How do I deliver this?? at DVinfo.net

Darren Ruddock · July 27th, 2009, 09:04 AM

Hi,

Just done a short web video for a company to go on their site, it clocks in at 3 minutes 39 seconds.

The company told me to call the their web design company to see what format they want in for the site. However they want to do the encode. My question is what is the best format to get the thing out of Final cut at the highest quality?

I'm so used to down-converting to SD or encoding to H.264 but never had to deliver something as a data file that they can pull of a DVD. Just want to give them the highest output possible before they encode to FLV.

Which is the best format?

Many thanks

Rick Jones · July 27th, 2009, 09:12 AM

Uncompressed MOV. File>Export>Quicktime Movie. Be sure to make it self contained. It'll be a large file but there is no compression at all.

Darren Ruddock · July 27th, 2009, 09:14 AM

Top man Rick,

Well done!

Perrone Ford · July 27th, 2009, 10:08 AM

Well, maybe.

3 minutes and change of uncompressed HD may not fit on a DVD. If it won't, then you can deliver ProRes HQ to them. 220Mbps is going to look uncompressed for all intents and purposes.

BluRay makes this a non-issue for these kinds of small projects. But both sides need the capability. SDHC cards are useful too, but the 4GB max file size (per file) makes things tedious.

Darren Ruddock · July 27th, 2009, 10:54 AM

Hi,

Well I did it as Rick suggested and the size comes out at 795 MB.

Will fit on one DVD, so all seems good! Just a bit worried because I hope the web company can read it because it outs as a "Final Cut Pro Movie File". Would this work if they are PC based?

Rick Jones · July 27th, 2009, 10:56 AM

It should if they have an up to date Quicktime codec. Happy to help.

Perrone Ford · July 27th, 2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren Ruddock

Hi,

Well I did it as Rick suggested and the size comes out at 795 MB.

Will fit on one DVD, so all seems good! Just a bit worried because I hope the web company can read it because it outs as a "Final Cut Pro Movie File". Would this work if they are PC based?

Another reason I suggested ProRes, but if they have quicktime installed, they should be fine. You might consider putting a few different versions of the file on the DVD since you have the space.

Uncompressed
ProResHQ
Avid DNxHD (free download for you and them and no gamma shift issues unlike some other choices)
Jpeg2000 (at 100% quality)
AJA v210 (10bit codec)

Each of these will give superb quality and in their best settings will closely simulate uncompressed footage. All can be read on PCs with free software or codecs.

Darren Ruddock · July 27th, 2009, 11:21 AM

Thanks Perrone.......good listing!!

Craig Seeman · July 27th, 2009, 04:49 PM

BTW the ProRes decoder (they codec they'd need if you used ProRes) is a free download from Apple. There's both a Mac and Windows version so you can deliver ProRes to those on Windows systems.

Adam Reuter · July 27th, 2009, 06:52 PM

I always email a client a small sample (like 1 second) link to see if they can read the file. There are just so many codecs that this little extra step saves time (having to mail another data DVD out). I long for the old days of just a handful of codecs that everyone had on their computers, LOL!

Perrone Ford · July 27th, 2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Reuter

I long for the old days of just a handful of codecs that everyone had on their computers, LOL!

Why not send the videos AND the needed codecs? That's what I do.

Adam Reuter · July 27th, 2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Why not send the videos AND the needed codecs? That's what I do.

Because not every codec can be used by every player/piece of software due to licensing issues/whatnot. Uncompressed as far as I know is universal but it takes up a ton of space.

What format do you prefer, Mr. Ford? My go to standard def option was Apple Quicktime DV but I am still back and forth on an HD format.

Michael Frkovich · July 27th, 2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren Ruddock

Hi,

Well I did it as Rick suggested and the size comes out at 795 MB.

Will fit on one DVD, so all seems good! Just a bit worried because I hope the web company can read it because it outs as a "Final Cut Pro Movie File". Would this work if they are PC based?

I think you may want to check what kind of file that is. If it is uncompressed standard,
that file should be quite a bit larger than 795 MB for over three and one half minutes.

Perrone Ford · July 27th, 2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Frkovich

I think you may want to check what kind of file that is. If it is uncompressed standard,
that file should be quite a bit larger than 795 MB for over three and one half minutes.

That's what I was thinking...

Perrone Ford · July 27th, 2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Reuter

Because not every codec can be used by every player/piece of software due to licensing issues/whatnot. Uncompressed as far as I know is universal but it takes up a ton of space.

What format do you prefer, Mr. Ford? My go to standard def option was Apple Quicktime DV but I am still back and forth on an HD format.

For Mac <-> PC Round-trips I prefer Avid's DNxHD. Free to download and transfer, no gamma shift problems, 8 or 10 bit. For distribution to unknown platforms, Jpeg2000. Wavlet compression, nice file sizes, Mathematically lossless at best rate, ISO standard....

July 27th, 2009, 09:04 AM	#1
Darren Ruddock Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southend, UK Posts: 165	How do I deliver this?? Hi, Just done a short web video for a company to go on their site, it clocks in at 3 minutes 39 seconds. The company told me to call the their web design company to see what format they want in for the site. However they want to do the encode. My question is what is the best format to get the thing out of Final cut at the highest quality? I'm so used to down-converting to SD or encoding to H.264 but never had to deliver something as a data file that they can pull of a DVD. Just want to give them the highest output possible before they encode to FLV. Which is the best format? Many thanks

July 27th, 2009, 10:08 AM	#4
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Well, maybe. 3 minutes and change of uncompressed HD may not fit on a DVD. If it won't, then you can deliver ProRes HQ to them. 220Mbps is going to look uncompressed for all intents and purposes. BluRay makes this a non-issue for these kinds of small projects. But both sides need the capability. SDHC cards are useful too, but the 4GB max file size (per file) makes things tedious. __________________ 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.

July 27th, 2009, 10:56 AM	#6
Rick Jones Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 126	It should if they have an up to date Quicktime codec. Happy to help. Last edited by Rick Jones; July 27th, 2009 at 11:00 AM. Reason: clarification

July 27th, 2009, 09:12 AM	#2
Rick Jones Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 126	Uncompressed MOV. File>Export>Quicktime Movie. Be sure to make it self contained. It'll be a large file but there is no compression at all.

July 27th, 2009, 09:14 AM	#3
Darren Ruddock Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southend, UK Posts: 165	Top man Rick, Well done!

July 27th, 2009, 10:54 AM	#5
Darren Ruddock Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southend, UK Posts: 165	Hi, Well I did it as Rick suggested and the size comes out at 795 MB. Will fit on one DVD, so all seems good! Just a bit worried because I hope the web company can read it because it outs as a "Final Cut Pro Movie File". Would this work if they are PC based?

July 27th, 2009, 11:21 AM	#8
Darren Ruddock Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southend, UK Posts: 165	Thanks Perrone.......good listing!!

July 27th, 2009, 04:49 PM	#9
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	BTW the ProRes decoder (they codec they'd need if you used ProRes) is a free download from Apple. There's both a Mac and Windows version so you can deliver ProRes to those on Windows systems.

July 27th, 2009, 06:52 PM	#10
Adam Reuter Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 234	I always email a client a small sample (like 1 second) link to see if they can read the file. There are just so many codecs that this little extra step saves time (having to mail another data DVD out). I long for the old days of just a handful of codecs that everyone had on their computers, LOL!