-
HDV to DVCPro HD — transcode or recapture?
I’m going to be finishing some programs that started in HDV. There’s a good bit of chroma key work, and for that and other reasons, I intend to use DVCPro HD as a finishing format on the way to creating files that will be played back from a server to a plasma (in portrait orientation!).
My question is: does it matter whether I transcode the HDV files (I’d be using FCP 5.0.4) or re-capture them directly to DVCPro HD using component video through our AJA Kona 3 card? Instinct tells me that the original files, captured via Firewire, are as good as I’ll get, and that re-capturing won’t add quality. But on the other hand, maybe the capture-and-transcode process introduces more compression artifacts? We’d have to rent an HDV deck to re-capture, so I’m counting on those of you with experience to give me your best advice. Thanks. (I cross-posted to the HDV forum, too.)
G5 Quad, FCP 5.0.4, Mac OS 10.4.4, 4.5 Gb RAM, AJA Kona 3
Peace,
Liane -
4 Replies
-
[Liane G Rozzell] “does it matter whether I transcode the HDV files (I’d be using FCP 5.0.4) or re-capture them directly to DVCPro HD using component video through our AJA Kona 3 card”
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com -
[gary adcock] “Digitizing directly from the camera via component will give you the highest quality that you will get, hands down.”
Thanks for your response. To clarify, we have both the AJA Kona Io (has component inputs) and the AJA Kona 3. That would be the re-capturing path (Component to Io, SDI from there to Kona 3). There’s little question that we want to go from HDV to DVCPro HD.
What I understand you to say is that it’s better to re-capture than to transcode from the HDV files inside FCP. Why is that? I need to justify the time and expense of the re-capturing if we’re going down that path.
Peace,
Liane -
[Liane G Rozzell] “Thanks for your response. To clarify, we have both the AJA Kona Io (has component inputs)”
The Io is SD only not HD.
You will need to get an analog to digital converter ( aja’s HD10A works fine)
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com -
[Liane G Rozzell] “Thanks for your response. To clarify, we have both the AJA Kona Io (has component inputs)”
The Io is SD only not HD.
You will need to get an analog to digital converter ( aja’s HD10A works fine)
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up