Help with encode settings for H264 using quicktime Created Nov 3, 2009

Does it have to be mov? Quicktime really isn't the the best encoder for website media.

I am pretty new to web video. What do you mean by does it have to be mov? I am using imovie and it uses quicktime to encode to mp4 H264. But I do have apple compressor (I never used it before) I also have Final Cut Pro, Handbrake, Isquint, and a windows program on my other computer called all video converter or something like that which can do H264, flv, swf, and more.

I can take the video from imovie and convert it to .mov, mp4, m4v, or whatever and then convert into whatever? Just not sure what would come out looking the best and load fast enough.

I thought you had a specific requirement for .mov file types because you were using quicktime that's all.

If your familar with handbrake and it works for you "crashes for me lol" I would toss emm though that using x264.

I'm not familiar with imovie, but I'm running a few tests in qtpro at the moment. I'll post some settings if I can find some decent ones.

How large are you files? Do you have them hosted anywhere?

Edit: Ok qtpro + mp4 = worse than I remember. Using the .mov isn't quite as horrible but its really not ideal size wise.

Currently I use the sx264 gui, but the setup can be a pain in the ars if ur not familiar with with it.

Info @ http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=143399
download the window package @ http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4PXJQ9VX <- this link is from the above page, near the bottom of the first post.

You may want to download the latest x264 fromhttp://x264.nl/

Thanks edge for the help with this. It seems that quicktime pro just sucks for web encoding? I also have apple compressor that came with final cut pro but have never used it.

I just ran a quick sample video on handbrake and it came out pretty good so I am going to play with that.

I am thinking of buying dv kitchen by dv creators since it looks like it will do everything under the sun and easy workflow.

I will post my result of my new tests.

Also I will host these on amazon s3

I don't have handbrake installed at the moment but here's a few settings that will apply if using x264. Prolly have to poke around a little to find them but they will help with quality as long as the source is decent.

Try a smaller res than 1280x720. It will be easier for the browser to decode/watch it. And it will speed up encoding. Something like 720x480 looks great if its encoded well.

Use 2 pass mode, with somewhere between 900 and 1100k rates.
B-frames 3 Ref-frames 3.
Use Mixed references.
disable Fast P-rame skip
Adapitive b-frames decision use Optimal or if its a number choose 2 not 1/fast option.
keframes 300
Trellis 1
Adapative quantization use 2/automatic.
Curve compression or "qcomp" use 0.6- 0.7 I like 0.7

If it uses a newer x264 disable macroblocktree "mbtree" and turn on B-Frame Pyramid instead @ normal.
I usually disable Fast DCT Caculations.

Motion estimation setings.
Full Pixel precision = multi-hexagonal at 22
Sub Pixel Precision @ 7 or 9. I use 9 mostly.

It looks like dv kitchen is only for max osx. But tbh I've yet to see a gui for sale that's worth a crap. Other than adobe vp6 media encoder and that's only really good for vp6 flv's.

Take a look at some of the gui's here http://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?f=78
I highly recomend Megui and SX264. They both use the latest stable versions of x264 and can use NeroAac audio.