mpeg2 compression in FCP4

[Alfred Tomaszewski]

we are compressing our footage for a DVD in FCP4 we are using the double pass feature(heard this takes more time but gets better quality), but want to know what other stuff we need to have the best quality mpeg2 as possible because this will be a nationally released DVD sold in retail stores. would there be a better place to compress this footage it needs to be amazing quality.

thanks in advance. this forum has never let me down.

[Jeff Donald]

When you say FCP are you using compressor?

[Alfred Tomaszewski]

no i watched a tutorial that you just click on export and can compress right in FCP4. would it be better to use compressor? if so what settings? space isnt a problem we are getting them replicated on dvd10 or dvd11.

[Jeff Donald]

Do you know what settings you are using for audio and video compression?

[Alfred Tomaszewski]

that is what i am kind of asking for. we are new to this and it is a paying job and we dont want to screw this thing up. i dont want to sound like some idiot looking for an easy answer but some help would be great.

[Jeff Donald]

No problem, but in your first post you said you're using 2 pass VBR etc. Have you already done/are doing the compression? If not, I would make sure everything is rendered in FCP then export to compressor via the export function (File>Export>Using Compressor). Then use Compressor's high quality presets. this is the easiest way to relatively painlessly achieve high quality results.

[Alfred Tomaszewski]

we are doing the compressing tomorrow. do i import the FCP dv file into compressor?

[Jeff Donald]

Once you follow the path I outlined above compressor will open automatically. Select the time and quality that best fits your project (60 minute, 90 minute, various quality etc.) and submit the files for compression. You will also be presented with choices for destination (which hard drive etc.) and other compression settings. It is really simpler than I can explain. How long is your project?

[Alfred Tomaszewski]

the project will be anywhere between 90 and 120 minutes. So a dvd10 is the only way to go i think. or two DVDs. when i select a time for the project do i want to be truthful or should i cheat it to get better quality compression?


we are sending two dvds to the band to view the dvd, but when it is mastered for replication we are making it one dvd most likely a dual layer DVD10(is there such thing as this or are DVD10s only the double sided ones or are there dual layer(pass?) ones like there are dual layer (pass?) DVD9s?). we are sending an image of the DVD out a on a hard drive to get a DLT and a glass master made.

I am really new to this and the above stated my be completly wrong but that is what i got out of the conversation with the replication company i talked to. Some light on this situation would be great.

[Jeff Donald]

It sounds right to might and makes sense. No, don't try to cheat the presets to get better quality, it won't work. Pick the 2 hour time if that is the true time of the material.