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Consolidate – original video quality?
Hello,
I need to send AAF + original footage to the colorist who works on Davinci and lives in another country.
Since it’s a documentary and the materials are quite large files, I would like to consolidate only those parts we used *and to keep the files in their original video format and codec*.
When I open the consolidate dialogue in Avid 8 I see no mention of video settings.
I’ve made a small test on a shorter timeline, and then compared the original file and the new .mxf file Avid has created by opening “Media Info” on both. The original file was shot on Sony FS7.
Screenshot here: 14254_consolidatetesteilat.jpg.zip
(I have other types of video in the project, too – some shot on Sony A6500, and some digitalized from VHS tapes).
Since I’m not an expert with codecs and format, I can’t properly understand what I see in the Media Info.
Would appreciate your help!
Is it the same video format and the same quality? or did Avid re-encode it with different bitrate or different quality?
Thanks,
Eilat -
6 Replies
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Consolidating in Avid has few options exactly because it doesn’t transcode the footage.
You get the same codec wrapped in an MXF wrapper.
Transcoding is where the codec and potentially quality can be adjusted.However not all sources can be consolidated. Avid will only consolidate content it supports.
Its not normal to consolidate your sources as it can limit the graders options. Normally a list is made of all the sources used (no point sending source files not used in the edit)
And those sources collected together and sent, in a drive if need be.
Pat Horridge
Broadcast & Post Consultant, Trainer, Avid Certified Instructor
Free online Tutorials at VET digital media academy online http://vimeo.com/channels/752951
pat@vet.co.uk -
Hi Pat,
Thank you for the elaborated reply!
I have very large files in my project. For example, the largest file is 100 GB of a 1-hour long conversation, from which we used only 2 minutes.
I can’t see a reason not to consolidate it. If there’s no codec change, all the information will still be there – only the file will be 50 times smaller. How could it limit the grader’s options?
Eilat -
If Avid let’s you consolidate then it’s fine. The resultant file is identical in quality.
I qualified it because Raw formats like Red and BM can’t be consolidated. And a transcode locks in choices that can’t be undo in that media later.Pat Horridge
Broadcast & Post Consultant, Trainer, Avid Certified Instructor
Free online Tutorials at VET digital media academy online http://vimeo.com/channels/752951
pat@vet.co.uk -
Alright, I understand.
Thank you so much! 🙂 -
Referring to Pat’s comment about native RED R3D files not being able to be consolidated… while true, it is a shame that Avid has not updated its ability to do so as the SDK used in the AMA plug-in certainly allows for R3D files to be truncated to what is used + handles as new R3D files.
Michael
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[Eilat Ben-Eliyahu] ” For example, the largest file is 100 GB of a 1-hour long conversation, from which we used only 2 minutes.”
Yep ran into a few too many of those.
I gave up on lugging around files like that.
I make it a rule that if the used portion of something that large is less than 20%, then I start cutting it.
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