compression quality in Compressor vs DVDSP? at DVinfo.net

Mike Barber · March 17th, 2008, 04:36 PM

I have always gone through Compressor, but after a long night of compressing 15 video tracks for a dual-layer DVD project (only to find incompatible GOP structures for the alternate angles... check your markers, kids!) and having to fix and re-export everything, I'm wondering if I should just take my FCP exports (with DVDSP markers) and drop them in DVDSP and let it do the transcoding. Any thoughts?

Does DVDSP essentially use Compressor under the hood, or is it using something else/lesser?

Robert Lane · March 17th, 2008, 04:43 PM

No way, DVDSP has extremely limited controls over quality and bitrate and zero controls for motion estimation and things like frame-rate conversion.

Use Compressor and the best method is to create reference movies from FCP and let Compressor grab the resources.

Simon Wyndham · March 17th, 2008, 04:54 PM

One issue I've been having with reference movies is that I cannot for the life of me get it to embed the chapter markers and have them read within DVDSP after encoding to MPEG2 with Compressor.

Mike Barber · March 17th, 2008, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Lane

Use Compressor and the best method is to create reference movies from FCP and let Compressor grab the resources.

Ah, I never thought to use reference movies. I've always made self-contained movies. As long as the media is local, it shouldn't matter, eh?

Tom Vandas · March 17th, 2008, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

One issue I've been having with reference movies is that I cannot for the life of me get it to embed the chapter markers and have them read within DVDSP after encoding to MPEG2 with Compressor.

Hey Simon, when you save your self-contained/reference movie, do you choose to include the chapter markers in the saving options?

Simon Wyndham · March 18th, 2008, 05:26 AM

Yep, I select Chapter Markers on the output.

Robert Lane · March 18th, 2008, 08:43 AM

Using markers and having them x-fer to DVDSP can be a tricky process regardless of which transport method you use. At the moment I'm short on time otherwise I'd share a ton of "how-to", suffice it to say Brian Gary has already done it for me:

Pick up two books which will take the mystery out of chapters - and other transport-processing methods once and for all...

1. DVDSP4, first or second edition (Apple Pro Training Series)

2. Compressor Quick Reference Guide, Brian Gary

Amazon always has them in stock; spend 30 mintues browsing both books and you'll master some of the more tricky encoding/authoring/transport issues.

Mike Barber · March 18th, 2008, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Lane

1. DVDSP4, first or second edition (Apple Pro Training Series)

2. Compressor Quick Reference Guide, Brian Gary

Thanks for the references. I have the Apple Pro books for FCP and think they are great. Planning on getting the one for Color and I guess DVDSP now, as well.

March 17th, 2008, 04:36 PM	#1
Mike Barber Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Toronto ON Canada Posts: 731	compression quality in Compressor vs DVDSP? I have always gone through Compressor, but after a long night of compressing 15 video tracks for a dual-layer DVD project (only to find incompatible GOP structures for the alternate angles... check your markers, kids!) and having to fix and re-export everything, I'm wondering if I should just take my FCP exports (with DVDSP markers) and drop them in DVDSP and let it do the transcoding. Any thoughts? Does DVDSP essentially use Compressor under the hood, or is it using something else/lesser? __________________ Mike Barber "I'm laughing to stop myself from screaming."

March 17th, 2008, 04:43 PM	#2
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA Posts: 2,823 Images: 15	No way, DVDSP has extremely limited controls over quality and bitrate and zero controls for motion estimation and things like frame-rate conversion. Use Compressor and the best method is to create reference movies from FCP and let Compressor grab the resources.

March 17th, 2008, 04:54 PM	#3
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	One issue I've been having with reference movies is that I cannot for the life of me get it to embed the chapter markers and have them read within DVDSP after encoding to MPEG2 with Compressor.

March 18th, 2008, 05:26 AM	#6
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Yep, I select Chapter Markers on the output.

March 18th, 2008, 08:43 AM	#7
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA Posts: 2,823 Images: 15	Using markers and having them x-fer to DVDSP can be a tricky process regardless of which transport method you use. At the moment I'm short on time otherwise I'd share a ton of "how-to", suffice it to say Brian Gary has already done it for me: Pick up two books which will take the mystery out of chapters - and other transport-processing methods once and for all... 1. DVDSP4, first or second edition (Apple Pro Training Series) 2. Compressor Quick Reference Guide, Brian Gary Amazon always has them in stock; spend 30 mintues browsing both books and you'll master some of the more tricky encoding/authoring/transport issues.