URGENT, DEADLINE! Trying to output HD feature doc but getting "Out of Memory" error msg

FCP 7 on my Mac Pro tower running OS 10.6.8 with 12 GB RAM refuses to export 76 minute roughcut of an HD show. Within minutes it says "Out of Memory" even tho my computer's Activity Monitor indicates lots of free RAM. I believe FCP 7 can handle up to 2 GB RAM, so what is the problem (!?!?).

Same thing when I tried to export the first half of the show (38 mins).

Commands I am using: File>Export>Use Quicktime Conversion>Options>Size>Custom (1000x564 because it must come in under 2GB).

I also tried Options of size of 1920x1080 and smaller sizes, to no avail.

Right now I'm trying to export the first 19 minutes. So far so good, but it's taken one hour and the progress bar is at only 32% and says it needs another 3 hours(!).

And even if it works, what am I going to do with a 19 min QT section of a 78 min show? Do three more sections of the same length and end up with four QT files? Then join them?? What a mess.

ANY advice would be most appreciated. On a drop dead deadline.

THANKS

Michael

FCP Classic can, like all 32bit applications, adress 4.5 GB of RAM. But that's not really what you're running into or something you can fix with more RAM or system tweaks.


A bunch of things to look out for:
Do you have stills or graphics that are larger than 4000 pixels on any side? If so, reduce them in Photoshop or preview and reimport/replace.

Are all your imported graphics RGB documents? If any are CMYK you should convert those as well.

Have you quit and restarted recently? That can help with out of memory errors. So can moving the sequence into its own project and closing everything else down. Make FCP the only running app.

Is the sequence fully rendered? do that before exporting

This next bit is the best suggestion for day to day operating with FCP at feature lengths.
You are MUCH better off exporting at the same codec and size of your sequence (unless you're working in HDV) and THEN making it smaller in compressor. Use the export QuickTime movie ( not the one with conversion). Take the resulting file, throw it in compressor where it can show you a pretty accurate guess of the resulting file size for any particular codec and setting. Tweak your setting to get it under 2gb and wait.

Using nonstandard frame sizes doesn't help much if you're using a destination codec like H264. Adjusting bitrate will get your file size down. Do that in the compression step.

Have fun.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

dont use FCP to do your video conversions.

export as a Quicktime movie, same settings, self contained
dont try to pick out a setting that is the same as yours, use the default which should be actually labeled as "Same Settings"

render before you export,
if you have out of memory issues during the render you have some problematic media on your timeline.
get back to us if yo do.

once you have a single clean export, THEN do your conversions, using compressor, or Adobe MEdia Encoder, or even Quicktime (Player7, not X).
convert to H264, and you will most likely be able to stick to a standard frame size, which i'd say is a good thing to do.


nick

yep, Andrew got here first.

nm

Wow thank you very much Andrew, yes I have big stills and CMYK. OK I will export at same codec and size as sequence. I don't like Compressor but will force myself to use it per your advice. THANK YOU so much. - Michael

Thank you Nick! I see that you, too, are pushing Compressor. I will have to brush up on that. And I will use "Same Settings" as you suggest. I really appreciate your prompt and specific solutions. THANK YOU. Michael

if you don't love Compressor, then Quicktime7 or Mpeg Streamclip will do,
especially if you don't change the frame-size

remember to also compress your audio. that takes up a lot more room than you think.

compress it to AAC. i usually go for 128k, but if this is for a screening copy, maybe go 320k.
if you have no music of stereo effects, then exporting as mono will half your audio bitrate again.


nick

Thank you Nick. Suggestions by you (and Andrew) worked perfectly and I output my 77-min HD feature doc to QT with no "Out of Memory" msg. The QT file weighs in at 110GB.

Problem now is that, for my client, I must compress that way down to 1.5 GB, which is about 1% of the original (!). In trying to do so, compressor hogs ALL the RAM (12GB) on my 7-year-old Mac Pro tower, and then slows to a halt with progress bar at 32%.

Will MPEG Streamclip do better?

Or should I go to an outfit like Alpha Dogs to shrink the file? I have to upload it today or tonight latest.

THANKS.

Michael

What kind of setting are you using in Compressor?
Some flavour of H.264 would be your best bet. For something that size I would do a one-pass render and dial the bitrate down, WAY down.

You're also in the territory that someone expecting 77 minutes at 1.5GB has to know that quality is going to suck. Therefore some alternatives might be worth proposing. Delivery in parts, upload to Vimeo Plus with a password (5GB is the limit there I think), Dropbox etc.

Do you know about using Batch Monitor to see the actual progress of your render? You can open Batch Monitor from Compressor directly or the Application folder (maybe the Utilities folder, I'm on a Yosemite system right now with AVID/Adobe/FCP X only, can't confirm)

This may be beyond your current work brief but that MacPro probably has more than 2 processing cores. If you see this being a recurring problem you might want to investigate the Apple Qmaster and set up a cluster. This breaks any render down into parts and renders them simultaneously. Speeds up renders and makes better use of your available processing power.

I've never used MPEGStreamClip to render H.264s so I don't know if it's any faster or better.

Another option is to download the free 30 day trial AdobeCC trial of AfterEffects or Premiere. You'll get Adobe Media Encoder with it and it has a good array of codec presets and seems to work well with multiprocessor systems.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

A most intriguing set of options, thank you Andrew. I'd never heard of either using the Batch Monitor nor QMaster. I now see my computer has both. I will try the cluster technique you describe. That could be HUGE for me.

Right now I am exporting the 120GB movie in QT 7 itself, and it seems to be working, b/c I have the screen size at 400x225 which is the same aspect ratio as 1280x720. The 1-min test came out fine, at 20MB, therefore 2 GB for 100 mins. So I'd be under the limit comfortably.

As you mention, client must realize quality will not be crisp.

Thank you Andrew for all your suggestions, I'm learning a lot.

Gratefully,

Michael

I still don't know what codec you are exporting to. I hope what you've chosen is something your client can play, and isn't only working on your system because you have FCP or some other package installed.

Batch monitor is just that, a monitor. Just like how quitting Compressor has no effect on the jobs already submitted, Batch Monitor can show you the tasks in the render queue, and you can stop tasks in BM as well but the progress of the tasks has nothing to do with whether or not BM is open or running. It's also great if you get Qmaster going because you can then see how much each segment is taking to render and once one segment is done you can get a good idea of how long the whole task will take.

I will say up front that dealing with Qmaster is not a cakewalk. I would advise getting a copy of Compressor Repair from Digital Rebellion. It's free and great for clearing out orphaned tasks and resetting the queue if things go haywire. Buy something there while you're at it. They make great things.
Getting Qmaster to work is a good way to leverage older hardware on newer formats. Save up for the VaderCanMacPro and make your current hardware last by using every centimetre (0.393 inches) of iron in your shop.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!