Panasonic HDC-HS20 - Settings for YouTube

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Panasonic HDC-HS20 - Settings for YouTube

Hi! I have Final Cut Express, version 401B2. My computer is an iMac 3.06 GHz Intel Core Duo. Today I bought a Panasonic HDC-HS20 video camera. But I'm confused. What settings should I have in "easy setup" and when I export the video? The goal is to of course have the best quality possible. All videos I make are for YouTube.

So my questions are:

1. What settings should I have in "easy set up"? What format, rate and use?
2. What settings should I use when I export the video? What codec etc?

🙂

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.3), 3.06 GHz Intel Core Duo

Posted on May 29, 2010 12:50 PM

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Answer 1

skalicki

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May 29, 2010 2:02 PM in response to BookhouseBoy

Hi and welcome to the forum!

1. Match your Easy Setup settings to the specifications of the footage you shot, and create a new sequence. Without knowing the frame size, frame rate, etc. about your footage we can't suggest any particulars.

2. Export via Quicktime Conversion and refer to Youtube's compression guidelines:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?answer=165543

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Answer 2

BookhouseBoy Author

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May 29, 2010 2:56 PM in response to skalicki

I don't know my frame size and rate either lol

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Answer 3

skalicki

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May 29, 2010 4:40 PM in response to BookhouseBoy

Assuming you have the PAL version, the camera seems to shoot at a frame size of 1440x1080 or 1920x1080 and a frame rate of 50i (50 interlaced fields, or 25 frames per second). You should set your Easy Setup to the +AVCHD Apple Intermediate Codec 1440x1080i50+ one if you set your camera to record at 1440x1080 or the +AVCHD Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080i50+ one if you set your camcorder to record at a frame size of 1920x1080.

Sasha

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Answer 4

BookhouseBoy Author

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May 30, 2010 1:54 AM in response to skalicki

Yes I have PAL. First I need to choose the format.I can choose PAL, NTSC, HD, Apple Intermediate Codec and Panasonic DV/DVC PRO. I can also choose "all rates". But I'm guessing I should choose HD as the format.

If I choose 25 fps I can choose : AVCHD APPLE INTERMEDIATE CODEC 1920x1080i50.
If I choose 29,97 I can chose: AVCHD APPLE INTERMEDIATE CODEC 1920x1080i60

There are some more options under USE but it's either one of these two. the camera has the AVCHD technology and I think it is AVCHD APPLE INTERMEDIATE CODEC 1920x1080i50, not i60. I can also choose "all rates" which lets me choose any of the options.

I have in the camera chosen something called HA1920 which is the maxium picture quailty. So I'll try AVCHD APPLE INTERMEDIATE CODEC 1920x1080i50 as you said 🙂

Format: HD
RATE:25 fps
USE: AVCHD APPLE INTERMEDIATE CODEC 1920x1080i50

I'll try this and get back to you 🙂
Thanks for the help! I really do appreciate it very much!

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Answer 5

BookhouseBoy Author

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May 30, 2010 3:15 AM in response to skalicki

I tried those settings but it then says "For best performance your sequence and External Video should be set to the format of the clips your are editing. Change sequence settings to match the clip settings?

Something ain't right.
Then there's the export part. I've looked around and few people agree with YouTube's recommendations on the settings etc.

But first step is to get the easy set up right. I'm so bad at all this. 😟

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Answer 6

BookhouseBoy Author

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May 30, 2010 3:29 AM in response to skalicki

Well I did manage to get one video looking alright. Even though I got the "For best performance your sequence and External Video should be set to the format of the clips your are editing. Change sequence settings to match the clip settings?" warning.

I clicked on CHANGE. Then I went with YouTube's recommendations on exporting the video. When looking at the video on my computer it doesn't looking very good. When the camera pans things look fuzzy etc. But on YouTube the video looks alright I guess.

Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7EYQ_6zdiA

Click on 1080p.

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Answer 7

skalicki

Level 5

4,448 points

May 30, 2010 7:32 AM in response to BookhouseBoy

The Easy Setup you chose was correct. However, changing the Easy Setup does not change the sequence already in your browser. To do that you need to create a new sequence or tell the current one to conform to the clip's settings, as you did.

Before exporting, make sure everything is rendered out (Option-R). Then select these settings in Quicktime Conversion if you didn't already:

Format: Quicktime Movie
Compression Type: H.264
Frame Rate: Current
Data Rate: 5000
Key Frames: Every 25 frames
Size: 1920x1080 (I sometimes downscale to 1280x720)
Deinterlace: Yes

Optimized for: Download
Prepare for Internet Streaming: Fast Start

Audio: AAC Compression

To be honest, your Youtube video didn't look that bad. I didn't notice the "fuzziness" that you saw and the only thing that I noticed was that it wasn't very smooth. This could have been because of the deinterlacing or a jerky tripod/filming situation.

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Answer 8

BookhouseBoy Author

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May 30, 2010 7:48 AM in response to skalicki

Thanks, I will try that now. Should "frame reordering" me checked or unchecked?
As for frame rate, I heard that 6000 is the max that YouTube can handle... or something.

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Answer 9

skalicki

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May 30, 2010 8:02 AM in response to BookhouseBoy

Leave it unchecked. The actual number for the data rate doesn't matter so much, as long as you put something high.

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Answer 10

BookhouseBoy Author

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May 30, 2010 12:12 PM in response to skalicki

Thank you so much! The video looks great now I think.
Here is my latest one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4DErpW7I_Y

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Answer 11

skalicki

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May 30, 2010 12:20 PM in response to BookhouseBoy

Looks good. Come back if you experience more problems!

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Answer 12

BookhouseBoy Author

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May 30, 2010 1:03 PM in response to skalicki

Thanks again.

When I click on 1080p on my videos on YouTube and then icon right next to it, the one with two arrows the picture gets bigger of course. But there's a thin black line on the right side of the picture. Do you know why that is?

Check this video for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7LNrQrisdQ

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