Converting using Episode Pro
by Travis Brillowski
on
Oct 1, 2008 at 8:56:27 pm
Hey all,
I'm hoping somebody has a few seconds to fire a couple ideas at me. I am exporting a 5 minute movie from FCP as a QT conversion. I am then trying to convert the .mov into a FL8 flash file using Episode Pro. Converting short movies (i.e. 30 seconds to a minute) is no problem and the image turns out great. But when I try to convert a longer 3, 4 or 5 minute movie, Episode will fail 3 times at making the file, then just quit trying. I can use CS3's Flash Video Encoder, but it seems to take longer and I can't get the quality where I want it. Any ideas on a remedy or anything I can try would be greatly appreciated!
It would really help if you provided much more detail on your system
What version of the OS
What version of Quicktime
What version of FCP, Episode
What Mac you have
How much RAM
What settings you're using in Episode
etc
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Please post back saying what solved your problem. It could help others, and saying 'thanks' is free!
Re: Converting using Episode Pro by Ed Dooley on Oct 2, 2008 at 3:13:52 pm
As Daniel said, there's a knowledgeable Episode guy over at the Compression forum.
But why are you using QT Conversion instead of simply exporting using current settings then compressing that? And what size/kind of .mov are you converting it to? What .flv settings are you using?
Ed
Re: Converting using Episode Pro by Travis Brillowski on Oct 2, 2008 at 6:51:50 pm
Thanks for the help guys! I didn't even the notice the 'compression techniques' forum. If I don't get this hammered out, I will certainly venture that way. Anyways, to answer a few of your questions:
I'm rockin' a Mac Pro 3, 1 w/ 8GB memory and 2 3.2 quad-core Xeon processors. FCP 6.0.4.
I am using QT conversion because when I export using current settings my video comes out with the horizontal field lines on anything with quick movement, especially my graphic overlays. Maybe there's a quick fix there...?
When using QT conversion, I am compressing using H.264. I have tried all sorts of different dimensions spanning from 720x480 to 1440x1080. What has worked the best is 1280x720.
My goal is to end up with video that is 722x406 because that is what is accepted in our content management system (though as I write this, we will be updating video player soon and it may accept other sizes). I compress into that ratio using the 'FL8_960x540_widescreen' setting and customizing the ratio to 722x406. I change encoding settings to best and the rest I leave as is.
Again, the confusing part is that it works GREAT with short clips, and will finish the longer movies but finish with errors.
Kind of a lot of info I know, but thank you for your responses!! I'm sure I'll end up in the other forum before long.
Re: Converting using Episode Pro by Ed Dooley on Oct 2, 2008 at 7:07:28 pm
What are you viewing the exported H.264 on, a computer monitor? If so, that's the problem. The video is interlaced so the fields show up as jaggies (unless you look at interlaced video on a video monitor). But, that's no reason to export to H.264 first, do the de-interlacing in Episode Pro. There's a setting for it, use that. Ideally you should Export from FCP using Current Settings then do the compression *and* de-interlacing in Episode. I'm not sure why Episode Pro fails on you because it does accept H.264 for input, but maybe that's only recently, maybe you have an older version that doesn't accept it, I don't know, but this may fix it.
Ed
[Travis Brillowski]"I'm rockin' a Mac Pro 3, 1 w/ 8GB memory and 2 3.2 quad-core Xeon processors. FCP 6.0.4.
I am using QT conversion because when I export using current settings my video comes out with the horizontal field lines on anything with quick movement, especially my graphic overlays. Maybe there's a quick fix there...?
When using QT conversion, I am compressing using H.264. I have tried all sorts of different dimensions spanning from 720x480 to 1440x1080. What has worked the best is 1280x720.
My goal is to end up with video that is 722x406 because that is what is accepted in our content management system (though as I write this, we will be updating video player soon and it may accept other sizes). I compress into that ratio using the 'FL8_960x540_widescreen' setting and customizing the ratio to 722x406. I change encoding settings to best and the rest I leave as is.
"
