FCP > EXPORT > MPEG4 (online video) Best compression rate?

[Richard Guaty]

I am trying to output the highest quality video possible for use online; Youtube/Myspace etc...

System: FCP 5.0

Here are the following steps I've taken for exporting video in the past. I have only had low resolution results. You can see an example myspace vid here:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...oid=1855152512

HOW CAN I ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS THAN THIS??

Continued;

Step 1- File >Export >Quicktime Conversion

Step 2 - Format >Mpeg 4

Step 3 - Options > Image Size 320 x 240 QVGA

Step 4 - Frame Rate >15



THANKS ALL!!

[Steve Maller]

I would try using Compressor's "Quicktime 7 LAN" setting. That uses the h.264 encoder, which YouTube knows how to read, and the results are better that way. They re-compress and re-size stuff anyway. Better to give them a huge file and let them squeeze it. It works fine...takes an extra few minutes on their end.

[Jerome Terry]

Cool video. Where did you shot it?

[Richard Guaty]

Thanks man. I filmed the video at "the gig" on melrose. Thanks for watching the video!

-Rich

[Richard Guaty]

I tried Compressor's "Quicktime 7 LAN" setting and it had remarkable improvements in output resolution. It does take double the time in exporting but the results are worth the time.

Now all I have to figure out is a compression that outputs this same high quality video a bit faster. How can editors make hollywoods demanding "I want it now" deadlines when rendering and compression take so long!??


;)
Thanks!

[Steve Maller]

Originally Posted by Richard Guaty

I tried Compressor's "Quicktime 7 LAN" setting and it had remarkable improvements in output resolution. It does take double the time in exporting but the results are worth the time.

Awesome.

Originally Posted by Richard Guaty

Now all I have to figure out is a compression that outputs this same high quality video a bit faster. How can editors make hollywoods demanding "I want it now" deadlines when rendering and compression take so long!??
Thanks!

Dude, if you want to impress those "i want it now" guys, you're going to have to buy a more manly computer. I'll tell you, FCP 5.1.2 on a Mac Pro with quad Xeons will improve your render speeds, your standing amongst the geeks, and maybe even your dating prospects. ;)

[Elmer Lang]

Originally Posted by Steve Maller

I would try using Compressor's "Quicktime 7 LAN" setting. .

Would you recommend that for movies on one's website?

I've been using Compressor on movies out of FCP and choosing the QT7 300kbps option. Most of my films are less than 10 minutes and 15mb is about the limit I'm going for, figuring download rates of different computers and all, but a wiser man/woman can persuade me.

thanks,
elmerlang
http://elmerlang.com

[David Knaggs]

Originally Posted by Elmer Lang

Would you recommend that for movies on one's website?

Hi Elmer.

I take it that you are looking for the highest quality movie, but within that 15MB file size limit (?).

In Compressor, if you go to the "Web Download (Quicktime 7 compatible) button and select "All" for that particular clip, the Inspector pane can be used to examine the file size of each of the five H.264 movies. (And you can experiment and tweak the settings for each to find which one will give the best results for any particular clip.)

If the size of H.264 LAN is greater than 15 MB, you could simply lower the bitrate ("Average Data Rate") until the "Estimated file size" is about 15 MB. If the final quality (export different types as an experiment) is not acceptable to your eye, then you can go back and reduce the frame size.

But, if you find that you are having to reduce the bitrate by more than 50%, it's better to try the H.264 800 kbps option.

If you find that H.264 300 kbps is the only one that brings the file size to 15 MB (and I'm suspecting that this might already be the case), then you can still raise the quality by raising the Frame Rate (I find that 300 kbps will remove about 30% or more of the frames) back to the full frame rate, raising the bitrate (Average Data Rate) until it makes the Estimated File Size about 15 MB. And you can even try making the frame size bigger.

If you jockey these factors around a bit, you can end up with a vastly improved Quicktime for download (much better than simply selecting the preset values and leaving it at that) without much increase of the final file size (above 15 MB).