high res .mov export playback stutters, lags, glitchy in Quicktime

[MathewWelsh]

Hi there, I looked through your Discussions and Issues boards before posting here, but I cannot see the issue I have.

I had posted here 10 days ago with Questions relating to playback/Decode Quality while working in FCP.
Now it's time to export.

Gunning for my roughcut deadline today, I did my first-ever export, using BRAW Toolbox in FCP, and the .mov file was glitchy, laggy, stuttering when I play it (.mov file) in Quicktime.

• The project is 6k BRAW, and the timeline is running 10:30 in duration.
• Before exporting, I clicked open the first clip on the timeline, so I could change the Global Settings, switching from 1/4 Decode Quality to full quality.
• The export specs was a basic H.264, and it took 40 minutes of computer crunching to get it out.
• The exported file was 10GB.

When it was done, I played back the quicktime movie and it was a problem, as described above: stuttering, halting...

Then I compressed that 10GB .mov file in Compressor, choosing the format: Social Platforms > HD1080p. It spit out a file closer to 1GB. When THAT file was done, it played back okay.

So I'm wondering what is technically going on? For an editor newbie, any insight here would be hugely appreciated.

eventually I want to be able to export a large format high res file that does playback well. So what needs to be done?

Thanks, Mathew

[latenitefilms]

That's VERY strange. As far as Final Cut Pro is concerned, BRAW Toolbox is just a normal Motion Effect - it's not different from any other FxPlug effect - however instead of doing some kind of effect, we just replace the image contents with the BRAW frame. As far as Final Cut Pro is concerned, it just gets the image data from Apple Motion, and processes it as normal.

I can't think of any possible way that exporting a timeline that has BRAW footage has any impact on the outputted file.

The fact that you're able to convert the 10GB glitchy file to a 1GB that plays fine tells us that the 10GB is actually fine - so something weird is going on. I don't think this has anything to do with BRAW Toolbox though.

Are you working off an external hard drive? Maybe the drive you're working off is having issues?

Are you exporting the MOV via Compressor, or directly from Final Cut Pro?

[MathewWelsh]

The drive I work from is a fast SSD drive. I moved the 10GB .mov (stuttering) file to my computer for playback and it plays the same (problems). The initial export was directly from Final Cut Pro.
Then I compressed that 10GB export via compressor to a 1GB file that plays fine.

Like I say, I'll need to export some high res files at some point. I always thought h.264 was bare minimum for delivery to client for posting online, but that h.264 export was 10GB and not playing back, so I'll need to figure this out.

Thanks for your replies. Let me know if you think of something else.

BTW, thanks for the quick replies, your support on BRAW Toolbox is really appreciated by those of us who have jumped down this rabbit hole!

[latenitefilms]

That's very bizarre. I still don't really understand how BRAW Toolbox could be impacting what Final Cut Pro exports, but here's some things you could try:

• Does the 10GB file play back properly if you drag it back into Final Cut Pro?
• If you just have a single 2min BRAW Toolbox clip on the timeline and export as ProRes, do you get the same issue?
• If you render that timeline in Final Cut Pro, so that the entire timeline is rendered, and export, do you get the same issue?
• If you then disable the 2min BRAW Toolbox clip and put a Clouds Generator on top, do you get the same issue?
• If you install MediaInfo, can you open the 10GB file on it and share the output? Or can you just share the dodgy 10GB file?

I think if this was a widespread issue, I would be inundated with emails and GitHub issues, as there's now over 3.08K BRAW Toolbox users.

Apologies if you've already shared this information elsewhere but can you also please confirm:

• System Specs
• Final Cut Pro Version
• BRAW Toolbox Version
• macOS Version