FCP7 render problems

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Level 1

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FCP7 render problems

Hello,

soon I will have a nervous break down with my Final Cut Pro 7, because I'm hitting a render problems on every project.

My sequence is at: 1080p, pixels: square, compression: H.264

1. When I create a text/picture in motions and then import this project to FCP, quality is all messed up. I've already tried all render qualities in settings in fcp and motion (right now they are set to 100%). Currently the best solution is to export video file from motion and than import that to the timeline (but it a long way and in case of some corrections even longer)..Any ideas left what could be wrong??

2. As mentioned before I'm getting a JPEG/PNG quality loss in timeline, no matter what I do. I've tried importing picture directly to timeline, then via motion project and even exported video from motion. In preview picture is super sharp but in timeline it's all pixeleted. I've tried changing compression in timeline to ProRes 422 but no luck at all.

There also two other problem, for which I've already discovered it's a bug in fcp if I'm right??

1. When applying Matte widescreen I also get quality loss.

2. When I have graded image in Magic Bullet it looks just as I want, but it looks pretty bad (lost of contrast) in timeline, even when I export.

Does anybody have any ideas what is going on with all that render quality loss, in first to problem that I've described.

Thanks for your help.

regards

Final Cut Pro 7, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Apr 5, 2013 3:12 AM

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Answer 1

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Apr 5, 2013 6:50 AM in response to japka129

STOP USING H.264 MATERIAL IN FCP!

Convert the material to ProRes (ProResLT is fine for everything that comes out of consumer/prosumer cameras).

How are you viewing the material? If anything other than an external monitor, FCP is just showing you a proxy image.

If you are reducing the size of an image (number of pixels) the image will change.

x

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Answer 2

japka129 Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 5, 2013 7:12 AM in response to Studio X

thanks for the advice on ProRes conversion.

I'm viewing everything on built in display (iMac 27")

If I import the image, it's already resized to match my requirements in projects, but still major quality loss in occurring, when viewed in final cut (and when exported as well), same is with text when imported.

But the weird thing is that I don't have any record of happening this to me before, just in couple of last projects.

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Answer 3

darbypsnm

Level 3

730 points

Apr 5, 2013 7:26 AM in response to japka129

If you convert your H264 to a flavor of ProRes and edit in sequence that matches the clip settings you should not have any quality loss in FC(presuming playback settings are correct) or when you export.

Try a test

Start a new project

new sequence

Add 1 min of the ProRes file to new sequence(unless you have changed a preference you should be asked if you want to change the sequence settings to match the clip setting) Choose yes.)

The sequence should now match the clip.

Export a self-contained QT(not Quicktime conversion)

In the lower left of the export window uncheck recompress all frames

The file exported should now be completely lossless and match your source PR file exactly.

How does it play in QT?

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