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JulianGPublicInfo
JulianGPublicInfo
Known Participant
May 16, 2022
Answered

Question about Previews and Mastering Codecs

  • May 16, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 2041 views

Hello all,

 

I am wondering about the use of exporting to h.264 when setting my previews codec to Quicktime DNxHR HQX at UHD resolution. The workflow is as follows:

 

1. Shoot, via a Ninja V, in DNxHR HQX

2. Import files and set the "Video Previews" codec to DNxHR HQX in "Sequence Settings"

3. Render the entire project at various stages

4. Export a master file at DNxHR HQX

5. Export a deliverable file at H.264

 

My question is, can I hit "Use Previews" in the export dialogue box when I am exporting an H.264 file from my timeline, if everything is rendered using DNxHR HQX preview files? Or should I leave that unchecked, because preview files are lower grade? Furthermore, is it better to create an H.264 file from the DNxHR HQX master file I made at stage 4, or should I stick to exporting everything from the timeline no matter what?

 

Lastly, is there a better mastering codec than DNxHR HQX that I should be using (I keep reading about GoPro Cineform, for instance) or should I stick with DNxHR HQX if that's the format I shot in?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer John V Knowles

Hi, your workflow actually looks really good -- except for step 5. You are correct in that you should just export the H.264 file from your master file export; just drop it into Media Encoder and select your H.264 preset. The nice thing is that this transcode will go a lot quicker than exportng it from the timeline.

 

To answer your question though, I personally find it helpful to check "use previews" even on H.264 exports (provided I have chosen a good finishing codec for the sequence previews). While it may not speed up the export drastically, it gives you the piece of mind that whatever is exported will match what you see on screen with no surprises. 

Finally, I prefer to work with ProRes myself but in your case I think it makes sense to match your source footage. 

2 replies

S
Steve Griffiths
Inspiring
May 18, 2022

Just adding to John's perfect advice;

Generally use the highest (reasonable) codec for output ... but also it's often good to match the output specifications for your delivery platform.

In our case (at a broadcast network) it's either AVC-Intra100 or DNxSQ. Premiere Pro templates for various shows are set to preview render to the codec required for delivery to speed up exporting and avoid transcoding later.

If a show is delivered well in advance and goes into the 'on-air' system it's AVC-Intra. For fast turnaround shows that played out via EVS, then it's DNx.

I'm not suggesting these are right for you - just that delivery specs can be variable and it's worth knowing what the preferred formats are.

 

 

    J
    John V KnowlesCorrect answer
    Braniac
    May 17, 2022

    Hi, your workflow actually looks really good -- except for step 5. You are correct in that you should just export the H.264 file from your master file export; just drop it into Media Encoder and select your H.264 preset. The nice thing is that this transcode will go a lot quicker than exportng it from the timeline.

     

    To answer your question though, I personally find it helpful to check "use previews" even on H.264 exports (provided I have chosen a good finishing codec for the sequence previews). While it may not speed up the export drastically, it gives you the piece of mind that whatever is exported will match what you see on screen with no surprises. 

    Finally, I prefer to work with ProRes myself but in your case I think it makes sense to match your source footage. 

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------JVK | Editor/Designer/Software Instructor. Pr, Ae, Ch, Ps, Ai, Id
    JulianGPublicInfo
    JulianGPublicInfoAuthor
    Known Participant
    May 17, 2022

    Thank you for your response! My question then would be, is the codec I listed in my original post, DNxHR HQX, a good finishing codec for the sequence previews? And exporting a master file to DNxHR HQX using those same previews won't degrade it? (I unfortunately cannot tell on my monitor -- but I'd like to maintain best practices nevertheless).

     

    Also, I work primarily on PCs. Would ProRes be recommended no matter what, now that Premiere and PC can create ProRes files, or is it still recommended to work with non-Mac properties on a PC?

    J
    John V Knowles
    Braniac
    May 17, 2022

    Here's a good article that lists the DNxHR and ProRes codecs by level of quality: 

    THE ULTIMATE DNXHR AND PRORES GUIDE

    You'll see that HQX is listed as a finishing codec, so you're fine. And the fact that you're matching your source codec also means that you won't see quality loss. Note that HQX is 4:2:2 so it's not the highest quality level (444 is) but unless you're doing heavy VFX or graphics work you probably won't see any benefit from bumping up to 444 -- it will just be a bigger file. 

    (Note that H.264 is not a finishing codec, only a delivery codec for web/streaming. Always good to keep a high quality master file.)

    As for ProRes vs DNxHR, I think that's up to personal preference. You can use ProRes on PCs with no issues as the codec is bundled with Adobe. You might run into issues if you have to send a file to another PC user and they can't open it without Quicktime; DNxHR seems a bit more universal (though I personally see a lot of specs calling for ProRes masters, and pretty much any place doing video work has Macs around). One format I would NOT use on PC is AVI. It's an older codec and Macs can no longer read it, so sharing those files are a nightmare.

     

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