-
Slightly OT/ BetaSP and Digibeta side by side
I have an upcoming post project that will mainly consist of digibeta source footage. To save a few $$ during production, the producer is wondering if the ENG aspect of the shoot is shot on BetaSP, how will it look intercut with the digibeta studio footage.
I’ve worked with a whole lot of SP footage, but not so much digibeta. How do the two look side by side? I would assume the digibeta will look ‘crisper’, but having not worked on a project using both formats at the same time, not sure if it will “stick out” when cut between.
The plan is to capture/post Prorez HQ
Anyone out there who has worked with SP and digi in the same timeline care to share their thoughts/experiences? Do the two intercut well, or is one going to seem slightly soft when cutting from one to the other?
Both the studio footage and ENG footage will be shot at the same location.
Colin McQuillan
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig…. -
17 Replies
-
[Colin McQuillan] ”
I’ve worked with a whole lot of SP footage, but not so much digibeta. How do the two look side by side? I would assume the digibeta will look ‘crisper’, but having not worked on a project using both formats at the same time, not sure if it will “stick out” when cut between.”DigiBeta is much cleaner with much richer colors. It can also be much more contrasty if the shooter is not good with the camera in high contrast situations. The BetaSP footage will generally look washed out next to Digi material particularly since the blacks are lifted. If you drop the blacks down to zero they will be closer.
A lot depends on the shooter and how good of an SP camera you’re using. The better the camera and shooter, the closer the two will match.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!
-
Beta SP looks soft when compared side by side with DigiBeta, so its not a great idea to intercut them shot for shot within the same scene.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
-
Also if I’m not mistaken, BetaSp only has 340 lines of vertical resolution where Digi is full 486
-
I was shooting a concert on dbeta and for some reason we had to record one camera to BetaSP, once you put them together you notice how much nicer dbeta is, like others have said, sharper, brighter colors and better in the blacks. Sometimes trying to safe a few bucks in production ends up costing you more in post.
-
Yes you are mistaken. All NTSC video has 486 lines. Even DV, which of course has 6 black lines plus the 480 image lines.
-
[Michael Sacci] “Sometimes trying to safe a few bucks in production ends up costing you more in post.”
I hear you there.As my gut said when they first mentioned this, I’ll definitely be advising they stick to one format.
Thanks guys,
Colin McQuillan
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig…. -
Yes digibeta is better but in end your broadcast is going to be compressed and your resolution limited to 300 anyways. We have a station that broadcast our IMX50 tape through direcTV and a local station that airs a beta tape over DTV. The Beta Tape looks so much crisper over DTV than the IMX through DirecTV, although the IMX is so much cleaner and crisper than the Beta in Post. So if money is an issue go with Beta Sp.
-
[Bret Williams] “Yes you are mistaken. All NTSC video has 486 lines. Even DV, which of course has 6 black lines plus the 480 image lines.”
ah….
sorry not correct- NTSC is 525 lines due to the overscan you are not mentioning.
there are 486 active lines but 525 total lines of video.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Inside look at the IoHD -
[Devin Crane] “digibeta is better but in end your broadcast is going to be compressed and your resolution limited to 300 anyways”
Yes Devin, perhaps true
But I’d know, and that would make it hard for me to sleep at night.
In my opinion, the show needs to look as good as humanly possible in my NLE long before broadcast when the guy with the checkbook is sitting beside me signing off on it! I’d prefer not be explaining compression and 300 lines, how once to air it will all smooth out and so on!
Colin McQuillan
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig…. -
You do realize the 300 lines you’re referring to refers to discernible horizontal resolution, not number of vertical lines, right? Vertical resolution is fixed, otherwise interlacing would be moot.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up