2 Mac questions....

[gotenks794]

(OK, at least half of this topic would probably be better off in the Compression/Encoding section, but I thought It'd be better to put it in the bona fide Mac section.)

TL;DR Version

Quick Facts:
•I'm on a Mac running Leopard (not Snow Leopard just yet).
•My video was edited in Final Cut express 4

Questions:

1. I've recently heard that x264 can be lossless, how can I achieve this?

2. I'd like to submit my video to a convention requiring MPEG-2, what's the best way of doing this?


Detailed Version

I have my video made and in the FCE 4 timeline. My source was 16:9 anamorphic footage, progressive 23.97fps (except the clean opening is [I think] interlaced 29.97, and any effects/motion are interlaced), and in AVI container with the HuffyUV codec. My timeline is setup as DV NTSC 16:9 Anamorphic. So my first question is how would I go about getting it into MPEG-2? I have the Quicktime MPEG-2 component (purchased for $19), if it helps for you to know. Now, My next question is somewhat 2 parted. I would like to be able to create a lossless version for cleaning/encoding via Avidemux, but I have yet to find a codec that Avidemux can chew and swallow and not suffer a great deal of indigestion from. How can I achieve what I want in regards to that? Also, I recently was made aware that x264 is capable of being lossless. How do I achieve x264 lossless?


Thanks and I look forward to your (whereas "your" means Kionon [JK]) responses.

[mirkosp]

I'll put it here for Kio: lossless x264 is constant quality (or constant quantizer) 1 and all frames keyframes. In cli terms:

Code: Select all

--crf 1 --keyint 1

or

Code: Select all

--qp 1 --keyint 1

I don't know how to set x264 things on mac and how to work with cli in mac so I'm leaving that up to you...

[Kionon]

I'm playing around with x264Encoder right now. Tell you when I find out.

As for MPEG-2, Compressor is good enough. Adobe Media Encoder will do it. Or heck, you got the MPEG-2 component, so I don't see why FCE couldn't just do it. I am not sure Avidemux can. I don't think I have tried.

[gotenks794]

I'm playing around with x264Encoder right now. Tell you when I find out.

Thanks, looking forward to it...

I'm playing around with x264Encoder right now. Tell you when I find out.

As for MPEG-2, Compressor is good enough. Adobe Media Encoder will do it. Or heck, you got the MPEG-2 component, so I don't see why FCE couldn't just do it. I am not sure Avidemux can. I don't think I have tried.

I don't think (the sad part is I'm not even joking) a day has gone by in which I did not wish I had Compressor. Or AME for that matter. But since I do not, I, naturally, went on to try your third suggestion. For some reason, I can't find anything even remotely related (apart from mp4, mind you) to MPEG-2 in the export options. I'm somewhat surprised about that, actually.h and Avidemux can do it, it's just I don't have a lossless video I can feed it and when I try with lossy video I'm not sure what settings to be using to make it correct. I got quite close but the video lost synch somewhere along the line.

[gotenks794]

Does anyone have anything that could help me? I'm really at a loss here.... And I really don't wanna have to buy sheer video... Halpz!

[Kionon]

I have vacation in two days, but I am too busy to finish researching now.

[kmv]

Does anyone have anything that could help me?

AviDemux will export to MPEG2. Use "DVD (lavc)" mode.

Why bother h.264 lossless? You have other, easier, options.

[mirkosp]

Does anyone have anything that could help me?

AviDemux will export to MPEG2. Use "DVD (lavc)" mode.

Why bother h.264 lossless? You have other, easier, options.

It was due to a mep. Tracks were to be sent either as lagarith or as x264 lossless, and lagarith seems to be no option for mac.