Final Cut to PC Issue

I am having issues with exporting my FCP short movie to a cd/dvd that will play on both Macs and PCs.

I believe I will have to have two different formats to play on each different system, but the PC version will not work. The picture is shuttering and choppy even on the mac.

I have saved in AVI, MPEG-4 and QT version to try and fix my problems, but have come up short. I know in my settings it is set for H.264, which from what I've read is largely a mac deal.

So I guess I am look for help to remedy my issue. Please walk me through it because I am new to FCP, and I am not even sure if I am saving it to the correct disk. I am saving it on a CD-R and DVD-R.

I appreciate any help. I am shocked I haven't been able to find more advice on the internet. You guys are one of my last threads to sanity.

Thanks.

H.264 is a cross platform, not Mac thing. Actually, it's the technology used in Bluray - see:

H.264/MPEG-4 AVC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and

Blu-ray Disc - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now, it's possible that the persons computer wasn't up to spec, was mis configured, requires a updated codec pack (ie: KLite or CCC pack). H.264 video should play just fine on a properly configured PC.

Now, the other thing is, you need to check your bitrate setting - you don't want/need it too high otherwise it can cause problems on slower machines, but you don't want it so low that it causes the image quality to be poor.

Otherwise, if you want to make a DVD to place on a Mac, PC or a stand alone DVD player, just export from FCE to a Quicktime Movie then import it into a tool like iDVD or MovieGate.

Thanks, more questions

Wow, I really appreciate the response. How do I check my bit rate? I am new to this so it is a bit more difficult to work with me since I am such a newb.

What would you suggest I export them to? Will FCP videos or any videos export and play off a CD-R? I wouldn't think so since it is a CD, but I'm a newb at this working with high end technology.

We are importing all this video from a Canon 5D Mark II. If that helps any.

Ok, so you imported the video from a 5DMkII and have it in Final Cut - you mention FCP (which I think I misread as FCE before lol) so you should have Final Cut Studio and all of the relevant packages in it (Compressor, Motion, DVDStudio Pro, etc.).

What I'd suggest - export the movie from Final Cut Pro to a self contained quicktime movie.

Mpegstreamclip (easier to use)

Make sure you have MPegStreamClip installed
Launch MPegStreamClip
Drag your exported video into the drop zone
Select File->Export to Mpeg 4
Adjust quality (60-100%)/specify data rate limit (2.5Mbps-14Mbps depending on resolution for HD)/etc - make sure Frame Size is Unscaled if you want them to be able to view full rez
Click Make MP4

Compressor Method:
Launch Compressor

In the upper left portion of the screen where it asks to drop the source, drag your exported video into there (the master export will most likely be very large as with FCP, using footage from a 5DMkII, it will most likely be a quicktime movie using the ProRES codec (which isn't really compatible with PCs even with the latest quicktime that supposedly can play it))
Down in the lower left there is a window called Settings where there are preset options for various output containers and codecs. I don't have my system with FCS3 in front of me (which is what I'm assuming you have - the latest version of Final Cut Studio), but there should be a job preset for a MP4 that is H.264 - at least an MPeg4 job, you can also custom create your own preset. Drag it up to where the source item is. Now in the little window next to where all the jobs are is the inspector, when you select the output job at the top, it will show its settings in there - you can look at the various compression values, audio values, etc. Adjust to taste (for example, if exporting to a 720p H.264 video, you might set a bitrate in the range of 2.5Mbps - 6Mbps - you may want to export small samples to find acceptable bitrates for your project).
Once all of your settings are good, submit the job and let it transcode the video from the output from Final Cut into the distribution container/codec.

Now after however long it takes to transcode, you should have a MP4 that has H.264 video that should be playable in:

Quicktime (Mac or Windows)
VLC (Mac or Windows)
Windows Media Player (Windows only, may require install of KLite or CCC)

If it would help I may be able to make a small screencast for you later when I'm at home.