Quality loss when exporting.
This is something I just can't figure out.
I have a series of .mov clips. They were created with an animation app, and when exporting them I used the Animation codec. 1920x1080. Maximum quality.
In FCE, they still look good. However, when I export them, no matter which codec I choose, the quality takes a hit: the output looks fuzzier, gradients will show vague banding. I've used every possible codec in FCE to test this: Animation, Apple Intermediate Codec, H.264, Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2, et cetera. The quality will always be subpar. I've also tried exporting from the animation app with every possible codec (Animation, AIC, H.264, PNG): unacceptable quality.
The strangest thing is that when, in FCE, I choose File>Export>QuickTime Movie..., the results look better (though far from perfect) than when I choose File>Export>Using QuickTime Conversion...>Apple Intermediate Codec even though both procedures use the exact same codec (the Apple Intermediate Codec).
What am I doing wrong?
Setup I use in FCE is: AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080i50.
I hope someone will be able to help, as it's very frustrating when all your energy is spent on this while you should be working on the actual animation.
iMac (20-inch Early 2009), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)