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Encode an HDTV TS File?
A client wants something delivered on a DVHS tape. The deck was a measly $300 so I ordered one instead of paying the same amount for a dub (and spending an hour finding a place that has one).
Is there a fast and easy way encode a TS file for it from Final Cut and record it to the tape over firewire? I know there’s ways to do it on a Windows PC, but it’s a big pain and I’d have to learn 3 different programs.
I noticed the new Compressor has MPEG-2 HDTV settings. Will that work?
Sean
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5 Replies
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Compressor might be able to do it but “fast” is not part of the equation. Compressor can be rendered in a farm using QMaster but no one has ever figured it out. You could be the first.
If you get some spare time, please answer this for the rest of us who are gradually getting into the new formats:
Why do you need a TS file? Can’t you go out of FCP directly to the deck and let it handle the recording? Unless you have HD footage in an HD sequence (or anything beyond SD), all you’re going to get with a high def encoder is really sharp and really big pixels.bogiesan
This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”
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Thanks. The piece is only 6 minutes so I’m not worried about long compression times. Q-Master is confusing as hell, but there’s a nice and simple PDF in Compressor’s Help menu that gets you up and running with it if you just use it for Compressor and not Shake or anything else.
My understanding though is that the M2V and AC3 files need to be “muxxed” a special way to work on a DVHS tape. So I may not be able to do it on a Mac.
The footage is HD in an HD sequence. That’s why the client wants it in a consumer HD format so that it can be shown at retailers. Now that I think about it, DVHS is still the only consumer HD format as of right now that doesn’t involve hooking a computer up to a TV.
Recording via component will be my last resort (I have a Blackmagic Multibridge). That’s not the right way to do it though. It introduces an unneeded analog conversion and I doubt the built-in encoder on a $300 deck is any good.
Sean
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Ok, finally figured it out. I had to buy LumiereHD. It’s the only easy way to do it. The deck actually doesn’t have analog inputs so Firewire is the only option.
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Cool. Thanks for closing the post with some helpful information.
I’ve seen this Lumiere product discussed before but I know nothing about it.bogiesan
This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”
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Yes. And to be thorough, you don’t NEED to buy Lumiere (which seems like it’s dead since FCP 5 now supports HDV natively). There is a way to do it for free. The Apple Firewire SDK (free download from Apple) contains a little program called “DVHSCap” which is pretty easy to use and lets you copy to and from a DVHS deck. But encoding a proper TS file that actually works was not so easy. So I went ahead and bought Lumiere and that worked fine. Just be aware that there is a way to do it for free, I just couldn’t figure out how.
Sean
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