Encode Final Cut MOV files for TSMuxer Conversion

Owned by BrightSign TechDocs
Jul 12, 2024
2 min read

Though BrightSign players support MOV and MP4 containers, there are specific instances where MPEG Transport streams are necessary, particularly if you are using roStreamQueue in custom BrightScript to achieve seamless file-to-file (concatenated) playback. TSMuxer lets you change a H.264 encoded MOV file produced by Final Cut Compressor to a Transport Stream. Since the video isn’t re-encoded, there should be no quality loss.

To create MOV files that are compatible with TSMuxer:

  1. Export your video content (it should be in Broadcast 1080 or 720 format for HD):

    1. Choose File > Export. Make sure the Export field is Quicktime Movie.

    2. Select Options.

    3. Select Kind = Quicktime Movie, Compressor = H.264. You can experiment with the Quality slider depending upon your content (some have found that settings as low as 50% are still very good).

    4. Click OK and use Save As to save the .mov file you want to create.

  2. Close the video preview window that may open after the file has been rendered and close Motion / Final Cut (don't forget to save your Motion file).

  3. Open the .mov file in the finder to play it back (it should open with Quicktime Player).

  4. Press Pause / Stop to stop playback.

  5. Choose Window > Show Movie Properties. In addition to your video track, there are one or two other tracks along with this file. There may be a Text Track and/or an unknown track with the file's name. These are the unnecessary tracks that confuse TSMuxer.

  6. Select the video track (the format will be H.264) and select Extract. If your video has audio, select the audio and video tracks together. This feature is only available with Quicktime Pro, which comes with Final Cut Studio. You can also purchase an upgrade separately from Apple's website.

  7. A new video window will open with your video with the header "Untitled". Select Save As and choose a new file name. You won't be able to use the same name as the original .mov file.

  8. Open TSMuxer, click Add, and select the new extracted file.

  9. Click Start Muxing. The .ts file will be created. This file can be played back directly using the BrightSign player.

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