Ok iv just started this editing thing since I got my mavic pro. The footage is butter smooth in 4k and looks amazing. After I put a short video together with Final Cut and export it to my desktop, the video is grainy and jittery. I don't know whats going on here. Need a little help. Im importing in the 4k formate when Final Cut asks. Im using a new 2017 MBP 13" so it shouldn't be a power problem. The video is only 2min long.
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Final Cut Export
- Thread starter TillysWily
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Which option are choosing for export? I'm guessing you are choosing an export format that is yielding an unimpressive file.
Open the output in Quicktime, "Window" menu "Show Movie Inspector" and share what you see in those details... particularly format, fps and current size.
Since it's such a short clip, try this in FCPX: export it as a file (Share... Export File). That is likely to render a very large file. Open and play that file in Quicktime and compare the quality to the one you've already rendered. It should look much better. If it does not, I will shift suspicions to the import process needing some adjustments.
If that does look good, use Handbrake to compress it- I suggest using the "Regular High Profile" preset. Then take a look vs. your original render. This should look just as good but the file size should be much smaller.
Open the output in Quicktime, "Window" menu "Show Movie Inspector" and share what you see in those details... particularly format, fps and current size.
Since it's such a short clip, try this in FCPX: export it as a file (Share... Export File). That is likely to render a very large file. Open and play that file in Quicktime and compare the quality to the one you've already rendered. It should look much better. If it does not, I will shift suspicions to the import process needing some adjustments.
If that does look good, use Handbrake to compress it- I suggest using the "Regular High Profile" preset. Then take a look vs. your original render. This should look just as good but the file size should be much smaller.
My video team has the Mavic, Phantom 4 Pro and Inspire 2. I've never seen a quality problem exporting 4k video from FCPX, if done properly.
As a first approximation, you can normally export 4k H264 and it will look very good. It's not usually necessary to export ProRes or 2-pass H264 (what FCPX calls "high quality"). For 4k, FCPX exports about 30 megabit/sec which is about double what Youtube recommends as a minimum.
Try these export settings:
File>Share>Master File>Settings
Format: Computer
Video codec: H.264 Faster Encode
Resolution: 3840x2160
Make sure you don't have proxy enabled, otherwise it will only export in proxy resolution. Proxy is set in the viewer, upper right corner, View>Proxy or View>Optimized/original. It should be set to optimized/original before exporting.
The file size FCPX exports for H264 is not that big and normally adequate for uploading to Youtube or Vimeo. If you want more granular control over bit rate and other encoding parameters, you can get Compressor for $50, which is integrated with FCPX: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/compressor/id424390742?mt=12
It could be the frame rate you are editing in. I've noticed if you try to conform 60 fps or 30 fps to 24fps, it will be jittery, especially on pans, but smooth when you modify to "automatic" speed. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me, and give me some tips on making it smooth.