Posted on 03.13.09

Video Encoding Tools a Go-Go

by Travis Chandler

One of the most common problems I run into as a producer of online video is exporting issues. In a perfect world, clients would ask for (and pay for) all of the formats they would ever need up front on every project. Of course, that’s not the way it usually plays out.  It seems like every other day, I’m converting a QuickTime to an FLV or vice-versa. Compress the heck out of it for quick loading on a website, then export the largest file you can for projection at a stadium. Okay, maybe not a stadium, maybe a board room. But you get the idea.

The importance of pre-planning can’t be overstated. Knowing what your final deliverable is going to be and planning accordingly is ideal. And of course, the best case scenario is that you have your original project up and running in front of you, and it’s simply a matter of exporting the right thing. But sometimes that’s not an option. Maybe you can’t find the project file. Maybe the new computer won’t read the old file. Maybe the assets are vacationing in Fiji. Maybe the new version of the software hates you and your friends. Heck, maybe you didn’t make the original file in the first place. There are plenty of ways you might end up with an exported file that needs to be turned into a different kind of file, and that’s when you have to turn to the seedy exporting underworld. 

I’ll be the first to say that Final Cut Studio’s Compressor is capable of some amazing things, not the least of which is handling large batches of conversions so you can go get a hot dog with friends while your “work” is getting done. But it has its limitations. For one thing, it’s massively expensive. It’s also kind of confusing. Thirdly, while I hate to bash Final Cut products (because I love them so...) the darned thing crashes sometimes. Still, if you got it, it’s probably the best thing to try first.  

For those tempted to just throw the file into Final Cut itself and then export it directly from there, while that may work, it’s far less efficient. First, you’ll have to re-render the whole thing before you export it. Second, Compressor utilizes superior compression algorithms to Final Cut. Eh... I mean, it’s slower and dumber (at this). Use Compressor instead if you can.

I’ve heard great things about Episode as well, and I’m curious to try it out. But it costs $1000 and I’m not that curious. There appears to be a $500 version that can’t do H264 or DVCPRO HD, but that’s both useless to me and too expensive. I plan to make an entry soon on the alphabet soup of available codecs for exporting soon, but in the mean time, here’s my blog entry on why H264 is important.

Alternatively, here’s two free, downloadable tools that can save your hide in a crisis. Meet the Dynamic Duo of free file conversion:

• MPEG Streamclip is fantastic. Drag and drop interface, simple menu system, tons of power under the hood. And easy! Plop your problematic clip into the big space in the middle that looks kinda like a domino, pick what you want to turn the file into, and make it so! I discovered this piece of software while trying to convert an FLV into a QuickTime file. It worked fast, it worked well, and you just can’t beat the price.

• HandBrake is delightful. From its festive logo to its impressive interface, this one’s a real charmer. I find the presets extremely useful, and although the interface is a little more intense than MPEG Streamclip’s, it’s still pretty darned intuitive. This was recommended to me by a friend for an extremely tricky conversion the MPEG Streamclip couldn’t handle. HandBrake came through with flying colors and a pleasant tropical aroma.

So if you’re in a pinch, give these two a shot. They’re great at what they do, and they won’t cost you one red cent.