User Manual

Exporting QuickTime Movies

1025

Option Description

Same as Source Select this option if you intend to use the Quicktime movie on an Avid system. When you

select this option, your Avid editing application uses an Avid codec and puts a QuickTime

wrapper around the media files (with no resolution change). This method is fast and creates

output that uses the same quality as your source files.

You should select Same as Source for your export option when you select Direct Out as your

audio format for media that includes surround sound. This allows you to export the track

assignments in your source sequence accurately.

You cannot perform a QuickTime export using the Same as Source option if all of the

material you are attempting to export is SD but the project is HD, or if all of the

material you are attempting to export is HD but the project is SD. You also cannot

perform a QuickTime export using the Same as Source option if the material you are

attempting to export does not match the raster size for the project. In these situations,

there is no valid resolution available for the export, and a message box informs you that

you cannot perform the export. You can transcode the material to a resolution

supported by the project and then perform the export.

Custom Use this option if you want the Quicktime movie to play on any system. This will require you

to use the Apple codecs to output the sequence. When you select this option, your Avid editing

application decompresses the files, processes them, and compresses the files at the requested

resolution and audio format. This method is slower and may lose quality.

When you select the Custom option, you will need to click the Format Options button. In the

Movie Settings dialog, click the Video, Settings button and choose the appropriate

Compression Type—typically H.264 or MPEG-4.

H.264 will take longer to export and is of higher quality than MPEG-4. However, it’s

usually not recommended for long sequences. MPEG-4 is a much faster export but of

lower quality (and file size) than H.264.

You might install additional QuickTime Export formats on your system. These formats appear

in the Export As menu of the Export Settings dialog box with tildes (~) before their names.

These formats have not been qualified and are not supported by Avid.

The Custom format is useful if you plan to export to an older ABVB or NuVista system.