What is the new replacement codec for quicktime h.264

[BrandonKirchhofer]

What is the new replacement codec for h.264 since adobe officially removed it. When you go to export -> quicktime -> codec h.264 is removed. Does anyone have a replacement codec to use. (STILL UNDER QUICK TIME) i do not want a quality loss going over to mp4.

[title edited by mod for clarity]

[R Neil Haugen]

You could try QuickTime with the Cineform YUV 10 bit preset, then leave it there or go down below to the Video tab and select the DNxHD/R flavor you'd prefer.

May not be your preferred choice, but you'd still get the QT mov file format.

Neil

[modilefalck]

There is no difference in quality between mp4 and QuickTime H.264.  Its the same codec, in a different container.  There are valid reasons for wanting a .mov container, but image quality isn‘t one of them.

[Steve_Hoeg · Accepted solution]

That’s correct, select h.264 as the top level export format and it will be a QuickTime compatible file. The mp4 spec as based on mov.

[BrandonKirchhofer]

i dont need quick time compatable and a lower res file. I need a uncompress format. MP4 is compressed. the quicktime h.264 was so much cleaner. or i would just use the lower res file mp4

[alex_gold77]

I don't find this helpful.

In the 2019 CC update, AE no longer has any H.264 video codec, even though the Quicktime format remains.

I am forced to render via Media Encoder which takes ages to load & significantly slows down my project workflow.

Editing video for social media & live streaming, I am looking for the highest possible quality video file with the lowest possible file size, compatible with the maximum number of devices.

Can you please suggest another alternative export preset?

In my research, I found the following to be the most ideal settings (but now, this no longer exists as an option...):

Format: Quicktime

Video Codec: H.264

Field Order: Progressive

Aspect: Square Pixels

Advanced Settings: Key frame every 90 frames

Bitrate Settings: Limit data to 10,000 kbps

Audio Format: AAC

Sample Rate: 44,800 Hz or 44,100 Hz

Audio bitrate settings: 128 kbps

Thank you!

- Alex

[Jim_Simon]

I am looking for the highest possible quality video file with the lowest possible file size, compatible with the maximum number of devices.

MP4 file using H.264 codec is by far the most ubiquitous.

[Wade_12345]

I agree with your assessment alex_gold77. Very frustrated here in Detroit. Steve Hoeg can you expound on the Output Module Settings popup screen and under "Format Options." The Video Codec H264 has been removed. What should be used for Custom:QuickTime?

Thanks

[R Neil Haugen]

Would a ProRes flavor of Qt work? As that is available in both Macs & PCs now ...

Neil

[Jim_Simon]

The Video Codec H264 has been removed. What should be used for Custom:QuickTime?

You don't change the codec, you change the container.  Get rid of QuickTime, use MP4 and H.264.

[murmer]

People keep recommending MP4 but I don't see that option anywhere, on a brand new install.  Not in "Format", not in "Format Options".  Maybe that's just a Windows luxury?  Welcome to capitalism.  The consumer is always whatevs.

[Roland Kahlenberg]

You select H264 but this is only available in AME and not in AE.

[Jim_Simon]

MP4 is the file format you end up with when you select H.264 as the Format.

[BrandonKirchhofer]

you must not have exported quicktime h.264 compared to the presets they have for mp4. They is a huge difference and if you cant tell you may need to re look at your footage.

Im looking to get the highest quality out of my export. My needs are far past youtube. So settling for lower quality mp4 file is unacceptable.

[BrandonKirchhofer]

If i am wrong about .mp4's Please guide me through the propper export that is quality lostless and still a .mp4

Thanks

[Jim_Simon]

MP4 won't be lossless.  But neither is an MOV file using H.264 codec.  It fact at the same bitrate, an MP4 and an MOV would be identical.  The only difference is the format, with MP4 being far more common.

If you want H.264, choose H.264 under the Format, and Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate under the Preset.  This will be an excellent quality deliverable.

If you want lossless for further editing or effects work, you can choose QuickTime as the Format and Animation under Video Codec.  You can also choose Uncompressed or None as the Video Codec for both QuickTime and AVI formats.

Lossless might be overkill, though.  Cineform, DNx and ProRes are not technically lossless, but they are very good for continued editing and effects work.

[BrandonKirchhofer]

Thanks ill give animation a try.

If you choose h.264 as your format the select any of there presets. My final video export size was 70mb if i chose match source and not chose a preset the file size drops to 50mb. why do i want a file compressed that low? Im not doing this to save on my phone or for youtube. Im doing this for big screens and displays all around my company so we dont want a compressd .mp4 i want my crisp .mov h.264 file

when i export with quicktime. I see great quality improvement and the files were not crompress down to 70mb. it saved at 1.7gb leaving me with way more information than the .mp4

[R Neil Haugen]

Why didn't you just go down the dialog and up the bitrate settings for the H.264? Quick and easy. Make a custom preset at exactly the settings you want.

Neil

[BrandonKirchhofer]

I didnt do that becuse like ive been stating before i want a tru quick time h.264 .mov. i already know about this way to save. but i dont want my video that compressed. even with raising the bit rate. you just creating a better low res file. But its not not as crisp as a tru quick time h.264 was.

The only option at this point seems to save at a slightly lower file format. since adobe comepltely removed quicktime h.264 with no similar replacements.

Thanks for sugestion but im looking for my tru quality. When you export .mp4, It might look fine on your phone, or even uploaded to youtube since they compress the video aswell. I need to send my video to professionals detailed eyes, huge monitiors that are seen by thousands of people a day! I am lookinng for the best possble quality.

But ill just have to settlle with crappy .mp4

[Steve_Hoeg]

Legacy QuickTime7 h264 is compressed too. The mp4 spec is based on the mov spec. What we're generating is a QuickTime compatible h.264.

Steve Hoeg

Sr. Engineering Manager

Adobe Professional Video

[BrandonKirchhofer]

if its the same wouldnt the final file size similar as well. I dont understand how you keep saying they they are virtualy the same. yet mp4 give me a file size a tenth of what the .mov quick time file would give me.

Mp4 file is not idea for using to edit later, or effects. it doesnt hold any information. So how are they pretty much the same?

Being compatible for playback is not my concern. HOLDING ON TO INFORMATION IN MY VIDEOS ARE PRIORITY!

Please feel free to export a file under mp4. and the same under quick time . then tell me they are the same. But from my past experience they are not the same!

[R Neil Haugen]

Your whole complaint has been about the compression to a smaller file size due to a higher compression setting in the included preset.

I pointed out that by changing the bit-rate settings and saving that, you would have the same file-size, hence compression.

You refuse to do the one thing that would get you the exact same result you say you want.

I'm ... puzzled. mov/mp4 are, as noted, just containers. Neither natively better nor worse.

Neil

[Jim_Simon]

we dont want a compressd .mp4 i want my crisp .mov h.264 file

You're still under a misconception here.

MP4 and MOV are the file formats.  They have no effect on the quality at all.  None.  Zip.  Nada.  Zero.  Zilch.

The codec and it's settings will determine the quality.  H.264 is the codec.  It can be created as an MP4 file, or as an MOV file.  (It can also come out as an MXF file.)

But it's the same codec.  And with the same settings, it would be identical quality for both MP4 and MOV formats.

See?

[BrandonKirchhofer]

What it seems that i have learned is that there is no tru replacement for the codec adobe just removed. I will install a old version on another machine and export on it when needed. and for everyhting else ill just use .mp4 with the biterate cranked up to the max!

Thanks for all the feedback! Ill just hope they bring that codec back!

[Roland Kahlenberg]

Your filesizes being different is very likely due to different compression settings. If you want your H264 (MP4) to look much like the quality you have on your timeline, then choose CBR (constant bitrate) with a bitrate setting of between 25-35 MBps. For a more forgiving pair of eyes, 15MBps is a good target.