Apple Motion JPEG Conversion

What is the difference between Apple Motion JPEG-A and JPEG-B?
I am converting MPEG-2 footage from a Sony HDR-SR1. These 2 conversions to a *.mov give much nicer reults than Apple Animation or converting to DV25 (via MPEGStreamClip).
If my old eyes don't deceive me, the resulting video in JPEG-B "seems" to have better color definition than JPEG-A (just a wee bit). My only final product will either be DVD or computer playback (QT), never out to film.
Thanks for any response.
PS: I promise I'll get a "real" camera soon.....

Regards, Cyrus
iMac 27" Intel i7 Quad-Core; 16GB RAM; 2TB HD
Final Cut Studio, FCP X, Photoshop CS5, After Effects, etc.

Both MJPEG-A and MJPEG-B are old Avid video standards used when there wasn't anything else available. They were unstable and a constant headache. To be avoided and replaced by almost anything else.

<<<MPEG-2 footage from a Sony HDR-SR1>>>

In other words, HDV? HDV is a brittle format and falls apart easily under editing--assuming you can open it at all with Final Cut 5 or above.

I'm going to get myself in trouble here, but I believe DV50 is the preferred method rather than DV25. DV25 is still pretty highly compressed. Apple Animation or PhotoJPEG Uncompressed should have come out really large files and look the same--or very nearly so. They both have almost no visual damage.

Koz

Thanks. I'm working with MPEG-2 Standard Def, HQ footage; the alleged "HD" the camera takes cannot be used yet; am still waiting for some clever person to come up wit a codec that will handle that video (MPEGStreamClip? Hopefully).

My project are all relative small, no more than maybe 10-15 minutes, if that. So, the converted size is not important, although I know I'll still have to render in FCP. That's OK. I deal with HD later on in life (if I live that long..!!).

QT indicates the MPG footage is: MPEG2 Muxed, 720 x 404
FPS: 29.97
Size: 720 x 404 pixels (I assume "square"?)

The only MPEGStreamClip conversion I've found that seems to give best results is the Apple Motion JPEG-B

I'll try the Apple-Photo JPEG and see what results I get. All I want to do is get these pesk MPG files converted to something I can work with in FCP and retain as best quality as I can.

Thanks.

Regards, Cyrus
iMac 27" Intel i7 Quad-Core; 16GB RAM; 2TB HD
Final Cut Studio, FCP X, Photoshop CS5, After Effects, etc.

Just tried the Apple-Photo JPEG conversion in MPEGStreamClip. The results look terrific. And, yes, it certainly does increase the size of the file: 66Mb up to 465Mb, but I can live with that as I only use the converted file while I'm editing. I have the original saved on DVD.

I've been using project setting of DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic in FCP. Is there some other setup that would work better for this type of converted footage?

I'll try an editing session using the Apple-Photo JPEG and see what results I get when I export to either QT or for DVD Studio Pro. Again, thanks for the info.

Regards, Cyrus
iMac 27" Intel i7 Quad-Core; 16GB RAM; 2TB HD
Final Cut Studio, FCP X, Photoshop CS5, After Effects, etc.

<<<Just tried the Apple-Photo JPEG conversion in MPEGStreamClip. The results look terrific. >>>

That's one of the two formats that is considered near perfect if you use a high quality setting. You can certainly make it look like trash if you want.

The DV timeline may cause you problems. That's actually a step down from your new video clips. See how it works with an 8-bit uncompressed timeline.

There is a way to force the timeline to match the incoming video--to create a PhotoJPEG timeline, bit I don't remember how to do it--and I'm not in front of a machine.

Koz

<<MPEGStreamClip.>>>

Maybe I'm missing something here, but don't you have QuickTime with the MPEG2 Extensions? QuickTime Pro is half-way there, you should have gotten that with Final Cut, then $20 later, you can get the ability to play MPEG2s and export them as something else.

[www.apple.com]

Koz

Hummm??!! Good question! The MPEG2 Muxed video plays in QT, but there is no audio (I understand it is the TS in the video rather than a separate audio track); however, none of the QT conversions seems to recognize any audio (it is grayed out on all conversions).

Does this mean I didn't purchase/download/install the MPEG2 program? I know I did for my PC at the office, but I can't remember is I ever did for the iMac. The MPEG2 vidoe plays on my iMac(video only), so I assumed I had the MPEG2 part. Is there any way I can check QT settings to determine if it is installed? Or, does the fact that the MPEG2 video plays in QT (without audio) indicate I do have it installed?

Regards, Cyrus
iMac 27" Intel i7 Quad-Core; 16GB RAM; 2TB HD
Final Cut Studio, FCP X, Photoshop CS5, After Effects, etc.

Hi Koz: Don't worry about "missing something here"... ;-) At my age, I miss a lot of things.....

Went to Apple site and purchased the MPEG2 extension (I think I just bought it again as I have an email receipt for it for QT6....??!!). Anyway, done deed. Downloaded and installed. No difference. QT does not seem to know what to do with the audio buried inside the muxed video.

MPEGStreamClip has no problem with the audio. I can de-mux with audio as a separate file and when I place in FCP the video seems to know how to attach the audio, also.

This is not a really big problem for me. I know the "problem" starts with that darned Sony camera.... I'm just trying to figure out if I can get "cleaner" output than I have been. There are so many choices and combinations of choices, I tend to get lost trying to figure out which to use. I'm doing the "burn and learn" process aka "trial and lots and lots of error"..... ;-)

Regards, Cyrus
iMac 27" Intel i7 Quad-Core; 16GB RAM; 2TB HD
Final Cut Studio, FCP X, Photoshop CS5, After Effects, etc.

The trip from QT6 to QT7 obsoleted your purchased extensions. Open your wallet.

Yes, to demultiplex a Transport Stream MPEG2, you do need Streamclip. I'm not sure I understand why you can't do it in QuickTime. It's not like it's a mystery or modern format or anything.

Koz

Koz: "Open My Wallet"??? Something else I need to buy? I've got QT 7 pro and re-purchased the MPEG2 extension and installed it.

Thanks,

Regards, Cyrus
iMac 27" Intel i7 Quad-Core; 16GB RAM; 2TB HD
Final Cut Studio, FCP X, Photoshop CS5, After Effects, etc.

You mentioned you had bought the MPEG2 extensions for QT6. If you have QT7, they warn you your extensions do not carry over. If you bought it all for QT7, then you're covered.

Koz