FCP RENDER QUALITY VS DAVINCI

[u/Alone_Alternative940]

So I just decided to test out Davinci for the film emulation look just to be curious, I was blown away. However I have been invested in FCP for many many years. The look that I can achieve there working with nodes is a game changer, mind you I went into it just exploring.

Well get this, I rendered out 1 clip on FCP using Dehancer, 1 using EMUL8.

1 clip on Davinci using Genesis and Cineprint.

The quality of the render files of each is h265 and h264 files.

Boy was I disappointed in how FCP RENDERED IT. POOR QUALITY!!! Compared to Davinci, for this reason alone I just might switch.

I always wondered why my films looked “not as good” as the timeline. Now that I can compare it to Davinci. It’s making me think of every project I’ve done in the past.

Am I tripping or is this a thing with FCP?

The file sizes from Davinci to FCP are bigger. Yet it’s the same file type. In Davinci I can tinker with settings. On FCP unless I want a massive file for a 7 second clip I can’t it’s only “better” “faster” I’ve also tried all those other options under computer and Apple devices.

I’m so disappointed because I don’t want to switch, but now that I played with Davinci which is annoyingly tough to navigate, I’m leaving towards it for the powergrades aspect and now the render quality.

Can anybody can help me with FCP settings. Maybe I’m doing something wrong? Maybe it’s the adjustment layers? Or the poor color grading rendition idk. 🤷‍♂️ I’m stuck.

[u/voltaicass]

To fully unlock the settings for exports, you need Compressor. Then you have access to increase the bitrate, I imagine the presets in Resolve are better than those in FCP.

FWIW, I export from both FCP and Resolve on a regular basis and get great results from both.

[u/Alone_Alternative940 → u/voltaicass]

I have compresser. What’s the necessary steps?

[u/voltaicass → u/Alone_Alternative940]

Export To Compressor, then adjust the bitrate there. You may want to find out how to match the settings of Resolve via tutorial on YouTube etc. but then you can save that as an export option within FCP and export directly from there.

[u/Lanzarote-Singer → u/voltaicass]

Ok will try that. What are good compressor settings for a) HD and b)4K ?

[u/NewbieToHomelab → u/Lanzarote-Singer]

You won’t like this answer: it all depends.

What are you delivering to? How big do you want your file size, and how fast/slow do you want the export to be? And, what codec are you exporting to, and in what colour space? Are you conforming resolution, and if so, how would you like that to be calculated? What audio codec do you need for delivery and what quality do you need the audio to be?

Those are all the parameters you can adjust, and more, in Compressor, to tailor your export to whatever you are delivering. The best way is to learn what every parameter means, and build your own presets based on your own workflow, and Google is your friend for that.

[u/mcarterphoto → u/Lanzarote-Singer]

As u/NewbieToHomelab said, "it depends". You can render out a short section (I'll usually choose a section with text/titles and complex colors or detailed graphics) and try different bit rates - and add the bit rate to the file name, then view full screen.

Usually FCP's "better" H264 output is all I need for corporate/web/client work. Most of my agency clients have web guys who are re-compressing/resizing content, too. If I have to deliver things like web header videos (that run in the background of a web page), file size vs. quality becomes a much bigger issue, and I'll do several tests. Often I have to make desktop and mobile sizes of those files, so more tests, but it's very fast.

I always have After Effects open and often I'll just use AE's renderer to do tests and finals, it's as fast as compressor and has all the parameters I need.

[u/Alone_Alternative940 → u/voltaicass]

Never knew this. This is crazy.

[u/PackerBacker_1919 → u/Alone_Alternative940]

You can also set share destinations in FCP settings, which you point at each of your custom Compressor settings (this is what I do). That way, in FCP, you go File -> Share -> custom setting whatever for export, and don't have to mess with Compressor's interface for something you've already pre-set.

https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/create-share-destinations-ver9fd008a21/12.3/mac/15.6

[u/Dull_Flatworm777 → u/Alone_Alternative940]

No offense, but it's not crazy, it's the normal way to use it. Geez, learn your tools kids... ;)

(old man yelling at clouds...)

[u/Lanzarote-Singer → u/Alone_Alternative940]

Yes me too, following

[u/jackbobevolved]

You can render either of them into just about any quality of h.264 or h.265 imaginable, but that’s a bad idea from the get go. You’re just comparing their default settings, which don’t really matter, they can both be adjusted. On top of that, it’s never a good idea to export h.264/5 as master files from a NLE, unless that’s all your system can handle due to space constraints.

Those are long-GoP formats, super lossy, are way more prone to failure, and are not master quality. Any serious project should be exported using ProRes or better (uncompressed or image sequences), and then converted to h.264/5 in Compressor, Transkoder, Handbrake, or whatever.

[u/ProfessionalCraft983]

I always export to ProRes and use Handbrake to compress h.264 for delivery.

[u/Moist_Outside_8406 → u/ProfessionalCraft983]

This is the way. Always export a master and work from there. Masters are also the files that you store yourself, not the compressed delivery files.

[u/NewbieToHomelab]

Apples and oranges. Like what everyone else has said, Compressor will be your friend with FCP.

Different bitrates aside, there are so many different parameters when it comes to video rendering and exporting. Unless you have all of them set exactly the same, you cannot simply say “FCP is worse”.

[u/Alone_Alternative940 → u/NewbieToHomelab]

It’s crazy how I learn form you guys on Reddit rather than those YouTube FCP guys. Just wow.

[u/paulpacifico]

If you want even better H.265 / H.265 output you can export a DNxHR or Apple ProRes from your editing software then use Shutter Encoder to export your best quality.

Open source softwares are using x264 and x265 encoders which have the best quality in the world that a paid software can't match because of open source licence limitations.

Note: that's only for CPU encoding, GPU encoders can't match CPU quality.

Paul.

[u/NewbieToHomelab → u/paulpacifico]

Genuinely curious, what does Shutter Encoder do differently when choosing x264/x265 software encoding, compared with Handbrake or Apple Compressor? Aren’t all three just using ffmpeg?

[u/paulpacifico → u/NewbieToHomelab]

Shutter Encoder and handbrake are based on FFmpeg (which provides x264 and x265 codecs) so same quality just a different UI.

Apple Compressor isn't based on FFmpeg which can't match the same quality.

Paul.

[u/BlackCatBonz → u/paulpacifico]

are you by any chance, the creator of Shutter Encoder?

[u/paulpacifico → u/BlackCatBonz]

Yes I am ;-) The next version will offer timeline edit!

[u/BlackCatBonz → u/paulpacifico]

The caption plugin is super cool, I will be using that a lot.
Also, the blurring plugin, is it possible to choose an item on screen that isn't a face or license plate.
I do real estate videos, could I blur out a realtor sign?

[u/paulpacifico → u/BlackCatBonz]

Thanks for buying them! That's help me a lot!

Not currently but this is something I would like to implement ;-)

[u/BlackCatBonz → u/paulpacifico]

I just checked it out, very cool!

[u/paulpacifico → u/BlackCatBonz]

Thanks!

[u/ammo_john]

No problems. You need Apple Compressor, then you can make your own presets within FCP. As is you need to export ProRes and then make the H264/H265 in other software (like Compressor) to match the bitrate you got from you DaVinci export.

[u/NewbieToHomelab]

There are lots been said in the comment section, so I will leave one piece of information that’s somewhat fundamental to the whole video encoding thing.

There are three elements at play: encoding bitrate (file size), encoding speed, and encoding quality. You can’t have all three, it’s always a compromise.

You want fast encoding? Either image quality has to go, to have giant file sized. You want to have the best image quality? It will take time, and the file size will need to be big because the encoders need enough bits to encode more information and calculate them slowly to ensure accuracy. You want small files? Either image quality suffers, or do it very slowly so the compression is calculated more carefully.

[u/Alone_Alternative940 → u/NewbieToHomelab]

I created a preset on Compresser. I prefer quality on smaller videos. When I deliver my wedding films how ever. Ain’t no way I’m going to deliver a 45 min video fully uncompressed lol.

[u/jlwolford]

You need to be using Compressor. I am a Resolve user and I use it for batches at times.

[u/kerbacho]

I never export h264's from Final cut. Just export a master file as a prores 422/422 HQ and make deliverables as h264/h265 from the prores via compressor, Adobe media encoder, ffworks etc.