About mpeg-2 video compression – Apple Final Cut Pro 6 User Manual
Page 1754
Chapter 19
Exporting Sequences for DVD
271
III
You can either export your DVCPRO HD–based project from Final Cut Pro using
Compressor (as described in Chapter 20, “
Using Compressor with Final Cut Pro
page 279) or export a QuickTime movie of the project and import it directly into
DVD Studio Pro.
As with SD Final Cut Pro projects, the advantage of going through Compressor is that
you have more control over the encoding process. You can choose whether to create
HD MPEG-2 or H.264 files, and you can even use distributed encoding to reduce the
amount of time the encoding process takes. For more information, see Distributed
Processing Setup, available in the Compressor Help menu.
If you choose to import your DVCPRO HD–based QuickTime movie directly into
DVD Studio Pro, the integrated MPEG encoder automatically encodes the video using
the HD MPEG-2 format.
Starting with HDV Sources
The HDV format is based on a configuration of the MPEG-2 format that is supported
by DVD Studio Pro. This means that if you acquire and edit your video in the HDV
format, it does not require transcoding before being used in an HD project. This not
only saves time, it also reduces the chances of artifacts being introduced into the
video during transcoding.
Important:
Not all HDV formats are supported by the HD DVD specification. Some
formats, although not supported, are able to have frame doubling flags set so that they
can play correctly without having to be reencoded, while others must be reencoded.
Specifically, if you import HDV files using the 720p24 or 720p30 format into an NTSC
HD project, they will be set to play at 59.94 fps using frame doubling. If you import a
720p25 format into a PAL HD project, it will play at 50 fps using frame doubling. If you
import 1080p24 or 1080p25 formats, they will be transcoded by DVD Studio Pro into
supported formats.
The ability of Final Cut Pro to natively edit HDV sources makes this workflow an
attractive way to create DVD projects using HD assets.
About MPEG-2 Video Compression
MPEG-2 is an internationally accepted compression standard developed by the
Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). MPEG-2 allows you to create broadcast-quality
video files and was designed to support high-resolution, high-bit-rate video. It is the
video compression format used for home satellite dish systems and high-quality
video titles on DVD. All DVD players contain the hardware required for MPEG-2
playback. For more information see “