mp4 to fcp at DVinfo.net

Cynthia Granville · December 21st, 2010, 02:27 AM

hi all, i apparently need a walkthru for dummies on this one. i've searched the web generally and these forums in particular and i can't find how to get mp4 source into fcp for edit. this did not come from a particular camera...this is footage from various sources furnished to an actor as a copy of her work, all in mp4. fcp will not open it, and i've tried mpeg streamclip, quicktime player, and ffmpegx, to no avail. i get 0 kb files exported, or files which open as blank screens in fcp, or files which play the audio but for video only have one frozen frame, or files which in fcp give me messages like "general error" or "out of memory." please someone give me a walkthru on settings for any of the above referenced software so that i can edit these files. thank you!

Nigel Barker · December 21st, 2010, 10:13 AM

Given that the video won't even play in QT or MPEG Streamclip you may have a hard time persuading FCP to do anything with it! The file is either corrupt or in a Mac-unfriendly format. You can see if it will play OK in VLC as that will handle most any video format with its own internal CODECs VideoLAN - VLC: Free streaming and multimedia solutions for all OS!. Use MediaInfo Mac to find out exactly what video CODEC hides behind the .mp4 file type MediaInfo Mac :: Multimedia file analyzer for the Macintosh. If all you are missing is some obscure variant of the DivX CODEC then installing Perian could fix your problem Perian - The swiss-army knife of QuickTime components

Cynthia Granville · December 21st, 2010, 10:45 PM

interesting software! all the files play in VLC. when i use media info mac, i'm told the codec is AVC (in mpeg4) as opposed to my finder info which had said AAC and H264 in mpeg4. a quick internet check seems to indicate FCP would be okay with this, but that's not the case...what do you think? thank you for your help.

Nigel Barker · December 21st, 2010, 11:44 PM

Install Perian as if you cannot play the file in Quicktime Player you will not be able to edit it in FCP.

Mathieu Ghekiere · December 22nd, 2010, 03:38 AM

First install Perian, then see if you can open the file in Compressor and convert it to something else (Prores or something).

Or try the Log and Transfer window in Final Cut...

Cynthia Granville · December 22nd, 2010, 08:57 PM

ok, installed perian, still can't play in FCP. "general error" and "out of memory." so i'll see if it will convert in compressor...tried that once, but will try again now that perian is installed (just to quick time player, correct, doesn't have anything to do with FCP?). will keep you all posted, thank you.

Nigel Barker · December 23rd, 2010, 04:14 AM

Squared 5 - MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac OS X is quicker, easier & more flexible than mucking about with Compressor for converting between CODECs.

QuickTime Player per se doesn't have anything to do with FCP but the underlying QuickTime engine is used in both.

Cynthia Granville · December 24th, 2010, 01:54 AM

and if my darling, wonderful MPEG Streamclip that i use all the time were working on this footage, i would have no problem. on the case of one of the files, it will PLAY the video in the streamclip window. however, when i tell it to export it to quicktime, it picks exactly one frame, instantly exports that, and it's done. no movie. so as we say around my house, that didn't work, tigger....

Cynthia Granville · December 24th, 2010, 02:13 AM

great, compressor handled the job! i don't know why it wasn't doing so previously, whether this has to do with needing to install perian, or not. in any case, i was able to convert the footage into prores...didn't try to do anything special with the settings, as i was more or less flying blind, i just let compressor have its head other than telling it i wanted prores. it imported smoothly into fcp and i'm working with it now. i wonder if there were any settings i could have tweaked in compressor to maximize quality, but the original looks none too great so i suspect i may have the best i can get. i am just thrilled not to have any more fcp lockups. thank you everyone!

December 21st, 2010, 02:27 AM	#1
Cynthia Granville Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Weehawken NJ Posts: 51	mp4 to fcp hi all, i apparently need a walkthru for dummies on this one. i've searched the web generally and these forums in particular and i can't find how to get mp4 source into fcp for edit. this did not come from a particular camera...this is footage from various sources furnished to an actor as a copy of her work, all in mp4. fcp will not open it, and i've tried mpeg streamclip, quicktime player, and ffmpegx, to no avail. i get 0 kb files exported, or files which open as blank screens in fcp, or files which play the audio but for video only have one frozen frame, or files which in fcp give me messages like "general error" or "out of memory." please someone give me a walkthru on settings for any of the above referenced software so that i can edit these files. thank you!

December 22nd, 2010, 03:38 AM	#5
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	First install Perian, then see if you can open the file in Compressor and convert it to something else (Prores or something). Or try the Log and Transfer window in Final Cut... __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

December 21st, 2010, 10:13 AM	#2
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Given that the video won't even play in QT or MPEG Streamclip you may have a hard time persuading FCP to do anything with it! The file is either corrupt or in a Mac-unfriendly format. You can see if it will play OK in VLC as that will handle most any video format with its own internal CODECs VideoLAN - VLC: Free streaming and multimedia solutions for all OS!. Use MediaInfo Mac to find out exactly what video CODEC hides behind the .mp4 file type MediaInfo Mac :: Multimedia file analyzer for the Macintosh. If all you are missing is some obscure variant of the DivX CODEC then installing Perian could fix your problem Perian - The swiss-army knife of QuickTime components

December 21st, 2010, 10:45 PM	#3
Cynthia Granville Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Weehawken NJ Posts: 51	interesting software! all the files play in VLC. when i use media info mac, i'm told the codec is AVC (in mpeg4) as opposed to my finder info which had said AAC and H264 in mpeg4. a quick internet check seems to indicate FCP would be okay with this, but that's not the case...what do you think? thank you for your help.

December 21st, 2010, 11:44 PM	#4
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Install Perian as if you cannot play the file in Quicktime Player you will not be able to edit it in FCP.

December 22nd, 2010, 08:57 PM	#6
Cynthia Granville Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Weehawken NJ Posts: 51	ok, installed perian, still can't play in FCP. "general error" and "out of memory." so i'll see if it will convert in compressor...tried that once, but will try again now that perian is installed (just to quick time player, correct, doesn't have anything to do with FCP?). will keep you all posted, thank you.

December 23rd, 2010, 04:14 AM	#7
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Squared 5 - MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac OS X is quicker, easier & more flexible than mucking about with Compressor for converting between CODECs. QuickTime Player per se doesn't have anything to do with FCP but the underlying QuickTime engine is used in both.

December 24th, 2010, 01:54 AM	#8
Cynthia Granville Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Weehawken NJ Posts: 51	and if my darling, wonderful MPEG Streamclip that i use all the time were working on this footage, i would have no problem. on the case of one of the files, it will PLAY the video in the streamclip window. however, when i tell it to export it to quicktime, it picks exactly one frame, instantly exports that, and it's done. no movie. so as we say around my house, that didn't work, tigger....

December 24th, 2010, 02:13 AM	#9
Cynthia Granville Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Weehawken NJ Posts: 51	great, compressor handled the job! i don't know why it wasn't doing so previously, whether this has to do with needing to install perian, or not. in any case, i was able to convert the footage into prores...didn't try to do anything special with the settings, as i was more or less flying blind, i just let compressor have its head other than telling it i wanted prores. it imported smoothly into fcp and i'm working with it now. i wonder if there were any settings i could have tweaked in compressor to maximize quality, but the original looks none too great so i suspect i may have the best i can get. i am just thrilled not to have any more fcp lockups. thank you everyone!