When I compress any Quicktime file to mpeg2 using compressor 4.0.7 and/or 3.5 I get intermittent digitially distorted (square pixels) frames. Usually 1-2 frames per location.
I've done multiple Quicktime exports from FCP (all 1920x1080 30P) with the same results.
Compressor, Mac OS X (10.7.5)
Trailpro wrote:
Usually 1-2 frames per location.
Sorry; I don't know what that means.
What MPEG-2 settings are you using?
What codec are the source files?
Russ
Intermittently, 1-2 frames of the video will become pixelized with what appear to be square pixels distorting the image (not sure how to describe it more accurately)
The video was shot with a Sony EX-1 (1080i) , edited in FCP 7 and exported as: Apple Pro Res HQ 1920 x 1080 30P. The reason for exporting the 30p is that when I exported 60i, the finished DVD's looked terrible. The progressive scan apprears to resolve that problem.
The mpeg2 settings are: comp 4.0.7, mpeg-2 for DVD, frame rate 29.97, 16x9, field dominance- progressive.
Quality: 2 pass VBR Best, ABR 6.6, Max BR 7.7
FYI, I had the same problem originally with the 1080i export using compressor 4. It was a while ago and I believe I resolved the problem by using compressor 3.5. However that isn't working this time.
Trailpro
Trailpro wrote:
FYI, I had the same problem originally with the 1080i export using compressor 4. It was a while ago and I believe I resolved the problem by using compressor 3.5. However that isn't working this time.
AFAIK, 3.5 amd 4.x encode for DVD MPEG the same.
Sounds like you used QuickTime Conversion to go out from FCP7? Generally, the preferred route is to do as little as possible to the sequence in exporting from FCP; which would mean, Export QT Current Settings.
Another general comment: Interlaced material never looks great on a computer display, and if there is much motion, including pans and zooms, it can really look awful. But that doesn't mean you should de-interlace in FCP. A DVD player and/or the TV should be able to handle interlaced perfectly well. In that case, you would not do any software de-interlacing. Other times, one might decide it was still desirable to de-interlace; and in that case, Compressor will d a better job than FCP.
It's also possible that what you're seeing is just artifacts that were introduced in down-scaling (amd changing pixel shape) from 1080 to 480 anamorphic. Setting he Resize Filter in Frame Controls to Best may cure that problem. In the preview window, mark a short section (that you know contains problem frames) with in and out point as a test and see whether that clears up the problem.
Good luck.
Russ
Russ,
Thanks for your response, I'm totally stumped at this point. I've been working on this for about a week with no satisfaction.
I did export from FCP using Quicktime, not conversion. Originally I exported using current settings (1080i) then converted that QT to mpeg2 in compressor.
My client compained that the DVD looked bad, which it did. There are virtually no pans or zooms. It's an excercise video which is primarily yoga based so there is not a great deal of movement. Whenever she would move her head slightly, her face would contain artifacts as well as other parts of her body.
So then I exported from FCP with Apple Pro Res 30p. I also did various other exports all using 30 p. The DVD image looked much better, however it contained those misc pixellated frames.
Q1: do I de-interlace in compressor using the frame contols?
Q2: Do you think that adding compression markers in FCP might help?
mpeg2 encoding problems, compressor 4
