• Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

  Workflow & Picture Quality Question – P2 vs HDV?

  Posted by Markford Astina on October 4, 2006 at 10:36 am

  Ok, so firstly (I may be openning a can of worms here) – so for that I apologize in advance. 🙂

  So here we go:

  Over the past month or so, I have read several answers to posted questions here at CC regarding quality with regards to the workflow and quality of pictures arrived from HDV and P2.

  This post aims to get an answer for the question as to which of the two formats can yield the highest picture quality.

  The material in question would be put through the most rigorous paces – heavy compositing & color correction. Well basically all sorts VSFX (transitions, wipes, and dissolves included) and digital grading.

  One of the workflows for HDV (from Greame Nattress):
  Edit all in HDV then bump it up to uncompressed upon render.
  and/or
  Capture all HDV materials through SDI to an uncompressed format

  Another HDV workflow which starts at production (from Uli Plank):
  Capture directly from the Cannon’s SDI output (on set) and record straight to your uncompressed SDI card.

  Questions:
  Is there similar workflow for P2?

  Meaning would you be able to capture P2 through an SDI card?
  Would you need to?
  Or would converting your P2 DVCProHD materials to uncompressed (in the computer) yield the same results (since it’s already digital files)?

  Which one would yield a higer quality uncompressed picture for heavy post –
  An HDV originated material captured through SDI (4:2:0 origination)
  or
  Panasonic material converted to uncompressed (4:2:2 origination)

  And with regards to Uli’s suggestion – Is the signal coming out of the canon 4:2:2, 4:4:4 or stil 4:2:0?

  And if you have a better workflow, which yields a better picture quality from either of the two formats – what is it?

  Your thoughts and ideas would be great.

  Shane Ross replied 19 years, 7 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  Shane Ross

  October 4, 2006 at 10:55 am

  [Markford Astina] “Meaning would you be able to capture P2 through an SDI card?
  Would you need to?”

  No…you can’t. You import the footage using the P2 import option. Then you work with it at DVCPRO HD resolution, if that is how you shot it.

  [Markford Astina] “Or would converting your P2 DVCProHD materials to uncompressed (in the computer) yield the same results (since it’s already digital files)?”

  Same results as…what? The SDI import that you can’t do? Why would you do that? Import at DVCPRO HD resolution, and then use the Kona 2 to export that as any format you need.

  [Markford Astina] “Which one would yield a higer quality uncompressed picture for heavy post –
  An HDV originated material captured through SDI (4:2:0 origination) or Panasonic material converted to uncompressed (4:2:2 origination)”

  DVCPRO HD. Better colorspace to begin with. Better format from the start…no interframe issues.

  Capture DVCPRO HD (or import) edit DVCPRO HD then output as whatever format you need via the Kona 3. If you don’t have a Kona 3, then you need to upconvert to a format that your HD card can output.

  Shane

  Littlefrog Post
  http://www.lfhd.net

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