Exporting QuickTime for Web in FCP/Compressor

[swwack91]

I'm trying to make the following kind of file for use on YouTube and Vimeo:

QuickTime .mov
853x480 (16:9 square pixels)
4800 video bitrate
192 audio bitrate
DE-INTERLACED

When I try to export from FCP or Compressor why does it take literally 18 hours to do so!? The video is only 5 minutes long!

Is there a certain setting I should look for? Is there one thing that's making this go so slowly?

[swwack91]

I think the better question might be... why does de-interlacing in Compressor take so damned long?

Are there a series of settings to expedite de-interlaced exports?

[arjen92]

Ofcourse these answers don't explain why it takes 18 hours, but it does explain why it's taking so long.

You have a macbook pro that's probably around for a few years, you're probably editing full hd, and you're probably exporting it to another codec. (from AIC or HDV to h.264). Your macbook pro didn't had to handle HD at that time (if I'm right about the age), it's also a laptop, not a working station, hence it is slower. Full HD makes it even more intense. The hard drives speed is also a limiting factor.

Because you're (probably) converting it into another codec makes it harder. Instead of for example translate american slang to civilized american, is simpeler than to translate mandarine to american.

[swwack91]

It's not HD at all. It's regular DV NTSC SD.

[huntercr]

It's not HD at all. It's regular DV NTSC SD.

That is insanely slow. For a typical 5 min clip to convert to H.264, only takes me 2 hours on my dual 1.8GHz G5

There must be something wrong with your setup.
Try exporting and compressing with quicktime instead of compressor to see what a difference that makes.

[swwack91]

As a side note, what Compressor setting is the same thing as simply doing "Export > QuickTime Movie..." in Final Cut? (Or simply just hitting :apple:E)?

[xStep]

I'm running OS X 10.5.6 and FCP 5.1.4 on the first generation Macbook Pro running an Intel Core Duo processor 2.16Ghz, with integratred graphics. Just used Export-->'Using QuickTime Conversion...' to export a nearly 2.5 minute HDV video using your mentioned settings and dual pass. Time to completion was only 28 minutes.

Things you haven't mentioned are; version of OS X, version of FCP and Compressor. If you are using the latest versions, also search Apples FCP & Compressor forums. For some reason this sounds familiar.

arjen92's answer was a wasted post for the most part.

[swwack91]

I tried just exporting via QT Conversion and it didn't take too long at all. I wonder why the same exact settings using Compressor takes so damn long.

FYI I'm running 10.6 and FCS3.

[huntercr]

As a side note, what Compressor setting is the same thing as simply doing "Export > QuickTime Movie..." in Final Cut? (Or simply just hitting :apple:E)?

That is no compression. That's just taking the current rendered files in the sequence, and putting them in the Quicktime container.

[treehorn]

If you're using the newest version of FCP/Compressor, I've been noticing abnormally long compressing times as well. Files that would take 45 minutes to compress now take 12 hours. But only if I export it through FCP. If I export it as a full-sized Quicktime file first and then compress that with Compressor, the processing time shrinks back to normal.

There seems to be a flaw with FCP and Compressor with this update in regards to exporting/compressing directly from FCP.

[xStep]

Thought this might be somewhat helpful in this thread.

The LAFCPUG has this tutorial; Speeding up Compressor (http://www.lafcpug.org/Tutorials/basic_compressor_speed.html).