Final Cut Pro 6 - Advanced QuickTime Video Settings for Capture Presets

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the clip.

 If no dropped frames are reported, recapture the same clip, raising the data rate by

1 MB/sec. each time, until the clip you capture reports dropped frames.

When a message appears saying frames were dropped, you’ve reached the maximum
data rate for your equipment.

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Part IV

Settings and Preferences

Compression Tab

The settings available in the Compression tab depend on the codec chosen from the
Compressor pop-up menu.

Motion Settings
 Compression type: This pop-up menu has the same codec choices as the Compressor

pop-up menu in the QuickTime Video Settings section of the Preset Editor window.

 Frames per second: Choose a value to specify the number of frames captured per

second. This value is the same as the FPS field in the QuickTime Video Settings
section of the Preset Editor window.

 Key frame every N frames: Even though QuickTime supports temporal compression

using keyframes and in-between frames, you should not select this option
when capturing.

 Limit data rate to N KBytes/sec.: Some codecs allow you to enter a target data rate for

your compressed QuickTime file. The codec may use a combination of spatial (per
frame) and temporal (across multiple frames) compression to try to reach your target
data rate. Be aware of your frame size and frame rate so you don’t set an impossible
goal and get disappointing quality in the visual image. This is identical to the Limit
Data Rate field in the QuickTime Video Settings section of the Preset Editor window.

Click Compression.

Specify the

desired settings.

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Chapter 25

Capture Settings and Presets

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IV

Compressor Settings
 Depth: This option is not available for all codecs. Choose a color bit depth for

captured video. Third-party codecs may have several options. For more information,
see the documentation that came with your video interface.

 Quality: This is identical to the quality slider in the QuickTime Video Settings section

of the Preset Editor window. Adjust the slider to determine the image quality for your
video. Lesser image quality yields lower data rates, while higher image quality yields
higher data rates.

Note: For DV, make sure this slider is set to Best.

 Options: This button is not available for all codecs. When available, you can click this

button to make further codec adjustments.

There may be additional settings available for specific codecs.

Source Tab

The settings available in the Source tab depend on the video interface connected to
your computer. You can choose from a list of available inputs on video interfaces
connected to your computer.