What settings would you use for import?

[akcorcoran]

Last question for the day (I hope!) - I'm offering clients the options of:

- "Data video files" - which means a video that really is only computer quality - a .mov or .mp4, - this would be on a DVD but as data files that are playable if you click on them, but *not* viewable like a DVD. What settings would you recommend? I'd still like it to be visually a good quality, but don't want "ginormous" files. Should viewing size be 480 x 360 for a mid-size (320 x 240 seems small - not sure if you can do compressed quality at 640x480 without bad degradation of quality? Would I do anything less with fps or Mbps assuming I still use H.264? And, is there anytime I'd want to do a .mp4 vs a .mov?

- "Viewable video files" - So, this is the usual - DVD that plays (with or without a menu) when they put it in computer or DVD player. Think I know that I should use H.264 with 30 fps, at least 1.5 Mbps (but do I use automatic setting on "Export Quicktime Movie" - I'm choosing "Best Quality" for Encoding, Compressor Quality: Best ) - and then standard size of 640 x 480 for 4:3 aspect ratio, widescreen is ? (this one is confusing to me b/c there's like 10 settings in FCE or QT?) These are not HD. What about Key Frame Rate and what's Frame Reordering? And, then choose AAC format for audio (w/usual settings).

I'd like to have "set" formats so I don't rethink these (unless it's my own pet projects when, of course, I will!) - I think I''m close, but could use your help to solidfy them. Thank you *so* much!

Alexa

[Steve Grisetti]

Why two different file types, Alexa?

DVD and BluRay files offer the best full-screen resolution playback at an excellent file size, readable on both computers and DVDs.

I wouldn't bother with MP4s and MOVs unless I was streaming over the internet -- and then I would stick to the default 320x240 frame size to allow for the most efficient stream.

[akcorcoran]

Good question. I guess we started that direction b/c many of these camcorder tapes are hours of footage of, well, just hours of life. Most of our clients (women, moms) say they'd like to see it first and then decide if any are worth producing TV-quality or making into something else (like a montage or photo/movie). Plus, i was thinking it would be the web-quality version for sharing (YouTube, etc.) AND I could save file size in not having DVD-quality of - again - just hours of footage of baby tommy falling, eating, spitting up, etc. :0)

But, you raise a good point. I thought about streaming but they want to "own" these for good.

Alexa

[Chuck Engels]

We offer the original files (data) on DVD as well as the completed DVD Movie.
The original files on DVD will sometimes take 6 or more DVDs due to the size, original means original
If it is Hi Definition then they get the HDV files spread over as many DVDs as it takes, if it is SD the same thing applies.

If you are going to offer the data files then offer the original files at the original size, not converted files.

Video DVDs should be created at the hightest bitrate possible and the slowest burn speed.
720 x 480 NTSC at either 4:3 or 16:9 ratio, do not use H.264 for Video DVD, standard MPEG would be correct.
When authoring a DVD the bitrate or quality setting ,and the burn speed, should be all that is necessary to change if anything.
In most cases you should probably just leave the default settings when authoring a DVD.

[akcorcoran]

Hmmm - ok, something to think about. Most of our customers so far do not want the original files. They are literally dumping 20 camcorder tapes in our hands, say, "just gimme a sense of what's on them, THEN I'll decide what I want originals of and what I don't (or what I want to watch on a DVD)." In most cases, they don't even know what's taped! So, to give them original files plus a viewable DVD is overkill for what they're asking for (and priced accordingly, so it's less for compressed, small files and more for a viewable-dvd - and I guess with original). But, you raise good points - I know the clients I have right now, two of them do not want all of it - but it's a matter of what we charge and the service we provide for what price, I guess. What are you charging for that, out of curiousity?

One follow up on the settings - when you say standard MPEG, that's not the "Standard" on an iMac for either iMovie or FCE - both default to H.264 - so I should go in and choose, MPEG then instead of H.264? Then, leave the defaults except for size (just changing aspect ration)?

Thanks again -

[Steve Grisetti]

As far as I know, the H.264 is being used only to create MP4s for the web and AVC video and BluRay.

I don't know that it's being used to create standard DVDs.

[Chuck Engels]

Alexa, Are you burning/authoring a standard Video DVD Movie or just a DVD with a video file on it to play on a computer?
H.264 is not a standard for DVDs, not even in Final Cut.

[akcorcoran]

Both is the short answer. I've been using the default, I thought?

Back in FCE, I read in help to use Export to QT Movie - that uses default settings to produce a .mov file - and I thought of the best quality (a 7 min piece I just did was 1.98 GB). If I use Export to QT Conversion, I read somewhere that there was always some compression in that but if I choose QuickTime Movie as format, it then gives me default of H.264. I've got the following choices then - I'm assuming you're saying to use a different one than the default?

Picture 1.png

Do I want MPEG-4 (choices then below) or something else?

Picture 2.png

Sorry to be dense - I produced a movie with Photo To Movie, exported direct to iDVD which produced a flawless full-screen DVD - and it was just a QT Movie, so that's what I was going with...?

Thanks -
Alexa

[akcorcoran]

Now this is going to keep me worrying into the wee hours - Have I been doing this wrong all along? Or, is it that the settings were all set to H.264? Sorry to be a pain and hope you won't abandon me - I thought I had come round the bend?

[Paul LS]

The video files on a Video_DVD are VOBs, so MPEG2. If you use H.264 files to create a video they will be transcoded to MPEG2 when you burn the DVD. This transcoding creates quality loss. Some programs will allow you to burn an MPEG2 to a Video_DVD with Smart Rendering, so no re-rendering of the MPEG. This would save one generation of quality loss.

If you are creating a data DVD with video files you just need to be sure that the end user will have the correct codecs on his/her machine to play the video data files. That is why it is perhaps best to use WMV (high compression, low file size)... which will play on any windows machine. If you start using H.264 you can guarentee the end user will have the codec on their machine.

[akcorcoran]

OK - so just to follow up - in the settings above or within Final Cut Express, what's the option to do MPEG-2? (And, should I ever be using Compression, "none")? I appreciate the help as apparently all the reading I've been doing about H.264 has confused me.

And, wow, that's the first time I've been told to head to a WMV file. Probably "Mac talk" but I had heard that a QT Mov was universal (while WMVs have problems on Mac w/out helper apps, etc.) My customers are not very computer savvy - they won't know what codecs they have or don't have. I wanted to try to just provide the most universal option with a decent file size so I can get multiple to a DVD if possible (most clips ave about 10 min) and best quality at a small visual size.

Thx -

[Paul LS]

Note I said...

which will play on any Windows machine

the emphasis being on Windows machine. And I guess 90%+ of your clients will have Windows machines. So a WMV file will play on any Windows machine, MPEG2 and Quicktime will not unless the codecs/decoders have been installed.

And sorry I cant really help with your MPEG2 question on Final Cut Express. The screen shots in your post are for exporting a video file... for use on your data video DVD. For the Video_DVD I would assume you would go to the burn window in the editor and burn the source video files to DVD. So no need to change format or export as you should burn your source files edited in the timeline... this will give the highest quality on the DVD.

[akcorcoran]

OK - thanks.

Huh - I just switched to a Mac from Windows after 15 yrs - opened .mov files all the time with no problem. i guess that's just with QT player which is free and most have? I understand that PCs are still the overwhelming majority but just rarely see someone exchanging a .wmv file as the primary video format. May just have been me overlooking it I guess. Good advice - thx.

[Paul LS]

i guess that's just with QT player which is free and most have?

That is if they have downloaded it. At least with WMV you know the support comes pre-loaded with the OS.

[akcorcoran]

OK, thanks.

I have confirmed, btw, in mac forum that in FCE, you do export your sequence to a QuickTime for DVD-Quality (using default settings of program but you can specify if you have Chapter Markers, few other things), save, then drag into iDVD or DVD STudio Pro convert to MPEG-2 and burn to DVD. Can be reference or self-contained/ You can use "Export with QT Conversion" to specify diff codec, all other types of settings - I knew I wasn't losing my mind ...


(Apparently, that's not the case in FC Pro - there it says you should export the movie as a DV file, (choose NTSC or PAL format from the Settings pop-up menu) and save. Same deal then for going to DVD.)