Flash 8 Encoding Nightmare
 

Is this normal?

I'm encoding a 4 minute, 800mb .mov made from FCS2 w/ Flash 8 and it's giving me a 26hr Estimate Time Left. I'm trying for a 400kbps vid at 24fps and 96kbps audio.

I'm on a 2.16g MacBook Pro w/ 1.7mhz ram. The .mov is on a 700g external w/ 320g free. I restarted with the same results.

I haven't yet replaced the ram w/ 3g sticks I got for Christmas, but 26hrs?!

Hi

That is way too long. Using the On2 codec on a core 2 duo pc it would take about 20 minutes or so..

Chuck

Please Help!
 

What do you think is happening? Photoshop is working fine.

I did try one change that made it somewhat workable -- I changed the codec to Sorenson Spark, but a 4 minute video still takes over two hours! My .wmv file for a similar video is 30mb, but this one is 160mb, and is a smaller picture!!!

HELP!!!

Some new info...

Check out how it plays: When I tried it, it was off the screen: www.legacyhdv.com/reesefun.swf

Something is seriously wrong.

I finally got it figured out. The only way to get a Flash file (.flv) from FCS2 is to do an Export/Quicktime Movie, then use the Flash Encoder to Add it. Then use Flash 7 High Quality 700kbps, Sorenson Spark, 24fps. Auto Keyframe, High Quality. I then use 128kbps Audio Data.

It finally works, though it pales in comparison with .wma. If anyone has any ideas quality-wise, please let me know. Otherwise, here's the fix until Apple makes up with Adobe.

Is this your final output?

http://www.legacyhdv.com/reesefun.swf

?

Yes, isn't it beautiful? No, I'm still in hell, and way past my deadline. I got it to work ONE time, but cannot seem to reproduce it.

Well if you can get a decent WMV or Quicktime Ill FLV it now and you can continue to learn.

The sample you provided has the wrong aspect ratio beside other wrongs.
It seems you do have the Flash Encoder...this is good.

Do what you did before, export the timeline to a Quicktime maintaining the current settings (and codec, whichever it was).
In Flash Encoder use Flash 8 rather than 7, with the On2 VP6 rather than the Sorenson Spark codec, which is now legacy. It looks great at 700 Kbps.
If you do scale the video, which I expect you would for web delivery, in the Crop and Resize tab also tick the "Maintain aspect ratio" box.
Also tick Deinterlace in the Video tab.
Examples of good sizes when resizing:
SD: 400 x 300
HD: 640 x 360

you can play the resulting .flv in Wimpy FLV Player or somesuch.
Embedding it in a web page is an exercise for the reader. Myself I use Joomla plus the allVideos plugin.

AHA! I figured out something huge. The one time I got it to work was on website A. When I tried videos on website B, they failed. The only difference - different server. The server that doesn't work with it has other flash files, and I think they are conflicting. Either way, I think I have a solution. Thank you for your help in this. I thought it had to be FCS2 or Flash 8.

That is strange, Normally multiple flash files should not conflict unless they are trying to be loaded at the same time on the same page possibly.

Here is a test page:
http://www.legacyhdv.com/test00.htm

There are funky lines going through it.

I exported to Quicktime Movie from FCS2, which I normally do to cut a DVD. The DVD was fine.

I then opened Flash 8 encoder and encoded Flash 8 High Quality 77kbps, On2 VP6 with default settings, resized to 476x267 w/ sound at 128. The file came out 25MB after 3.5 hours of encoding.

I'm hosting it with JW Player, which works fine on other projects.

The lines look like they are from the camera flashes only. I do not know the technical reasons for that but I think it has something to do with the interlaced nature of the camera and then it is added to because of the compression. I would suggest rendering a progressive version to make the flash video out of maybe.

Progressive render?

Option is often listed as Deinterlace :) It makes the frames whole frames rather than the interlaced lines that most NTSC TVs and cameras use.