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best export format for downconverting
Hi! I have an EX-1 and shot a wedding in 1080i and I feel as though I have tried everything and the DVD just looks awful! The picture is not sharp and seems blurry at times. I understand that I am down converting from HD to SD, but there has got to be a solution to obtain a better picture. I have read a lot of other posts and I see that others have has this problem as well. I did watch it on an SD monitor and it only looks slightly better. Another problem I have is that Compressor is not working right now-keeps saying “unable to submit to queue”….in which I have asked Apple about and they want me to bring it in. I tried reinstalling everything and that didn’t work either. So not sure what to do about that.
As for my video, what is the best format (without Compressor) to export and bring into DVDSP4 to burn a SD DVD?
Any help would be MUCH appreciated!Thanks!
Kim
2.8 Ghz Quad Core MacPro -
11 Replies
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Kimberley.The software for encoding DVD’s is, in my opinion, critical. The best one I find is BitVice which also does a high quality downscale, HD to SD at the same time as the encode, which is using VBR (variable bit rate)& by way of a double pass.Personally I don’t find Compressor encodes very good DVD’s and only use it for the preparation of the audio Ac3 file. Others may well disagree. Another factor may be that you have a ‘field’ problem. I have had occasions to use ‘Upper field first’ when it should have been ‘lower’ and the result was disasterous. It all depends on codecs used and you have to get it right. I also do a downscale within my edit software from time to time. My Media 100 edit software does a brilliant downscale and I do this if I am mastering to tape before doing a DVD. In that case BitVice doesn’t have to downscale but merely encode in SD. Can you do your downscale in your editing system without using Compressor?
Michael Slowe
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Hi Micheal,
I use FCP6, I’m not exactly sure what to do to downscale…any suggestions?
~Kim
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Hi Kimberly,
I work with EX-1 finishing in DVD with outstanding results.
The MPG-2 conversion is critical, as Michael points, but more important is first to get a good quality SD master.
Make your downscaling in FC. If you have your EX-1 sequence ready to export, drop it in a ProRess SD Anamorphic sequence. Set “Render all YUV material in High Precision YUV” and “Motion Effects Render: BEST”. Export as Self-contained movie.
If you are happy with your QT master, you can make the conversion to MPG-2.
As long as your Compressor doesn’t works, you can do it in DVDSTP. Set the DVDSTP preferences up to the quality you want and import your ProRess movie.
About your problem with Compressor, try re-installing the last Apple QMaster.
Cheers,
Rafael -
As Rafael suggests do it within your edit system but I’m not familiar with FCP but he obviously is.
Michael Slowe
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Hi Rafael,
Thanks for the info…I did all you said and it is starting to look better but it still has horizontal lines through it. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks!
Kim
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Where are the horizontal lines, in the SD Master or in the MPG-2?
Have you watch the SD master in an external monitor?
What kind of field order have your footage?
Rafael -
Rafael-I have the lines in SD master, and yes, I have watched it on an external monitor. The field order is lower (even), do you think I should de-interlace the project? Does it make a difference if its anamorphic or not?….I feel as if I’m almost there!
~Kim
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Hi Kimberly,
I really don’t understand the reason of the “lines”. You shouldn’t have interlacing problems.
Your HD sequence I guess is Upper and when you drop it in the SD sequence (Lower) it gets the “Shift-fields” filter.
The SD sequence must be Anamorphic, unless you want to crop the sides or make it letter-boxed.
Rafael -
I had the same problem when I first started using the EX1 back in February. There was a post that came out earlier in the year that explained how to do a proper down conversion using the xd cam footage.
If you haven’t got your answer yet, you can email me and I’ll get you that document.
Colin
info@blupearl.com -
Hi Colin,
Yes, the picture just doesn’t look great to me. They are little tiny lines through the picture, I have watched it on an HD monitor, and an SD monitor, and my monitor I am editing on is brand new HD monitor so I thought it would help me see the output more clearly but maybe I am doing something wrong. The encoding maybe?? The wedding was shot in Hawaii so I know the picture should look alot more sharp. Yes, PLEASE send me the document because right now I am not sure what to do. I feel as if though I have tried everything, but I am close. As you know the rendering, exporting, and encoding process is LONG! I don’t want my clients to wait any longer. Thanks for listening!
~Kim
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