Exporting the best quality for web DL

[gwyn]

Hey everyone -- I've made a vid for Escapade using HD source for the first time. I finally got my files to work for the size needed for the show, but now I'm trying to get a decent quality file that's not too huge for posting to the web -- both for download at my site, and for uploading to streaming. Nothing I make seems to come out well.

I exported using the H.264 codec (or whatever the number is, I don't have it open right now), and got a fairly shiny file at the Avengers aspect ratio of 965x542. But if I try to make it into any kind of .avi, it becomes massively pixelated and other files types seem really blurry -- not what I want after using all that HD source.

What are people using these days for DL and streaming? I think my methods are woefully out of date. And how did you get there?

For what it's worth, I'm on a Mac using an older version of FCP (6), and use MPEG Streamclip to make a lot of my web files.

Comments

[laurashapiro]

I had been using DivX, but that's been giving me audio artifacts at the end of the file for some reason.

My new plan, which I learned from thingswithwings, is to make mp4s instead. These use the H.264 codec, which you already know is shiny. I recently learned that the way to keep them from being pixellated is to radically increase the bit rate. I'm working with a bit rate of 9000 for my most recent exports, and they look great.

[gwyn]

Oh wow, bit rate never even crossed my mind. I'll give that a try and see what happens. And try the mp4s.

[laurashapiro]

Let me know if the increased bit rate makes better avis! If it does, I will abandon mp4, since avi is more popular with Windows users.

[gwyn]

So far I'm not having any luck with anything -- I either can't change the file size so it's squeezed into a postage stamp, or I have no output choices. I've looked at both MPEG Streamclip and Quicktime. (and I confess, I can't figure out where the bit rate is -- nothing says bit rate!)

I am just completely flummoxed by this. I guess I'll keep plugging away and maybe go back to what I used to do and just suck it up that it's going to look terrible... I dunno.

[laurashapiro]

I have the same version of FCP as you have, and I just export the .mp4 directly from it.

Export --> Using Quicktime Conversion --> MP4

You have to fiddle with the very first dropdown in the resulting dialog box or it won't let you pick the right size.

I can screensnap it for you if you need me to.

[isagel]

I find that when the bitrate is high enough for the vid to be shiny, the H.264 file is actually at least as large as equal quality DivX files I make of the same vid. I suspect this means I'm doing something wrong.

[laurashapiro]

Not at all. H.264 and DivX are very closely related -- it's not surprising you'd have similar results.