Movie that FCP just own't open! (and solution)

So we had a promo on DVD to rip and put into an FCP project. The resulting m4v was not working. FCP wouldn't even import it - said unknown file type. So I converted it in Quicktime to prores, and FCP still gave the very same error.

So I used the finder to make FCP the default app for that mov, and when FCP failed to open it, it gave a better error message - something about the frame rate and description not being supported.

That gave me the clue - again opening in Quicktime the properties showed the movie to be 29.87 not 29.97fps!! A quick "conform" in Cinema Tools to 29.97 allowed the file to work in FCP as intended.

Graeme

Just out of curiosity, why did you guys pick m4v to begin with?


www.derekmok.com

Being Graeme Nattress, I'm guessing he meant m2v. Boy did the power lines shake on this post...

That's an interesting one. How did 29.87 fps managed to get encoded onto a DVD in the first place? Or was it ripped with maybe handbrake or something?

The best way to get it out is to go by mpeg streamclip- demux it if you plan to use the mpeg2s to re-author a DVD, or to convert it to Uncompressed if you plan to edit it in FCP. ProRes is fine too. But this way, the frame rates shouldn't change.



www.strypesinpost.com

m4v is what handbrake converts to. Quality wasn't an issue, but speed was, and that's the first app I had at hand. Why the 29.87 - no idea, but given we are al having to use videos from lots of strange sources, I thought my experience might help people if they encounter FCP being obstinate!

The conversion from m4v to prores was done "current" for fps, so the problem obviously exists in the m4v. All very strange....

Anyway, if you ever get a movie file the FCP should accept, but doesn't - check the fps.

Graeme

i've seen reports of SnapZ pro (screen capture software)
where the screen captures, although done at 29.97 or some standard frame rate,
import into FCP as 10fps.

running them though Cinema Tools and conforming to the speed you originally recorded as fixes the problem.

slightly different as they DO import into FCP.


nick

> i've seen reports of SnapZ pro (screen capture software)
> where the screen captures, although done at 29.97 or some standard frame rate,
> import into FCP as 10fps.

SnapzPro does bizarre things to the metadata. I've captured at DV NTSC 29.97fps which plays back fine at normal speed, then in FCP you get the 10fps message in Item Properties, or the clip plays back wrong in the Viewer, completely the wrong part of the clip, but it reverts to what it was supposed to be after render. So basically you can't see what you're cutting unless it's already rendered.

I've been working on a promo reel that is almost all YouTube screen captures (ouch) and I didn't even chance it -- I rendered everything in my timeline codec and re-exported all of them. No more problems.


www.derekmok.com

I agree with that assessment-- I moved over to ScreenFlow from Telestream for serious screen captures, and includes a timeline editor! (While editing, however, save regularly, it can bite you after a long session.)

- Loren

Today's FCP 7 keytip:
Invoke Range Check in Canvas or Viewer with Control-Z!

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