Converting HD footage to MOV

I've been trying to convert some of my videos from my camera, but dont know the exact options for the convertion.

I'm using "Squared5 - MPEG Streamclip v1.01" to convert my Sony HD footage (1440x1080i anamorphic) from M2V format to MOV format.

I believe i should use the menu "Export to QuickTime...", but i'm not sure about some of the other options.

Correct me if i'm wrong ... since i'm still new to this HD thing! :P

From what i tried i'm getting videos to be have really big sizes after converting. A M2V file (11 seconds) that is about 36MB is getting to 200MB or 300+MB (depending on options) after converting to MOV.

Which options should i use???

Compression: Apple Photo - JPEG
or Apple Motion JPEG A
or Apple Motion JPEG B
or Apple MPEG-4 Compressor
or (other)

Quality: 100%
(Correct me if im wrong! :D)

Frame Size: 1920x1080 (HDTV 1080i)
or (other)

X/Y: 1 or 1.33

(Should i convert to 1920x1080? And use X/Y at 1, or should i keep the 1440x1080 size and the X/Y at 1.33 maintaining the 16:9 aspect ratio)

Field Dominance: Upper Field First
(Correct me if im wrong! :D)

Other questions...
Should "Interlaced Scaling" be on? (currently on)
Should "Reinterlace Chroma" be on? (currently on)
Should "Deinterlace Video" be on? (currently off)
Should i "Limit Data Rate"? To what value? (currently off)


Anyway i think it would be nice if we could just upload the M2V file.
(MPEG-2, 1440x1080, 16:9, 29.969999999999999 fps, 25.00 Mbps, upper field first)


I think that covers all of it... :)

Thanks in advance...
Andre Costa

Hi,

I use the Photo - JPEG
Quality 95% (if you would do 100% it will give you an error, so I've heard)

I keep the original size. I have a Sony Z1U so I keep the 1440x1080i and 1.33

The rest I keep at default which is "currently on".

Hope this helps,

Best,
Hans

Yea it helps! :) Thanks

With all the testing i made, i now manage to get a pretty good video converting to 1920x1080.

But when i try to create a 1440x1080 (anamorphic) video, that will be viewed at 1920x1080 (with 1.33 horizontal pixel size), the video doesnt come out as expected.

----------------------------------------

Frame Size: 1440x1080
X/Y: 1.33

I get the video at 1440x1080 with the black horizontal stripes (making the used area for the video around 1440x810).
It that if i choose this resolution the video will always be 4:3 no matter what.

----------------------------------------

Frame Size: 1920x1080
X/Y: 0.75

So i tried selecting the 16:9 resolution but keeping the video size at 1440x1080, but this adds black borders on the sides (making the used area for the video around 1440x1080 instead of "stretching" the video to the full resolution).

----------------------------------------

If i keep all the default settings both the video size and the resolution will be 1440x1080, and it wont be played in 16:9 as the original M2V file.

Any clues?

Anyway, if i dont manage to get it right, ill probably just convert the video to 1920x1080
since the quality is pretty good, although the filesize will be a bit bigger.

Thanks for your time
Andre Costa

If your clip is better at 1920x1080 then at 1440x1080, don't bother to convert it.
Professional clients sometimes does it themselves, with even better equipement we have.

What kinda cam do you have?

Best,
Hans

My camcorder is a "Sony HDR-HC3", that records at 1440x1080 anamorphic just like yours does. ;)

I wont say it's better or worse at 1920x1080 because i havent managed to convert it to MOV at 1440x1080 the right way. I would say that the quality is pretty good in both sizes.

I'm actually doing the MOV files at 1920x1080, with the deinterlace option cause it looks better on the PC than without it. ;)

Best,
Andre Costa :)