DallasFCPUG.org
h.264 solution…
Last week I posted how we were in the midst of searching for a way to adequately encode almost 2000 files using the h.264 codec into some sort of wrapper. The problem was deciding what type of wrapper to use. Should we use .mp4, .mov, or .m4a?
The problem centered around how long it took Sorenson Squeeze (our transcoding software) to create a mp4 from our full quality mov. What I failed to consider was how much unnecessary work Squeeze was doing. For instance, we exported from Final Cut Pro a DV25 720×480 interlaced timeline. Squeeze had to resize the file down to our output resolution of 640×480, deinterlace the footage because we were delivering via web (and you don’t put interlaced material on a progressive display like a LCD or Plasma), and then create a new mp4 file. So Squeeze took anywhere from 4-6 hours just to do 1 file. That just isn’t going to work. I’ve seen mud move faster. Hence our dilemma.
We looked at Compressor as a solution, but it didn’t offer a mp4 file using the h.264 codec. If we want h.264 it either meant wrapping it as a m4v or as a mov. The solution: stick with Squeeze but take some work off the programs shoulders, force FCP to do much of the grunt work upfront. So when we batch export from FCP our sequences were manipulated from FCP into our target resolution (640×480) and deinterlaced. Encoding a file that Squeeze no longer has to resize and deinterlace took the transcoding time down to 1-2 hours. Much better. Still not light speed, but not as slow as molasses either.
What we learned: sometimes its easier to let FCP do the grunt work, like resizing or deinterlacing, and then let a secondary software, like Squeeze, do what it’s made to do, namely, transcode.
3 comments
I’m doing rendering in final cut pro express at the moment. Changing mp4 files into mp4 files h.264 codec and its taking quite a while for larger files. I found your blogg a little helpful. Im only adding text graphics…should this be taking so long? Im looking for helpful tips and any issues I should be looking for for trouble shooting (no errors come up but it is taking up to 3 hrs to render 5-6 mins….
Lee~h.264 encoding is extremely processor intensive. The time it takes to encode is directly related to your settings. What’s the bitrate, the resolution, do you have any filters applied to the footage (i.e. color correction, deinterlacing, etc.). The more filters you stack onto your footage the longer it will take to use the h.264 codec. And technically you are re-encoding an already encoded video. If you take a generic mp4 and change it into a h.264 mp4 then that will likely take at least twice as long as taking a Quicktime movie file and transcoding that into a h.264 mp4.
Other factors that determine your speed are your specific machine–PowerPC or Intel. Intel are much faster than PowerPC but the bottom line is that h.264 is a beast of a codec to render out. That’s why God gave us weekends (leave your computer rendering Friday-Monday)!
200 movies! Are you done yet? Check out Digital Rapids encoding systems. If you are transcoding there’s better solutions.
http://www.digital-rapids.com
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