HD Quicktime from Premiere CS5

[Cracker Funk]

First off, a gripe -- all of these stupid contests that require Quicktime files are discriminatory. It's F-ing BS!!! Why can't I turn in a freaking mp4?! Most of the world does not use F-ing stupid Apple!

Okay, phew, got that off my chest. Now on to the issue.

From within Premiere, I only have the option to export to Quicktime if I limit it to SD. Same is true of Media Encoder. Not sure if I need some kind of update, or what, but that's what I've got.

So, I bought stupid Quicktime Pro, because you're supposed to be able to export from there. I'm not having any luck. Everything I try ends up with blank video at the worst, or somehow becomes interlaced. What?!

Anybody have any experience with this? How do I turn my awesome DSLR footage into an HD stupid Quicktime file?

 

[CamVader]

First off, a gripe -- all of these stupid contests that require Quicktime files are discriminatory. It's F-ing BS!!! Why can't I turn in a freaking mp4?! Most of the world does not use F-ing stupid Apple!

Okay, phew, got that off my chest. Now on to the issue.

From within Premiere, I only have the option to export to Quicktime if I limit it to SD. Same is true of Media Encoder. Not sure if I need some kind of update, or what, but that's what I've got.

So, I bought stupid Quicktime Pro, because you're supposed to be able to export from there. I'm not having any luck. Everything I try ends up with blank video at the worst, or somehow becomes interlaced. What?!

Anybody have any experience with this? How do I turn my awesome DSLR footage into an HD stupid Quicktime file?

I don't think it really has to be a Quicktime file because Quicktime player plays MP4's just fine. I just played one on a Mac just to make sure. .mov files are for people stuck in 32 bit world and think that's the only professional format, IMO.

 

[jax_rox]

DSLRs are H.264 mp4s in a .mov container. You could technically do the same things with your finished product but I wouldn't suggest it.

I use MPEG Streamclip to convert my DSLR footage to ProRes for editing, and then I export a ProRes version and use MPEG Streamclip to convert to whatever files are necessary. I'd suggest doing that - export in something that you can keep HD in, then use MPEG Streamclip or something else to convert to MOV or MP4 etc.

I don't think it really has to be a Quicktime file because Quicktime player plays MP4's just fine. I just played one on a Mac just to make sure. .mov files are for people stuck in 32 bit world and think that's the only professional format, IMO.

A lot of .mov codecs are lossless, whereas mp4s and H.264 is lossy which is why things aren't accepted as mp4s. .mov is a professional format and is essentially THE lossless format for Mac, unless you start to move into DPX files (which are also indsutry standard for finishing). MP4s are fine if you only ever want YouTube to see it, or you want to degrade your DSLR footage even more, but .mov is certainly not just for 'people still stuck in 32 bit world.'

 

[Cracker Funk]

Thanks for the answers guys, but that's not really what I'm looking for. I'm entered in a contest. They require .mov for HD submissions.

jax, I can't export in ProRes. I'm on PC, editing on Premiere. Any other ideas?

 

[jax_rox]

Export as an avi and then convert it that way? I'm not really sure why it won't let you export an HD mov, but perhaps MPEG Streamclip or another conversion software (I only say MPEG Streamclip because it is free) will be able to create an HD version. Otherwise, download Avid's DNxHD codec and try that (I'm 85% sure it's free ).

You may find you need to install the proper codecs, though I would've assumed that buying QT Pro would've given you the proper codecs... That said, the latest version of QT is QTX on mac so perhaps the version you have is outdated? Just spitballing here, been a while since I edited on a PC

 

[CamVader]

I hear you, jax, but a lossless codec wasn't specified. Besides 422 and 4444 are lossy in their own right in post as an intermediary. This is a film festival that likely still plays DVD's if submitted.

 

[CamVader]

My apologies. I have no knowledge of what the contest is for. If they do require lossless final delivery, the probably would have required at least a 442 color space for the camera I would think. Anyhow, cheers!

 

[Cracker Funk]

That's what's weird. As far as I can tell, by installing Quicktime Pro 7, that should've updated my codecs so that I'd be able to export, from Premiere, to HD Quicktime. So, why is it still stuck in SD? It's weird.

I did find an only slightly-lame work-around. If I export to 720p mp4, I'm able to open that file in Quicktime player, then "save as" a mov file, and that seems to work just fine. So, at least I can have HD, just not 1080p.

Ahh, whatever. I've spent enough time on it that I don't really give a crap anymore. 720p will have to do. And yes, Vader is correct -- they accept SD; I just want to submit the best quality possible.

Thanks, again!

 

[PaulGriffith]

From the rules page:

*If you submit a Quicktime it must be compressed with Motion JPEG A, *Apple Pro Res 422,*DV/DVCPro,*DVCProHD, or*H.264 (Use an .mov container instead of .mp4)

Putting MP4 in a MOV wrapper is pretty common for online distribution, all you do is render out a h.264 file from Media Encoder or handbrake, then rename it to .MOV instead of .MP4.

Seems a little silly, but I think it's easier to point it to playback programs or something? Keeps it uniform too. The sites we sell on ask for the same thing.

Edit: so yeah, you can do 1080p that way. I'd avoid the "save as" on QuickTime thing because it'll be reencoding. I use the "HQ 1080 24p" preset in media encoder, bump the audio to 320kbps and bring the video down from 32 to like 28 or so.

 

[Cracker Funk]

Thanks, Paul. I'm open to the idea of re-naming, and in fact I already looked into that. But none of my files have extensions on them. There is no ".mp4" for me to re-name to ".mov". Every file is just the title that it was exported as.

Quicktime Pro sucks ass. I've tried so many different variations and work-arounds. F-this! Unless you have a way for me to re-name, which I'd be grateful for, I'm seriously done with it. I found a way to get 720p, and I'm kinda okay with that.

Alas, I'm off to bed. Cheers!

 

[wheatgrinder]

bro, your over thinking it.

Your problem is that there is no built in PRESET for what you want.. you just have to manually do it.

Your using media encoder in ppro right?

 

[Cracker Funk]

Sweet. wheatgrinder, you're the best!

So, if anyone else is watching, wheatgrinder's method is the way to go. You simply need to create a new preset (or modify a pre-existing one).

I still say these festivals are discriminatory, except only against dumb guys like me.

Problem solved; thanks wheat!