users. To be able to export in dv avi, which is what I used to export in, do I need an edius plugin or a codec on my pc? Because now dv appears underneath avi, but it has no possibilities in it.
Thanks for the help

If the files are going to put on DVDs to play in a real DVD player, then Mpeg2 is a necessity. DVD players don't understand anything else. If these files are for computer playback, then you have many more (and better) options.

And don't export in DV, that's a terrible option.

Anna Clara · February 21st, 2010, 10:54 AM

They are for playback on another computer.
What are some better options?

Perrone Ford · February 21st, 2010, 12:19 PM

My top choice would be Mpeg4. It's excellent if you use a good encoder. For PC use (harder for Mac) my next choice would be Windows Media. MotionJpeg would be another codec I'd use since nearly ANY machine with quicktime would play it. If this is going out for both Macs and PCs to play, then doing either mpeg4 or Flash are your best bets as they are universal.

-P

Anna Clara · February 21st, 2010, 02:08 PM

Thank you Perrone!
it's for pc, so I'll probably use windows media or mpeg4 (which I'm not positive Edius has in its options). I've used windows media to make small ready to play files, and so far it has given me no problem, but I didn't know it works for maximum quality as well. Thank you again

Bill Pryor · February 21st, 2010, 02:49 PM

I have to make WMV files for certain clients and have found that I can actually get acceptable quality if I crank the data rate way up.

Perrone Ford · February 21st, 2010, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

I have to make WMV files for certain clients and have found that I can actually get acceptable quality if I crank the data rate way up.

What is "way up"? And what tool are you using?

Manus Sweeney · February 21st, 2010, 03:15 PM

h.264 would be another good option..

how long is the clip(s) you need to export? With all the codecs you'll have some control over how high you set the quality..
For full HD if the filesize isnt a problem i like to encode around 5000kbps (not sure about other people..)

I think it ends up something like 40MB per minute of video (1920x1080 hd)

Good luck!

Robert M Wright · February 21st, 2010, 10:10 PM

For playback on a PC, WMV is your safest bet. It doesn't offer quite the quality/bitrate you can get with H264 compression (especially if you have a good H264 encoder, a potent computer, and know how to tweak encoding settings), but WMV is supported on virtually every PC out there, and is certainly a better choice than MPEG-2, for playback on a PC. MPEG-2 cannot offer the quality/bitrate that WMV can, and there are still a few PCs here and there that don't have software for MPEG-2 playback installed.

When you tried to encode as DV, was your project setting something other than SD? If you are editing on an HD timeline, you won't have the option in Edius. You can take HD source footage and drop it on an SD timeline, and encode as DV, but the downscaling is not very good. You are much better off downscaling with Virtual Dub or AVISynth, both of which are freeware, but very excellent and powerful tools (and something I wouldn't want to be without).

Perrone Ford · February 21st, 2010, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert M Wright

For playback on a PC, WMV is your safest bet. It doesn't offer quite the quality/bitrate you can get with H264 compression (especially if you have a good H264 encoder, a potent computer, and know how to tweak encoding settings)

Of course, this is debatable. Few people are using the real WMV encoders and it makes a difference. Just like it does for H264.

Mark Klassen · February 21st, 2010, 11:44 PM

if your on mac, exporting using the apple tv compressor preset is best. prefect for vimeo, and distribution on different computers because of the manageable file size well still looking pretty good.

Steve Yager · February 22nd, 2010, 02:10 AM

I always just use H246 and tell them they need the latest version of Quicktime to view it. Haven't had a problem yet.

Nigel Barker · February 22nd, 2010, 06:10 AM

Some confusion here. H.264 is MPEG-4 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MPEG4 is the best solution for high quality with modest file size for playback on a computer. For the same bit-rate it has 2-4 times better resolution/quality than MPEG2. It will play in QuickTime Player, WMP, VLC, Flash Player etc,

If you are on a Mac the Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB gizmo does the conversion in hardware & about real time so is far & away the fastest way of creating H.264. The quality is very decent too.

Manus Sweeney · February 22nd, 2010, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Klassen

if your on mac, exporting using the apple tv compressor preset is best. prefect for vimeo, and distribution on different computers because of the manageable file size well still looking pretty good.

i thought so too till i gave my friends their wedding video and found out much later they werent able to watch it (and he works in IT!).. i think it only works for people who have itunes/ipod software installed.

Perrone Ford · February 22nd, 2010, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Some confusion here. H.264 is MPEG-4 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No matter how many times you say it... people won't get it. They'll insist one is better than the other.

February 21st, 2010, 09:27 AM	#1
Anna Clara New Boot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Milano, Italy Posts: 18	Editing question... output format Hello, so finally got to the end of this beautiful process, and now, I need to export the files. I read that a good option is mpeg 2, so I'll keep that as one, but is it the best option? I need to put the videos on dvds that will be played without my assistance so everything needs to run smoothly and they need to be light enough not to have problems, while still keeping a full hd level of quality. Ideas, thoughts? P.S. More to Edius users. To be able to export in dv avi, which is what I used to export in, do I need an edius plugin or a codec on my pc? Because now dv appears underneath avi, but it has no possibilities in it. Thanks for the help

February 21st, 2010, 12:19 PM	#4
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	My top choice would be Mpeg4. It's excellent if you use a good encoder. For PC use (harder for Mac) my next choice would be Windows Media. MotionJpeg would be another codec I'd use since nearly ANY machine with quicktime would play it. If this is going out for both Macs and PCs to play, then doing either mpeg4 or Flash are your best bets as they are universal. -P __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

February 21st, 2010, 11:44 PM	#11
Mark Klassen Tourist Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 4	if your on mac, exporting using the apple tv compressor preset is best. prefect for vimeo, and distribution on different computers because of the manageable file size well still looking pretty good. __________________ 17 year old aspiring cinematographer - www.markaklassen.com

February 21st, 2010, 10:54 AM	#3
Anna Clara New Boot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Milano, Italy Posts: 18	They are for playback on another computer. What are some better options?

February 21st, 2010, 02:08 PM	#5
Anna Clara New Boot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Milano, Italy Posts: 18	Thank you Perrone! it's for pc, so I'll probably use windows media or mpeg4 (which I'm not positive Edius has in its options). I've used windows media to make small ready to play files, and so far it has given me no problem, but I didn't know it works for maximum quality as well. Thank you again

February 21st, 2010, 02:49 PM	#6
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I have to make WMV files for certain clients and have found that I can actually get acceptable quality if I crank the data rate way up.

February 21st, 2010, 03:15 PM	#8
Manus Sweeney Major Player Join Date: May 2009 Location: Amsterdam, NL Posts: 217	h.264 would be another good option.. how long is the clip(s) you need to export? With all the codecs you'll have some control over how high you set the quality.. For full HD if the filesize isnt a problem i like to encode around 5000kbps (not sure about other people..) I think it ends up something like 40MB per minute of video (1920x1080 hd) Good luck!

February 21st, 2010, 10:10 PM	#9
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	For playback on a PC, WMV is your safest bet. It doesn't offer quite the quality/bitrate you can get with H264 compression (especially if you have a good H264 encoder, a potent computer, and know how to tweak encoding settings), but WMV is supported on virtually every PC out there, and is certainly a better choice than MPEG-2, for playback on a PC. MPEG-2 cannot offer the quality/bitrate that WMV can, and there are still a few PCs here and there that don't have software for MPEG-2 playback installed. When you tried to encode as DV, was your project setting something other than SD? If you are editing on an HD timeline, you won't have the option in Edius. You can take HD source footage and drop it on an SD timeline, and encode as DV, but the downscaling is not very good. You are much better off downscaling with Virtual Dub or AVISynth, both of which are freeware, but very excellent and powerful tools (and something I wouldn't want to be without).

February 22nd, 2010, 02:10 AM	#12
Steve Yager Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 157	I always just use H246 and tell them they need the latest version of Quicktime to view it. Haven't had a problem yet.

February 22nd, 2010, 06:10 AM	#13
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Some confusion here. H.264 is MPEG-4 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia MPEG4 is the best solution for high quality with modest file size for playback on a computer. For the same bit-rate it has 2-4 times better resolution/quality than MPEG2. It will play in QuickTime Player, WMP, VLC, Flash Player etc, If you are on a Mac the Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB gizmo does the conversion in hardware & about real time so is far & away the fastest way of creating H.264. The quality is very decent too.