HD Export problem to Quicktime movie

Hi guys , need help. At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur have just videoed my nephew's wedding in HD ( for love not money). All my previous work with FCP 7 has been editing old Standard Definition videos so when I exported them as a Quicktime movie file they always come in under 4 GB so there has been no problem burning them onto a Regular 4.7 GB DVD through iDVD.
My problem is that once I export my FCP7 HD wedding the resulting Quicktime file is 42 GB . The codec is I have used in FCP7 is Apple Pro Res 422. I am wanting to put this onto a Regular 4.7 GB DVD. Can I do this by going into the sequence settings of my FCP7 movie and changing the compressor type from Apple Pro Res 422 to something else before I export as a Quicktime movie??
If yes what compressor would I use to make it fit on a DVD and would it still look ok for viewing on a TV screen??? If this isn’t the solution do you have any advice
Ps I only ever use FCP 7 to edit , then export as a Quicktime movie ,and then use iDVD to burn a DVD. I don't use Compressor as I don't understand it and have always tried to keep it simple which has worked for me at least until now.

SETTINGS ARE
DIMENSIONS – 1920 X 1080Compressor
CODEC IS – Apple Pro Res 422, Linear PCM, Timecode
Color Profile - HD( 1-1-1)
Duration - 50 minutes
I am in Australia so working with PAL system
When I export as a quicktime movie the file is 42 GB Using FCP 7
Cheers and thanks for your help and any advice
Craig

Craig,

What I do is Export a self-contained Master File from FCP 7. The last one I did was 32 GB. I put that into Compressor 3.5.3 using the Create DVD setting. In the Inspector, I set the Output Device to Hard Drive. This will create a disk image with a simple menu that you can either keep as is or just check to make sure the DVD compression works. If you want, you can use Disk Utility to burn a DVD from this disk image. OR you can take the m2v and ac3 files that you just created and put them into DVDSP4, create more complex menus and burn a DVD from there or make another disk image and burn that one. Of course, you can follow the same procedure using the FCP7 Master File with Toast with which you can create basic menus. Toast and DVDSP4 will compress your Master File as well but I've found it takes longer and offers less control of the settings.

What version of Compressor do you have?
I'm in the USA so I work in NTSC, not PAL.

Hope this helps,
Phil

Hi Phil thanks for the reply. The version of compressor that I have is 3.5.3 although as i said I have never used it . Don't know if there are any links with instructionals anywhere? I will give it a go although the time i did try to work it out I didn't get that far ,maybe I'm just thick. One more question , If i go into the sequence settings of my FCP7 movie and change the compressor type in the quicktime video compressor drop down menu from Apple Pro Res 422 to something else, then render it before I export as a Quicktime movie, is this a way of achieving the same result and quality without having to go into the COMPRESSOR program? Would you use H.264 say to get it small enough to put on a DVD or would the quality be lousy? If not H.264 what else would you try to compress it and still retain good quality for DVD play?
Thanks for your help cheers
Craig

Craig,

Don't bother with the FCP 7 drop down menu or Send to Compressor in FCP 7.
You need m2v and ac3 files to create a DVD, not h.264. Compressor 3.5.3 will do that. But first you should make a Self-Contained Export of your sequence straight out of FCP 7. It will be a large file. Open Compressor, click on Create DVD (see attachment #1), drag your exported movie file to the window (see attachment #2). You can tweak the settings in the Inspector but you shouldn't have to. I added a background pic for the menu. Then, I set the Output Device to Hard Drive and created a disk image in order to check it. You can burn a DVD from this Disk Image or put the m2v and ac3 files into DVDSP4 and burn the DVD from there.

Hope this helps,
Phil

Craig,

While using Compressor, I would click on Batch Monitor and then "This Computer" as well in order to track the progress of the compression.
See attachment.

-Phil

Hi Phil thanks again for the advice . As I said I haven’t used compressor before but will give it a go. One question though , in your reply you said
“Then, I set the Output Device to Hard Drive and created a disk image in order to check it. You can burn a DVD from this Disk Image”
How did you create a Disc image of the exported self contained Quicktime movie from FCP and how can I burn a Dvd from the disc image. Would you know of a link that might explain this?
Cheers
Craig

Hi Craig,

Look at the pictures above and pay attention to the red arrows. Below where it says, "When Job is Done", it says "Output Device". That's what you set to Hard Drive to make the Disk Image. Of course you have to designate which Hard Drive you want to create the Disk Image on. Note: it should be an external drive, not the desktop or main hard drive. You will get the m2v and ac3 files as well which you can use to create a mended DVD in DVDSP4 if you choose. Then, I open the Disk Image using Disk Utility (see picture) Of course, you must have either an internal SuperDrive in you mac or and external disk burner to do this. Follow the "Burn) instructions.

-Phil