working with MP4 clips in FC

Hello to everyne

I am trying to edit four different videos in MP4 with FC. 5.14 version.

Each one of these videos come in different aspect ratios, I adjusted the sequence setting to match this, so now I have 4 diferent FC projects, each one with different aspect ratios.

First problem is:

I can open the Mp4 videos in the time line with no problem, they need to be render. I want the edited video in Mp4 as well.

a) If I want to export in Mp4, I get a terrible quality video, what would be the setting to get the same quality or close?.

b) I though I could export in quicktime and then convert to Mp4 using MPEG streamclip, when I do that I can see that the quality of the video goes down after the FC rendering. Is this because FC does not support well MP4? I can see the loss in quality, either I render in the time line, either I export to a quicktime movie


Second Problem:

Whan exporting to quicktime, How can I export in the same aspect ratio than the original? the aspect ratio setting is always giving me the same aspect ratio as current ratio, when every project actually have a different aspect ratio. how can I know the original?


I really appreciate your help

Best regards

Don't edit MPEG-4s directly. They'll perform poorly in the timeline. Convert them to a good editing-friendly intermediate codec for editing, such as ProRes.

> a) If I want to export in Mp4, I get a terrible quality video, what would be the setting to
> get the same quality or close?

MPEG-4 is simply a video wrapper; it doesn't determine video quality. Encoding bit rate and codec do.

> How can I export in the same aspect ratio than the original?

I don't think you mean just "aspect ratio". I think you mean frame size. How you handle this is entirely up to you. Let's say you have both 1920x1080 media and 640x480 media. Are you trying to edit in HD or SD? If you're editing in SD, say 720x480 or 720x486, then you should leave the 1920x1080 media at its native size so that you can shrink it down in FCP; the extra pixels will be useful if you need to zoom into the image.

If you're editing in 1920x1080, but let's say you're using the 640x480 media in a picture-in-picture way, then leave it at 640x480. But if you want to edit the 640x480 media to fill the screen, and to avoid rendering, then you might resize it when you convert it to the editing codec.


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-Convert them to a good editing-friendly intermediate codec for editing, such as ProRes.

I am triying to install this, but the system tells me I already have a newer version installes. I am downloading the latest version in the apple support site, and I dont recall installing this in the past at all, could I been having some sort of trouble here?

Yes, sorry I was talking about size. I have forur different videos each with a diffrence site. So I ha been adjusting the sequence presets to adjust the canvas to these sizes, because two of them are small, the other two are HD size. For the two big ones I am ok exporting in SD 720x576. But for the other two, I would like to export in the oroginal size, whatever this is, so I dont strecth the image. But how can I know this original size? when I go to movie settings in quicktime conversion, there is always the same size as current , 559x314, and two of this projects are suppose to be a different size, for the two big ones I just set the SD 720 option


-MPEG-4 is simply a video wrapper; it doesn't determine video quality. Encoding bit rate and codec do.

What would be the best for quality? Mp4(isma) or Mp4? and then video format, h.264 , mepg-4 improved, data rate. is thre any tutorial for this? i know the se are many options

Thanks a lot for your help, I truly appreciate it

>is thre any tutorial for this? i know the se are many options

These are pretty basic questions, and I really suggest that you take up a training course or pick up guide books before you make a mess on your video projects. There are many in the LAFCPUG store.

[www.lafcpug.org]



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