Newbie Question! How do I convert my MP4 to MOV in Compressor so I can use it in FCP?

Hi, All,

I've looked over Google to answer this question, but no luck with the specifics I need so far. I'm using Compressor for the first time and need to know how to convert a 59.92 fps MP4 (AAC, H.264, MPEG-SDSM, MPEG-4 ODSM) to MOV so I can take an already cut piece and add music and subtitles to it in Final Cut Pro.

Does anyone know the proper settings and destination choices? Destination seems pretty self-evident: wherever I want it. Nothing else to worry about there apparently (please let me know if there is more of which I'm not aware). However, there is a sea of settings choices. I'm sure it's not too complex, but I'm new to it. I could guess, but that could take hours.

Thanks in advance for your help!

B.

What are your delivery specifications?

It's the first thing you should ask.

There are loads of different CODECs and settings that are appropriate to edit with but in order to give you some guidance you need to tell us what size and framerate you want to end up with and what it its for: web, TV, film, etc.



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

You are absolutely right! Pardon.

Okay, so I need this for a presentation which will be projected from a DVD. That is the final product. The normal frame rate would be 29.98. I am open to whatever codec you'd recommend as far as MPEG-2. Does that all make sense?

My source is the MP4 described above. How would you recommend I take it into FCP to add final mix and subs (conversion using Compressor to get it into FCP), and then how would you recommend I output it for the highest possible quality dvd?

Also, I didn't relate the resolution for the MP4. It is 1280x720.

Thanks so much for your time!

B.

> Okay, so I need this for a presentation which will be projected from a DVD. That is the final
> product. The normal frame rate would be 29.98. I am open to whatever codec you'd recommend
> as far as MPEG-2. Does that all make sense?

Make sure you get your numbers right...NTSC frame rate is 29.97fps. Your MPEG-4 is probably 59.94fps.

You don't have a very good source file, unfortunately. MPEG-4 is an internet delivery format, and H.264 is heavily compressed which means you're already starting off with a compromised master. Once you convert that to an editing-friendly codec, such as ProRes, that's one level of loss, and then you'll suffer yet another by going back out to MPEG-2/DVD.

If available, you should at least try to obtain a better quality version of that master.

If you really had to work with the MPEG-4, in order to at least preserve more resolution, I'd recommend you convert to HD, not SD. Make the MPEG-4 into ProRes, DVCPro HD, or (if you can afford the storage and bandwidth) Uncompressed HD at 1280x720. Add what you need, export as an HD movie file, and then convert that movie file to a DVD-ready MPEG-2. Since your source MP4 is at HD size, I don't see any reason to compromise that one advantage until the final DVD stage. You will probably want to make an anamorphic 16:9 DVD from there, but check with your client's specs to ascertain what kind of DVD they want. Most people want HDTV-compatible DVDs now, and the only option in that realm is anamorphic 16:9 -- which means you need to edit in either an HD timeline or an anamorphic SD timeline, and you need to convert the clip(s) accordingly.


www.derekmok.com

Hi, Derek,

Thanks for your feedback.

That's correct. It is 29.97, actually I was rounding up to 29.98 which I believe is a little more accurate, but don't quote me on that. I know 29.97 is the popular way to say it so that works, too. The source frame rate I got from Quicktime Inspector. I guess it could be wrong. Not sure.

I would LOVE to have a better source. Unfortunately, this is what they gave me, and I'm not sure I can have anything better in time for the presentation. At this point, I've figured out how to use Compressor to convert the MP4 to a similar H.294 MOV so that FCP can easily import. I'll try going to ProRes. I hope my Mac 2x2.8 dual quad 2GB will be able to edit with it.

If you have any other comments, please free to forward them, and I really appreciate it.

Thanks!
B.

Nope. 29.97 is 29.97. The only rounding up that happens it 23.976 can sometimes be ANNOYINGLY rounded up to 23.98. Please don't do this. There's enough terminology floating around without having two ways of saying the same thing.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

That's how I learned it. It's floating around where I work. It makes sense mathematically, but I'm happy to stick with 29.97. Thanks.

I'm trying to export this now, and the subtitles are getting out of sync with audio. I think it's probably that I'm exporting incorrectly. I just left it at "Current Settings." Knowing the specs above, would anyone be able to tell me what I should choose when exporting the file from FCP. Thank you all again for your help!

To Boodell Esq:

Have you yet encountered the wonders of "MpegSTREAMCLIP"?

I've had good experiences with it. And - just in case you aren't aware, it's free from Apple and can do all kinds of codec and frame-rate transfers.

Best wishes,

Harry.

In my own experience, MPEG Streamclip is faster than any other conversion program, with lots of easy-to-use options, but it doesn't quite do as good a job on motion and frame-rate conversions as Compressor.

But compare this: On Monday, I had to re-convert some clips for a corporate video; the assistant had used a wrong setting that wouldn't work for final delivery.

In Compressor, I put through five clips that are between 60 and 300 seconds each, and the first one of those took something like 15 minutes to convert to a 720x486 Uncompressed 10-bit clip.

In MPEG Streamclip? Approximately 35 seconds.


www.derekmok.com

Interesting. Sounds like Compressor is more thorough and perhaps yields higher quality in more situations and that Streamclip can be much faster and good enough for certain conversions. Good to know. My project was very short, so Compressor was fine. However, I might download Streamclip for the future in case I need a speedy app. Thanks, Harry and Derek!

On my second try, I wound up outputting at setting Apple ProRes (HQ) 422 1280x720 30p 48 kHz, and everything stayed in sync. Then I learned on youtube how to make a simple DVD from iDVD, and made the project delivery. All's well.

Thanks again for all your help and a quick education in compression!

Cheers,
B.

Quote
Boodell
That's how I learned it. It's floating around where I work. It makes sense mathematically, but I'm happy to stick with 29.97. Thanks.

[rant]
But it doesn't make sense mathematically.
29.97 would round up, if at all, to 30. That's it. Anyone saying 29.98 is flat out wrong. The number is derived from slowing down 30 frames per second by 0.1%
That's 30 - 0.03 = 29.97
Similarly, 24 - 0.024= 23.976

Whom ever you work with, who is using 29.98, make them stop. This subject is messed up enough as it is without blatantly wrong information being bandied about.[/rant]

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

derekmok Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Once you convert that to an
> editing-friendly codec, such as ProRes, that's one
> level of loss, and then you'll suffer yet another
> by going back out to MPEG-2/DVD.
>
> If available, you should at least try to obtain a
> better quality version of that master.
>
> If you really had to work with the MPEG-4, in
> order to at least preserve more resolution, I'd
> recommend you convert to HD, not SD. Make the
> MPEG-4 into ProRes, DVCPro HD, or (if you can
> afford the storage and bandwidth) Uncompressed HD
> at 1280x720. Add what you need, export as an HD
> movie file, and then convert that movie file to a
> DVD-ready MPEG-2. Since your source MP4 is at HD
> size, I don't see any reason to compromise that
> one advantage until the final DVD stage.

Hi Derek,
I have three questions about what you wrote.
1 Converting the mp4 to Pro Res would be a level of loss? I didn't think that was the case.
2 What difference would it make whether he edits it a 720x486 or 1280x720?
3 Is there a difference/advantage between exporting a movie file and then bringing it into Compressor versus just using Send To> Compressor?

These are genuine questions- I'm not trying to be a jerk. You sound very knowledgable and I wanted to clear up any misconceptions I may have.

> What difference would it make whether he edits it a 720x486 or 1280x720?

Are you kidding? One is HD, the other is SD.

Whenever you have source material that's HD, you always try to edit in its native frame size, unless storage or system resources are lacking. You preserve the pixel count so that when you export, you still have as much video information to work with as possible. Even if your target is DVD. If you edit in 720x486, you're cutting off your options to make a Blu-Ray, or an HD-size movie file for the web.

> Converting the mp4 to Pro Res would be a level of loss? I didn't think that was the case.

I don't use H.264 MPEG-4 sources very often, but theoretically speaking, given how much the H.264 codec throws away, and given that ProRes is also a pretty heavily compressed codec, there will be some loss. But you don't really have a choice there -- you'll have to transcode the H.264 to something editing friendly. If you went to Uncompressed HD you'd probably not lose anything, but the files will be absolutely massive and require a great deal of system resources to work with.

> Is there a difference between exporting a movie file and then bringing it into Compressor
> versus just using Send To> Compressor?

There are arguments on both sides. One user has insisted on here that if you use Export - Using Compressor in FCP, then the export accesses original media files and quality is better.

But most of us don't like that option because it's slow, inefficient, and ties up FCP while the export is happening. Most of us export a QuickTime movie first (I use self-contained; many people use reference files) and then bring that into Compressor.


www.derekmok.com

No I wasn't kidding. Obviously one is HD and one is SD. He specifically said the output was DVD. If you know the output is DVD and thats it, never Blu Ray or HD web video, preserving the pixel count makes no difference.

> If you know the output is DVD and thats it, never Blu Ray or HD web video, preserving the
> pixel count makes no difference.

Yes, it makes a difference. Never say "never". Converting the media to SD kills your options. If the client comes back three months from now and says, "Can you give me 1920x1080?", then you're back to re-converting all the media from scratch. Also, preserving the HD frame size means he can do huge zooms and motion manipulations if he decided to edit in an SD timeline.

Going to DVD from an HD timeline is as simple as exporting a movie file and then running Compressor to make an MPEG-2 -- the exact same workflow as SD.

Again, given that he had HD source material, the only rationale for not editing in HD is if he had an inadequate editing system for storing and editing HD.


www.derekmok.com