Problems doing iMovie -> mov -> TMPGenc -> mpeg

[cubeguy]

Hi-

I'm using TMPGEnc on a PC to create an mpeg2 from a .mov; exported from iMovie using the iDVD export option in iMovie. The resulting mpeg1 and mpeg2 files I made always looked like crap (blocky, pixellated) no matter how I tweaked the various settings in TMPGEnc.

At first I thought it was an issue with TMPGEnc, but when I went to the Advanced tab in TMPGEnc and double-clicked source range to view the source video before encoding, the source video (says 720X480, 600 fps) looked like crap. So I was thinking maybe the QTReader.vfp plugin for TMPGEnc was doing a bad job. Opened the .mov in Apple's Windows QuickTime player and THAT looked like crap.

So, any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong when exporting from iMovie to a .mov using the iDVD option? Should I be using QTPro on the Mac end and creating an .avi instead, to bring over for encoding in TMPGEnc?

TIA....

[zx80]

Hey,
I'm encountering the same effect.
My pipeline is:

Hi8 analogue ->
Sony Media Converter ->
iMovie2 (G4 Cube) ->
MOV (for iDVD *or* "expert" uncompressed) ->
TMPGEnc v2.5

I've noticed that viewing the original DV file under iMovie and QT v5.0.2 on the Mac, there is little difference.
However, viewing the same MOv under PC QT Pro v5.0.2 shows all kinds of nasty artifacts.
I was wondering if I had to get QT Pro on the Mac side and do the export to AVI as you mentioned?

Is there a way to get the iMovie DV format into TMPGEnc or another encoder?

[zx80]

Update:
Converted my MOV to AVI using RAD tools.
Viewed it in Virtual Dub v1.4.8

Although the interlacing was apparent, the artifacting seems to have gone away... with a deinterlace filter it looked much closer to the original than before... of course now my file is 10x bigger or so.

Perhaps exporting as AVI from iMovie is the way to go?

[zx80]

BIG PROGRESS!

Instead of exporting from iMovie, I *imported* the DV clip file directly into QT Pro.
Huge improvement!
Artifacts are not present, things look much closer to the source DV clip.
Next, I exported to AVI, best quality.
Transferred to PC and under VirtualDub looked great.
I'm trying an SVCD and will let you know...
ZX80

[cubeguy]

Here's an update on the original post...

According to a post in Apple's iMovie forum (http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@32.rmCBaWESpE2^1@.efe1e47/6), a QuickTime movie, when exported by iMovie, has a "high quality" flag turned off by default, meaning other applications (including QT for Windows), plays back a lower quality but faster framerate version of the movie. If the movie is opened up in QuickTime pro, one can check a box under video settings to allow the "high quality" mode in other applications viewing the movie. I tried it, and now TMPGEnc works great.

[zx80]

Hey,
I made the same discovery
That solved my problems too.