garageCube

[herlock99]

Hi everyone

I need some advice

I'm using modul8 on a MacBook Pro 15'', 10.7.5, 2GHz i7, 4Go RAM, (16Go soon)

I use hundreds of video of different origins, formats, sizes, length, resolution, etc.
My database has been encoded through multiple time and platforms.
I'm currently using only Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 to prepare my clips. I usually export encoding in h264, not resizing, keeping original framerate. BAsically, almost all my files are different. But I always try different configurations to get a good ratio between quality and final file size. The smaller the better. I am using a lot of vintage movies, most of them difficult to find, so most of them are downloaded from the only web source I find. So my original files are usually not perfect. Not DVD, nor bluerays, nor DV files.

I have read that I should use photo-mpeg to encode my files. Ok, why not. I have read about it, but don't understand much what it is. I downloaded MPEG streamclip, but I don't understand how to change the quality to 75% as often recommended by m8 users around here.
And what should I do from Adobe when exporting? keep h264?
Also in the tips of what media to favor on the forum, the official thread gives a very low resolution. Does that mean that 720p is not recommended?

Imagine I have an old 1970's movie downloaded from the web. Classic .avi file, 700MB or better 720p h264 4Go in mkv. What are the steps to make a good usable file for modul8 ?

1. prepare my video in Adobe Premiere
2. export as ... ? codec ? resolution ? framerate ? progressive ? key frames ? 1.0 pixels ? crop black lines in 16/9 ?
3. re-encode in photo mpeg ?


if I'm correct, this will make my video play in m8 (speed, back & forth, etc) smoother ?

thanks for the help

[vanakaru]

I would convert/export to PhotoJPG. But you should test what runs the best on your system.
I can play AIC pretty well too - if I had fast computer I would use ProRes. Also HAP and DXV work good. Read what H264 codec means to understand the benefits or reasons to use it

[herlock99]

What about resolution? (720p, 480p, others?)
The "How do I prepare my media?" thread recommended 512x384 10 years ago; I'm sure there are other better pieces of advice now. I see everyone talking and working with HD, so ??

frame rate? (will it slow m8 to work with video having different frame rates (23.975, 24, 25, 29,97, 30....)

Aspect? (1.0, D1/DV NTSC 0.9091, .....)

Progressive? (I've heard this option is usually better, but I don't know for m8)


I cannot make endless tests, there must be a best option recommended by the programers. And my available hardware and situation do not allow me to do so. I'm just working home on a 15'' Macbook Pro laptop and won't see the result until the next time I perform. I don't need the best quality, most of my sources are bad, but I just need some advice on how to get

edit:

So I encoded one of my video first as I usually do and then in photo jpeg (many quality) from Adobe Premiere CS6

h264 = 1.3 Mo (reaching my quality standard, that is no difference with the source)
photo-jpeg, quality 25%, noise 1.2 = 3.2 Mo (great loss of quality compared with h264)
photo-jpeg, quality 40%, noise 1.2 = 4.4 Mo (very little loss of quality compared with h264)
photo-jpeg, quality 50%, noise 0.0 = 5.7 Mo (no visible loss of quality compared with h264)
photo-jpeg, quality 75%, noise 0.0 = 9.2 Mo (no visible loss of quality compared with h264)

my source is encoded in FFmpeg QP1: (mp4v), 1280x720, 23.976, Planar 4:2:0 YUV

when importing these different clips in Modul8, when checking file infos, there were actually very few difference as per memory use:

h264 = 1.3 Mo -> RAM preload 11.8 Mo
photo-jpeg, quality 25%, noise 1.2 = 3.2 Mo -> RAM preload 13.6 Mo
photo-jpeg, quality 40%, noise 1.2 = 4.4 Mo -> RAM preload 14.7 Mo
photo-jpeg, quality 50%, noise 0.0 = 5.7 Mo -> RAM preload 16.0 Mo
photo-jpeg, quality 75%, noise 0.0 = 9.2 Mo -> RAM preload 19.3 Mo


1. I don't really know what it means but it seems that whatever the source format, Modul8 will slightly uncompress it to use it.
2. h264 source saves a lot of hard drive space but no so much RAM memory use, but still around 40% less than photo-jpeg @ 75% quality and 25% less than photo-jpeg @ 50%

What I don't know now is what is better for modul8 as I read somewhere that h264 uses more CPU than phot-jpeg, thus the recommendation to favor the later codec. But if it means a larger RAM memory use, how can I know what will slow down my machine or create lags when performing?

Also I just bought 16GB of RAM memory to replace my original 4GB. What should I change in Modul8 preferences as for the size of preload memory which is actually factory set on 128 Mo?

[vanakaru]

It may seem complicated, but it is not too bad actually.
Modul8 as many other video apps in OS X is based on Quicktime rendering. It does mean uncompressing on a fly as far as I know. So what runs great with Quicktime does so in Modul8. However there are few specialities to VJ app as M8, that make H264 not a best choice. If you are interested you can find information about temporal compression.
It may be strange, but even after so many years PhotJPG seem to work the best for mixing, speed change, luma keying. But new fast computers can run ProRes very well too.
I arrange my clips this way in one folder: 1) original out of camera RAW(h264 or PhotoJPG usually) 2) project file AE or Premiere 3) render a clip for using in a mix PhotoJPG of a size of a projector native size - 1024x768; 1920x1080 etc plus a reference movie that I collect in a folder for specific project. If my project changes and I need different sizes clips I render these out for that project and may delete these after the show. Some people make a master clip in lossless format as ProRes, Cineform, Animation for archiving. I find it as easy to render new clip out of my project if it is short. For a longer clips rendering versus converting may not be as economical.
So few points in short
clip size should be the native size of the projector
all clips used in a project same size and framerate
framerate either 30 or 24(most likely 30) in some situations it is beneficial that you can divide framerate by 2, 3, 5
codec photoJPG at 75% quality (here you should test if HAP or DXV would run smoother)
always Progressive (square pixel) - Interlaced is obsolete TV format and causes your clips show scan lines/tearing. PAL or NTSC has no meaning in Progressive as long you do not play your clips in kinescope TV(but it has very important implication in filming under artificial light).