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Trouble Exporting HDV 1080i50p in FCP

V

videolizzard99

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 20, 2010
2
0
Hey all. This is an issue I've had for awhile now, and I was hoping someone could help me out.

I'm exporting a project I shot with a Sony HVR-A1U, and I wanted to export as HDV 1080i50p (I'm uploading it to YouTube, and this setting is in my opinion the best for uploading HD content). However, when viewed in Quicktime, the final product skips... at random cuts and even in the middle of a clip, it will simply add a second of black slug. This is also the case for other HD cameras I've used... and the problem is only when I export in HD. HD capture is fine, and exporting into H.264 works okay, but I want to be able to take full advantage of my HD cameras.

I'm running Final Cut 6.0 and Quicktime 7.6.6. Also, I don't check "recompress all frames" when exporting, as that has yielded strange results in the past... I'm trying that now, but in case that doesn't work, help would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
How does exporting h264 not "take full advantage of my HD cameras"? You do know that the HDV codec is an extremely lossy codec yes? Your 'opinion' about it being the best codec to use for uploading video to youtube I am sorry to say holds no water. I don't know one person that uses HDV as a codec for web export and I do this for a living. In fact, I don't know one person that shoots HDV and uses that codec to finally edit in either.

Export h264 and set the data rate to "restrict" and set it to 5000 kbits/sec or even higher. I tend to do 5500. Doing that I can get a 720p video for upload to vimeo that is over 20 minutes long and it will be around 800Megs.
 
advres said:
Export h264 and set the data rate to "restrict" and set it to 5000 kbits/sec or even higher. I tend to do 5500. Doing that I can get a 720p video for upload to vimeo that is over 20 minutes long and it will be around 800Megs.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! I'll try it this way instead... I'm still a film student, so I clearly still have a lot to learn. They don't teach new students with HD equipment, so it's been a trial-and-error process for me.
 
videolizzard99 said:
Thanks for the advice! I'll try it this way instead... I'm still a film student, so I clearly still have a lot to learn. They don't teach new students with HD equipment, so it's been a trial-and-error process for me.
Click to expand...

Good luck! Unfortunately if this is your major and you continue with it, you'll always have a lot to learn because this stuff keeps changing! :p
 
Recommendations for 1080p editing & post?

advres said:
Good luck! Unfortunately if this is your major and you continue with it, you'll always have a lot to learn because this stuff keeps changing! :p
Click to expand...

Advres, too right!

I'm looking for some advice, perhaps you could fill me in?

I've worked as a media producer (doing mainly interactive media such as DVD:s, exhibitions, events, web stuff) since around the late Eighties. Over the past 5 years, I've become more of a concept developer and media strategy guy, which although interesting has left me with very little time to any serious creative projects of my own.

I'm now planning to get back into the production side of things, and what I would really like to do is produce some lavish documentaries in HD, full 1080p. I'm finding a lot of contradictory information as to what minimum hardware is required to be able to do the editing and post effects on my own. Do you have any recommendations? Would a top of the line, maxed out MBP with some really fast external (GB Ethernet?) drives be sufficient, or do I need a MP?

Also, I'm thinking of using my Sony HDR-HC1E to do some pilots, but when I upgrade, do you have any recommendations in the 1000 $ range?

I'd be most grateful for any scraps of wisdom you might be able to provide me with!
 
Heimdall said:
Advres, too right!

I'm looking for some advice, perhaps you could fill me in?

I've worked as a media producer (doing mainly interactive media such as DVD:s, exhibitions, events, web stuff) since around the late Eighties. Over the past 5 years, I've become more of a concept developer and media strategy guy, which although interesting has left me with very little time to any serious creative projects of my own.

I'm now planning to get back into the production side of things, and what I would really like to do is produce some lavish documentaries in HD, full 1080p. I'm finding a lot of contradictory information as to what minimum hardware is required to be able to do the editing and post effects on my own. Do you have any recommendations? Would a top of the line, maxed out MBP with some really fast external (GB Ethernet?) drives be sufficient, or do I need a MP?

Also, I'm thinking of using my Sony HDR-HC1E to do some pilots, but when I upgrade, do you have any recommendations in the 1000 $ range?

I'd be most grateful for any scraps of wisdom you might be able to provide me with!
Click to expand...

Would a MBP work? Absolutely. Would you be happier with a Pro? Probably.

I have a client that has me work at their office from time to time. When I do I have to bring my own laptop. it is 2.4GHz c2d MBP w/6GB of RAM. Not ideal but it gets the job done. I never use it at home as I have a full edit suite. But I have done plenty of full HD projects on that thing and it is over 2 years old now. When I work there they always have me working off FW800 drives too. All those things combined and I can work just fine. Not 100% ideal, but 100% ideal is my $15K+ edit suite.

Screen real-estate is important too. a 15" is kind of a PITA to edit on for long periods of time and LCDs on MBPs are not very color accurate. If you go with a MBP I would seriously suggest picking up an external monitor

If you are working in FCP you could use a mini for chrissakes. I have a mini as an intern/asst station in my suite and for giggles when setting it up I edited one of my 30 minute HD television programs on it. I was surprised how well it worked. Again, not ideal but it will work. FCP doesn't utilize multiple processors and cores perfectly (at all?) right now so you would see minimal performance boost there.

Compressor and AE would benefit from more cores/processors but RAM is really important as well. Even if you go MP I would stay away from the DPs I would go with the single proc 3.2 4-core or the 3.33 6-core for mostly editing and some light effects.

For you, as long as expansion cards like esata and capture cards aren't important and mobility isn't an issue I would suggest a 27" iMac honestly.

Personally I use a Qx2 RAID5 for video work via esata so that is ideal but using FW800 drives will work or if you want to go the ethernet route that would smoke too!

As far as cameras in that price range I am completely out of the loop on that one. Under $1000 and you're really at the consumer level and not even prosumer. Maybe someone else can make suggestions on cameras because I really have no clue in that range.

Anything else? I love talking shop so feel free to pick my brain and get second opinions as well.
 
Brain pickling...

advres said:
I love talking shop so feel free to pick my brain and get second opinions as well.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's great to talk shop, isn't it? :) It's so nice to feel it starting to come back to me...

Many thanks for your reply - I suspected as much, but it feels a lot better to have the opinion of someone who's really clued in and current. Thank you!

So basically, I need to upgrade my current MBP which is getting a little long in the tooth (2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM), get some decent external drives, backups, a better camera, and I'm all set to at least start some basic projects (I already have two Apple Cinema Displays @ 1920 x 1200). If things work out well, I can upgrade to a real rig with more efficient workflow (like yours) after a year or so.

That leaves me with four questions:

- Any camera suggestions? (I realize I was too optimistic about pricing, but would appreciate a tip on a good prosumer camera with as much bang for the buck as possible)

- Do you know if there are any good FCP courses in NYC? I was thinking about touching up on things in general, especially FCP-specific workflow as well as effects/post work.

- I've heard that FCP has problems with 1080p exports, what's your take on that?

- Would you consider 1080p footage/capture to FCP/convert to AIC/edit/output to 1080p to be a good workflow?
 
Heimdall said:
- Would you consider 1080p footage/capture to FCP/convert to AIC/edit/output to 1080p to be a good workflow?
Click to expand...

FCP uses ProRes. FCE uses AIC.

According to the ProRes white paper (pdf) and promotional video, Apple seems to be recommending that MBP systems be used for ProRes422 (Proxy) editing.

A Mac Pro computer is required for real-time capture of HD sources when encoding to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and Apple ProRes 4444.
 
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