Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters
by Kathy OBrien
on
Aug 25, 2008 at 11:23:00 pm
I am a new editor using Final Cut Studio and need some help with exporting. Have found many threads on how to export a high quality DVD, but many are confusing and I think I need a basic step by step. I have tried about 20 different ways of exporting and am still having the same issues:
- My final project is about 3-3.5 hours in length, so the size of the file is quite large and won't fit on 1 DVD - have been able to split into two DVDs, but would rather it be on one.
- I am having horizontal lines in my picture with motion (even slight motion) and when there is a tight zoom on the shot.
- When using compressor, I can't figure out how to transfer over chapter markers.
Can anyone help? PLEASE!!!!!!!! I am going nutso over here!
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Stephan Walfridsson on Aug 26, 2008 at 9:17:52 am
Hi Kathy,
I cant give you a step by step instruction as it depends very much on exactly what you are trying to achieve and what source material you are using. But I can give you some insight on some of your problems.
As you have noted you won't be able to fit that length on a single DVD (unless you compress it to an extremely low quality). They way it's done on professional DVD's (such as a 2 hr movie with extra material) is to use dual layer dvd's and very careful encoding (eg. setting the compression on a shot by shot basis). You could burn a dual layer dvd if your system is equipped with such a burner, but I know from experience that the only way to make sure that DL-DVD:s are 100% compatible with all dvd-players is to have the made at a professional plant where they press each dvd rather than burn them.
The horizontal lines you are seeing are most likely field related due to the interlaced nature of video footage. Have you tried watching your dvd on a tv rather than on your computer? If they are apparent there it is because of some error in you field order settings.
As to including chapter markers I think that all you have to do is make sure that you have the correct settings enabled under the extras tab during your mpeg2 compression in compressor. It may depend on what version of compressor you are using, but I haven't had any problems with chapter markers specifically.
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Kathy OBrien on Aug 26, 2008 at 4:05:30 pm
Thanks Stephan for responding!
Can you tell me a little more about my field order settings? I was looking at my DVD on a tv and saw horizontal lines. I think I fixed it by checking deinterlacing in the settings in compressor and using a blur algorithm. I also used the frame controls and selected Best for deinterlace and Best for Rate COnversion. This seemed to work, but the filw size is too big (when I split it into two parts), and again, don't see where I can select chapter markers.
If I use a mpeg-2, which one do I choose? Elementary, Program, or Transport Stream?
I know I am completely lost here, so I appreciate your help! I just know how to edit, but need more training on the technical aspect of it all - will take a class sometime. :)
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Stephan Walfridsson on Aug 26, 2008 at 6:06:56 pm
Deinterlacing your material would get rid of the fields, but at the cost of lowering the resolution. So it's not really the best path...
What format is your footage/timeline? Is it DV? Am I correct in guessing that you are using iDVD to create your DVD? The steps would in that case be:
1. Split the movie in half (or at least make sure that both parts are under 2 hrs, preferably a bit under).
2. Export your moviehalfs using the Export->QuickTime Movie command in FCP. Export using 'Current Settings' and make sure that you select the 'Include chaptermarkers' option. Select self contained if you have the diskspace (3 hours of DV would result in approx 40GB) and don't recompress the frames.
3. Drag the exported file into iDVD and it should automatically create a folder with all your chapters. (If you don't want the extra folder, and only want to be able to use the chapter markers for navigating while watching the film, just deletet the folder.
4. Select Best compression and hopefully you will be able to fit it on one DVD (each half of the movie that is).
5. Burn the DVD...
So you shouldn't use compressor if you burn with iDVD.
If you are using DVD Studio Pro the process is slightly more complicated. And i would need some more info to help you. What is the source format of your material? Have you done anything special to your footage (timewarps, motion, scaling, fx etc.) or is it just a simple edit? How are you handling the audio?
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Kathy OBrien on Aug 26, 2008 at 8:36:32 pm
It is shot in DV-NTSC and on a different project I have AVCHD (my brother's camera-don't even know what that is)...so that project may be a bit more difficult.
I am using iDVD and I have some slow motion and lots of fade effects (audio and video). I have altered the levels of the audio somewhat but haven't done too much.
Just tried doing it through exporting to quicktime movie and still got lines. Maybe I have the wrong settings? What does "current settings" include? If I changed this setting in the past to try different ones, does it retain whatever the last one was?
This is sooooo frustrating - finally get finished editing, and then the hard part is getting the darn thing on a DVD!
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Stephan Walfridsson on Aug 26, 2008 at 10:16:47 pm
I totally understand your frustration. I've spent hours trying to figure out things that just refuse to work the way they're supposed to (usually late at night when all I want to do is go home).
Anyway, to look on the bright side, did you manage to get the chapters exported correctly?
As to the lines... Do you see them after you have burnt the dvd and watch it on a tv or before that (on the computer monitor)? iDVD should automatically detect the correct field order and handle the footage correctly.
'Current settings' export the timeline (or clip) with exactly the same settings as they are defined with. A basic NTSC-DV sequence would be exported exactly as that. No changes are made to the material.
To make sure that everything is okey you can check your sequence settings and make sure that field dominance is set to 'lower'. Also check your source clips in the bin/browser under the column heading 'field dominance' and double check that they also are 'lower'.
If you are unsure about what fields and field dominance/order is you can check out these links:
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Kathy OBrien on Aug 26, 2008 at 10:30:02 pm
OK, so I think the lines won't show up on the tv, only because I exported something else like that and it was fine, and the chapters were there too....now here's my problem - the file in total is 32 GB, so even if I split it, it will have to be on 8 DVDs - there has to be a better way! If I make the movie self-contained, does that make it smaller? That's the only thing I didn't do when I exported the whole thing a while back....
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Stephan Walfridsson on Aug 26, 2008 at 11:27:54 pm
Exporting as self contained literally means that all of the used frames (with effects rendered) are stored in a self contained quicktime movie. On the other hand if it isn't self contained it actually only links to the original files so a 1 hr film could be only a few kB large. But if you move that file to another system it would't be able to play as the source files aren't availiable anymore.
But that is not really relevant for your current problem. What you have to realize is that the quicktime you have exported is in ntsc-dv rather than mpeg-2 format used on DVD's. When you burn the disk in iDVD your footage will be converted to mpeg-2 automatically (which takes a loooong time). Mpeg-2 compression is very efficient and stores the same amount of footage using much less data. (It obviously throws a lot of information away but that is the way it works.) So on a 4.7GB disk iDVD is able to fit up to 2 hrs of footage.
So you need to split your project into less than 2 hrs chunks before exporting them from FCP. Then bring one of those chunks into iDVD and it should (after conversion) fit on one DVD (use the Highest quality setting in iDVD (Settings->Project).
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Stephan Walfridsson on Aug 26, 2008 at 11:33:31 pm
And if you want to make sure that it looks good, just export 30 seconds from your project (choose a part with a lot of motion) and create a test dvd with only that. Play it on a regular dvd-player and watch on a TV.set. If it looks good then you know you're okey.
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Miodrag Ristic on Aug 27, 2008 at 3:18:32 am
Kathy,
There ate few misconceptions regarding your project:
1. DL DVDs are (in theory only) less compatible with DVD players, but in practice it is perfectly fine.
Produced hundreds of projects on DL DVD, with more than thousand final users, and had only one case of incompatibility and even that one was solved by client trying their other DVD player at home.
Make sure they are DVD + DL, Verbatim is a very reliable brand (both printable and non printable discs).
2. So, no need for splitting the MPEG 2 file, actually no need to go to Compressor as you are
authoring it in iDVD. For this moment yes, as we need smallest number of variables to narrow the problem down.
Just use Export > Quick Time Movie (self contained if you've got enough space, include Chapter Markers,Do not recompress all frames.)
Import resulting file (yes, 40 GB is normal) in your iDVD. Make sure you selected DL in iDVD preferences, just hit Command I before importing your QT file.
3. Interlacing issue, is it throughout the whole project or just over some stills you created from your
footage, like Freeze Frame, or some resized footage with clashing colors?
There is no need to play with field dominance, you are whole DV in this project aren't you?
If you've got those stills that are causing interlacing problem, please provide more info
and we'll fix it.
Otherwise, this workflow HAS TO WORK, just try it.
Re: Exporting without horizontal lines and with chapters by Kathy OBrien on Aug 27, 2008 at 5:16:52 pm
Well, I have good news! I think it's working now! I did do a split, since I don't have those kinds of DVDs, but I may try that with my next project.
I exported the way you said and then was able to fit part 1 onto a DVD. Played it on DVD Player and it had no lines and also had chapters!!!! I was soooooooo happy! So, thanks for all of your help!YOU ROCK! I really asppreciate your help - you have no idea!
