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MacPro: CRAZY LONG Render Times in FCP

Software: FCP STUDIO 3 (Newest version)
My setup: MAC Pro 2.66 Quad core computer running Snow Leopard OSX

I'm a new Mac user and have previously edited with Windows based computers using Sony Vegas. With Sony Vegas and my previous dual core computer I could render 60 minutes of HD footage using the high quality settings. The render time for about 60 minutes of HD footage took about 2-4 hrs.

Now back in FCP I'm trying to render out 55 minutes in FCP via +Apples Compressor+ using the default HIGH QUALITY DVD settings. When I click the render button I get an estimated wait time of *11-14 HOURS*

+THIS IS WAY TO LONG...+ If I am doing something terribly wrong in this process please let me know. I really wanted to love working in FCP but now I'm looking at going back to windows based editors...

Message was edited by: mpick67

Late 2009 MAC PRO 2.66 Quad Core, Mac OS X (10.6.2), Everything Apple

Posted on Mar 19, 2010 7:40 PM

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5 replies

Mar 19, 2010 7:50 PM in response to mpick67

Well, if you're going back to Windows, I don't know that I can do anything for you...

It would help to know the size and codec of your footage, as well as whether or not you've got any heavy render filters on it such as Magic Bullet.

Also, please describe your workflow for export. There are a couple of ways to go about it so knowing which route you are taking is helpful.

Finally, you should know that the estimate in Compressor is not that intelligent. Not saying that it isn't taking 14 hours, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it will either.

Andy

Mar 20, 2010 6:31 AM in response to Andy Neil

The way Compressor works, or any other renderer for that matter, is it looks at the current frame, and then looks at how many frames total. If all frames take as long as the current frame, it has an estimate. That means, if you have graphics or heavy filters in the beginning, you will have a long estimate. But if the graphics or effects cease after the opening, once you get to the easier part, the estimated time remaining will drop drastically.

Are you using Motion files in your timeline? If so, bake them in. That means, once they are finished with the editing, go back and export all your Motion graphics from Motion as QT movies using the same codec as the sequence, and replace any MOtion files in the timeline with these movies. Then they won't need a render in FCP.

Every filter, every parameter change (scale, rotation, distortion, crop, etc.) makes renders take longer. If you're working in a non-i-frame codec, that will take longer too.

Mar 20, 2010 7:48 AM in response to RedTruck

With Sony Vegas and my previous dual core computer I could render 60 minutes of HD footage
using the high quality settings. The render time for about 60 minutes of HD footage took about 2
4 hrs.


"HD" is meaningless around here. You must be quite specific about which of the dozens of HD images you're trying to use.
You may have been using a version of HD that Vegas really likes natively and you just haven't figured out how to set up FCP properly to like it, too. If you're shooting HDV, there are entire chapters of material written about that.

Now back in FCP I'm trying to render out 55 minutes in FCP via Apples Compressor using the
default HIGH QUALITY DVD settings. When I click the render button I get an estimated wait time of
11-14 HOURS< </div>

You don't render to Compressor and you don't use Compressor to render. Compressor is an encoder/transcoder. FCP is a video editor where your footage will be rendered to the sequence codec. You will then export out of FCP to Compressor where you will do the encode to MPEG2.

However, depending on your source codec, it might be much wiser to convert to a more friendly codec before you do to Compressor. Seems counterintuitive but the same amount of work must be peformed. Breaking it up into two separate steps can same you tons of time because, as Red and Andy have noted, if you go out of FCP directly Compressor, Compressor may want to create its own render files, effectively duplicating work that's already been done. which is why I usually use self-contained movies from FCP going to Compressor.

And welcome to the family. You will love FCP. You will hate FCP. It's nothing like Vegas, whatever that is.

bogiesan

Mar 20, 2010 10:29 AM in response to mpick67

Which HD are you referring to? Or better which camcorder, and what are you sequence settings? What codec did you export to for use with Compressor?

What codec are you encoding using Compressor? Is it HDV and are you are trying to go to h.264 or something else. Remember, Compressor encodes; it doesn't render.

Help us out with specifics.

That's how this board operates the best.

Mar 21, 2010 9:11 PM in response to David S.

I'm using a Canon HV40 Camcorder recording in 29.97 fps interlaced format NTSC transfer to my MAC Pro by FireWire 800 and captured with FCP. Let me know if you need any more info.

I think I might have figured out what I was doing wrong. I was transferring my footage directly to Compressor without rendering anything, because I (wrongfully) thought that compressor was a "render" and not a transcoder. I have now been made aware of my misunderstanding by the helpful members of this board. I'm going to try rendering and transcoding the same footage tomorrow and let you all know how it goes.

I hope this works! LOL

MacPro: CRAZY LONG Render Times in FCP

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