Uncompressed Avi export file is HUGE!

[dave3428]

When I render/export from After Effects with the uncompressed avi option selected the resulting file is massive.

exporting at 720 x 576, best quality selected, no field render, no audio, 8 bit colour.

It works out at a huge 40megs a second, so my proposed 5 min project is gonna be around 12 gigabytes.

I tried the Microsoft DV codec which although rubbish quality gave me around 3.5 megabytes a second.

I'm reluctant to use a different type of compressor for loss of quality. After I've exported from AE I want to then use a MPEG2 compressor for DVD burning.

Any thoughts?

 

[johnnytheboy]

Afraid to say that sounds about right for uncompressed video when you consider each frame is around 1.5 megs.

Just a thought, is there any reason why you can't build the MP2 (DVD) file direct from AE? chances are that would give a pretty good file size and save you a process.

Let me know what you think.

 

[dave3428]

Thats a good idea, though I can't see an option for Mpeg2 in the AE render options.

Also I hear that mpeg2 is a 'lossy' codec and that the quality is not brilliant, if this is so then why is it used for DVD's which seem to have good quality video?

I've got DVDit which I think you can use for mpeg2 conversion, do you know which is better quality AE or DVDit for conversion?

Cheers

 

[johnnytheboy]

AE would be pretty fantastic for MP2 as it is processings and encoding direct. Plus it's a fantastic program! I have mpeg encoding there but that might be because of my system set up so my advice would be to search online for downloadable mp2 codecs that could be used in conjunction with AE. Sorry I can't be of much more help there but do have a good look!

Don't worry too much about lossy compression. The idea simply means that it is loosing any unneccessary data and it is often pretty good at deciding what isn't needed. Best advice is just to have a play with small sections that contain movement and small sections that are relatively still ( you can select areas to render in AE let me know if you want to know how) and see how it looks. Do the same with DVDit and see what you prefer. You'll only really learn from playing!!!

Have fun,
John

 

[EdwardMartinIII]

Hi Dave,

Maybe what I do will work for you:

In AE, I export individual frames (usually bitmaps, but PCT files will work, too). Then, I import the frames into Premiere and export the whole timeline as a Sorenson 3 Quicktime. The quality is really pretty good. Then, I take all those frames and throw 'em in a big Zip file and store it. Bitmaps zip up quite nicely.

There are different codecs that give you different levels of quality, of course. I've heard good things about the Premiere built-in MPEG encoder and I've seen some nice quality from my Ligo MPEG plug-in.

Cheers,


Edward

"Cut a hole in the door. Hang a flap. Criminy, why didn't I think of this earlier?!" -- inventor of the cat door

 

[soniclight]

1, Any Way To Make Movie/Render to 1:1 File Size Ratio?
----------------------------------------------------------

Same .avi issue as the initiator of this thread.

I have an older version of AE (3.1), and am only using it temporarily until I get something easier to use for my non-commerical projects.

I use this freeware program called "VirutualDub" and there one can choose "Direct Streaming" when making an .avi out of another (i.e. just a segment, etc.) Choosing this, if a file is 10% of input, output file size is also 10%.

The original is already pretty grainy due to camera used, and so compressing it will just make it worse.

Q: Is there any way to have AE add effects and so on, yet still output and uncompressed file that is 1:1 file size ratio?

This is driving me nuts, for if a freeware program can do this, why can't a top of the line app. like AE do it?

Maybe rendering the effects is the issue--however: if I DON'T choose "Direct Stream" in Virtual Dub, that program balloons the files 10x or more in size just like AE does, even with no effects or plugins used (straight copy).

Help/suggestion most welcome.


2. Simple Layer Dissolve - How?
-------------------------------

Might as well toss this question in. Say I have 2 layers, and the top is 10 seconds title in duration. I want this title layer at 100% opaque for 5 seconds, then fade away during the the last 5 to 0%.

Help files talk about frame dissolves, and so I'm confused as to where or how to tell this layer to do the above described:

-- 0-5 seconds: stay 100% opaque.
-- 6-10 seconds: dissolve from 100 to 0% opaque

Specific step by step appreciated. Since I have an older version of AE, I may have to backwards-translate the instructions, but should be able to figure it out. This is pretty basic stuff, and yet I'm stumped.

----

Help on both topics very much appreciated.

 

[soniclight]

Ignore second question, I found the answer in an other part of the forum. Would have edited it out, but see no way to do so at this forum once posted

 

[johnnytheboy]

In respons to your first question, AE can output pretty much any type of output. I'm ont sure what you mean by 1:1 though... do you mean that you want it to output the same file size that you put in? I think you need to understand a little about the way AE works to see why you are getting these problems.

The file type input and the file type output are independant. Whatever you bring into AE you can apply any effects to you want (there are conditions and limitations but you will need read the manual for specifics). The way you output it is up to you. If you have the codec which you used to encode the original footage then outputting it with the same settings will produce the same file size. However if you export you sequence uncompress (which is what I understand by 1:1) then you will have a huge UNCOMPRESSED file. This output like I said is independant of you input.

In other words AE does do what your other program does but is infinitely more complicated. Recomend finding some kind of online resource to learn more about codecs or endcoding and decoding.

Sorry to be vague and not offer any concrete solution but it is worth reading around.

John

 

[soniclight]

Thanks for reply. Let me put it in the form an analogy:

-- I have AVI brand pizza weighing 350 mb I bring to the kitchen table (made by LogiTech Webcam Pizza Delivery - no extra codecs used to bake it - straight "record and save&quot.

-- I feel the pizza needs some very minor cheese trimming (20 second worth of total pizza surface), and I want the toppings to look nicer, so I brighten and tweak their colors (so the pepperoni and so on look as I wish).

Now I'm ready to take the pizza out to the dinner table-- the SAME AVI pizza that I brought in, (minus the 20 seconds and with the ovearll color enhancements.

That is: I want the same (just slightly "new and improved" AVI) pizza, NOT a Mack truck 4 gb tire size rendering of it, OR a compressed down to McDonald's 99c burger version of it, either.

Resolution, frame size, and pixels per frame have not changed, and since 20 seconds worth of frames were trimmed off, so logically, the export "weight" of this improved and just slightly less heavy pizza to dinner table should be: 350 mb minus 20 seconds worth of frames = just a hair under import/original size/weight.

-------------------------------

The logic seems simple enough to me, but perhaps one can't do this in AE, or I'm missing something here. I hope I've explained it better.


Thanks.

 

[acke187]

well obviously the in_file is compressed in some way and if u output it uncompressed its gonna be alot bigger. So find out what codec its using and compress it with that and u will end up with a file just a little bit bigger.

 

[johnnytheboy]

LOL!!!!!!

I get ya! soooooo...... To solve this I need a little info:

What is the frame size of the footage you are bringing into AE?

What is the frame rate?

what type of AVI is it? (Quicktime, windows media, blah, blah)

Basically find out as much info as you can about the file you are bringing in and set your output options to match it. Also set the composition settings to as near as possible the same thing.

It might just be simpler for you to do this in a NLE like Premier, though the output/project settings will need to be looked at in the same way...

Happy playing!

 

[EdwardMartinIII]

When the settings match, the size works. Natch.

Cheers,


Edward

"Cut a hole in the door. Hang a flap. Criminy, why didn't I think of this earlier?!" -- inventor of the cat door

 

[soniclight]

OK. Thanks. As to fancy software, got an old '97 copy of AE at computer store aa couple of years ago, just getting into it, live on tiny disability income, so don't have Fort Knox budget (i.e. Premiere)

I don't know how to find out what the little Logitech Webcam Express uses as codec, but I'll try.

Yeah, pretty pathetic for most of you high-enders, but newbie or not to digiatal video, considering what I've got for now (will graduate to better gear), my graphic design skills pull off some pretty nice art, even though a tad grainy - lol.

Hasta la next time.

 

[acke187]

G-spot is a nice little util. that can check what codecs a videofiles uses.

 

[fox6design]

What is the need for uncompressed video? Of course its huge. The only system I use that uses uncompressed video (Im at Fox6 San Diego) is a Discreet Flame system running on a Silicon Graphics dedicated system. No PC or Mac (even G5's) can handle uncompressed video. You mentioned its a presentation...

Most often we'll use "Animation" compression under AE's options, rendering as a Quicktime (.mov) file, using best quality. This is broadcast quality.

1) Everyone get Kazaa Lite (not Kazaa) and download AE 5.5 production bundle. DO IT.

2) The above question about opacity... opacity is a transition in itself. Try using a white or black solid layer overlapping footage, then fading in the black and back out as a transition in between footage. Remember to set the stopwatch (keyframe) at the beginning... AE is beautiful in that you can animate "nothing"... or rather represent a "no change" in the timeline by checking the checkbox in the timeline layer slot.

3) A five minute production is BIG. There are 29.97 (30) frames per second on TV. Thats 300 frames. REMEMBER to turn on the "action/title safe" template while working, if you plan on burning to DVD.


Damn im falling asleep

 

[fox6design]

p.s. Im not promoting piracy by talking about Kazaa, but who the hell has the money? Go ahead... consider yourself a student and learn with a downloaded version. Of all the programs at FOX and home I love AE. It takes every format from Adobe and Studio Max and Lightwave and Maya... when our Flame system is tied up (Flame and Silicon Graphics systems are industry standard, ILM etc...) we use AE with comparable results. The difference is Flame is a better compositor. I film home movies with a DV camera, plug in the connection (firewire or USB 2.0), and capture it with Premiere 6.5 (did I mention Kazaa Lite?) in seconds.

Oh yeah... BUY MORE RAM!!!

You folks out there with slower systems, upgrade!!! The cheapest way is to buy more RAM. Fill your computer to the max... you will see an immediate difference. If you can, get a graphics accelerator card. Im running a GeForce4 256 with a gig of ram, on a P4 2.4 Gig system. This is faster than a G4, and cost about $700 instead of $2000+ for Apple.

When video editing, invest. You will love the difference, and your creative juices will flow.