Markers Not Showing in Mpeg2

Hi,

This is a DVD Studio Pro Question that is directly related to FCP and Compressor. Basically I want to have chapter markers on my DVD. My problem is my FCP chapter markers are not showing up in the Mpeg2 file that I insert into DVDSP. Somewhere along the chain, I must be doing something wrong.

1. Within FCP, I made sure that all my markers were "chapter" markers.
2. I then exported a Quicktime movie with "DVD Studio Pro markers"
3. I imported that Quicktime movie into compressor and noticed that there are many blue markers. I then export an Mpeg 2 and AC3 file
4. I import the Mpeg 2 file in DVDSP. I do not see any markers on the timeline

I'm guessing that I messed up somewhere between #3 and 4. I've looked at all kinds of online documents and tutorials including this:

[www.kenstone.net]

I'm at a loss of what to do, and I'm on a deadline... help!

Alexander

I'm on:
FCP 6.0.4
Compressor 3.0.3
DVDSP 4.2.1

nothing wrong in that workflow that i can see.

if you only have chapter markers, no compression markers,
than why not choose "Chapter markers" rather than "DVD markers" when you export.


nick

Hey Nick! :-)

I'm dreading making another 130GB 10 bit export :-p

I assumed that Exporting with DVD Studio Pro markers would be the "ideal" way.

Ken Stone said "choose "Chapter Markers" for iDVD or choose "DVD Studio Pro Markers" for DVDS SP. "

[www.kenstone.net]

This guy Jon Chappell said "You must select DVD Studio Pro Marker and not Chapter Marker under the QuickTime export options."

[www.digitalrebellion.com]

But if I have to use chapter markers, I guess I could do an overnight export as a test.

Thanks,
Alex

Or I'm going to try exporting a small clip as a test. Whenever it's late and I'm on a tight schedule I always think IN the box :-(

or how about this:
bring your existing export into FCP.
put in a copy of your sequence with the markers in it timeline,
do your export as a NON self contained movie.

this will take almost no time at all.
you don't really have to export it with audio, either so it will be very fast.


nick

DAMN Nested Sequences!!!

Sorry for that rant. I have so many problems with nested sequences, they drive me crazy!

Thank you again Nick, you found the EXACT root of the problem!

The problem was I put my chapter markers in my original sequence, where they show up as GREEN. I did this because it's easier to find cuts, as opposed to the nest which is just a big solid block. My editor used a nested sequence because we added a 1:66 matte and 4:1:1 color smoothing filter (which is a whole other story :-p). I now notice that those markers in the nested sequence show up as ORANGE.

Before when I exported a Quicktime movie from my nested sequence with orange markers into Compressor, the markers were blue. Now, because of Nick's suggestion, my green markers turn purple in Compressor. I guess purple is the magic color as they import into DVD Studio Pro beautifully as Purple markers. Fantastic!

All this was done exporting a Quicktime with DVDSP markers. I tried the test exporting with Chapter markers with the same result.

Kudos to Nick!
Alexander

1 more question:

If I use the Quicktime Movie that's NOT a self-contained movie, and export an Mpeg2 using Compressor is there a quality difference with a movie that IS self-contained? Could any potential problems arise?

If so, that'll save me a ton of drive space as I've been outputting several 10 bit quicktimes that are 130GB a piece! I keep having to buy more :-p

glad it worked, although i'll admit i didn't follow everything

the reference movie, as it's know, will be exactly the same quality as the original.


the only problem with reference movies is that they only *refer* or point to other media.
if that media goes, the ref movie is useless.

this can be a big problem when the ref movie is made from an FCP timeline.
it's pointing to possibly thousands of separate bits of media.
and if any one of them goes missing, the ref movie wont open.

i suspect a common problem is that RENDER files that are referenced are lost,
then the ref movie cant open.

if you only need the ref movie for a fast turnaround, it's great.
but don't expect it to be useful more than a week after you made it.

your ref movie is a lot more stable, as it is only pointing to one big bit of media that you are not likely to abandon.
it is also only needed right now.
once you have made your MPEG file you dont really need it anymore

also all you would ever need to re-create it are that big first export,
and the sequence with the chapter markers.


hope that makes sense,
nick

Got it. Everything makes perfect sense. Well since I already have that 10 bit export the reference movie is only for those markers, and those markers are contained in the sequence, so I should be OK. All this is great to know for the future, as I never stop learning using FCP!

Thanks again!
Alexander