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XDCAM EX 1080i50 workflow problems
I have some questions regarding issues that I’ve run into on a PAL project that I am cutting here in Los Angeles. The production was shot on XDCAM EX 1080i50. However, the production has not rented an actual PAL video monitor, so I’m trying to blindly distinguish between issues of FCP’s computer monitor compression, and actual video issues.
1) One thing that I noticed right away, when I started cutting, was interlacing problems. It had that look you get when you are having pulldown problems — two fields from two different frames mashed together. During playback, it looked fine, as long as I didn’t do any slides. But, when I went frame by frame, there was visible interlacing. So, I went into my sequence settings, and turned Field Dominance to “NONE.” Now, it looks like progressive frames, when I go through frame by frame.
When I created the sequence, I dragged a clip into it, and when FCP asked me if I wanted to change the settings to match the clip, I clicked “yes.” Why would FCP then set a field dominance, if the best setting is no field dominance? Am I right to select “None” for field dominance? The image does look a big soft, but I assume that’s just FCP compression for the computer monitor.
Moreover, my Motion projects, when I change the settings to XDCAM EX 1080i50, it gives me field dominance. Why is the Final Cut Suite doing this? Am I wrong to switch it to no field dominance?
2) When I animate stills, I am getting staggered motion when I render the Motion clip in FCP. Is this because I am working on a 60Hz monitor, in a PAL project? Can I expect this staggering to go away on a PAL video monitor? Or, do I need to change some setting to get smoother motion? It did seem to get smoother when I set Field Dominance to “None” in both FCP and the Motion project. But, I’m not sure that it’s all gone.
3) I’m getting rainbow strobing/rippling on shots, kind of like a shutter problem, particularly where the luminance value is high, such as when there is a lot of sky in the frame. Sometimes, the rainbow ripples go away when I view the shot at 100% of its original size. In all cases, the strobing goes away when I go back to the shot in the Finder, and play it back in Quicktime. Which leads me to believe that either I need to change a setting in my sequence, or that this is the result of FCP’s compression during playback. Can anybody tell me whether I need to worry about this, or whether the problem will go away on a PAL monitor?
Or, is it because the actual sky itself is different in France, and PAL simply cannot capture the atmosphere over North America?
Obviously, the best solution to my problems is to get the production to rent a PAL monitor, install a Kona card or the like in the system, and see how this stuff actually looks. But, since that is not immediately happening, if anybody can provide advice, I will be most grateful.
Thanks so much!
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3 Replies
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[Benjamin Meyer] “the production has not rented an actual PAL video monitor,”
Apart of the monitor you need a kind of video card to feed the monitor.[Benjamin Meyer] ” One thing that I noticed right away, when I started cutting, was interlacing problems.”
In a pragresive monitor you can always see “interlacing problems” when working with intelaced footage, even is there is not such problem. You need a interlaced monitor. What you see in your Mac possibly is normal.
[Benjamin Meyer] ” dragged a clip into it, and when FCP asked me if I wanted to change the settings to match the clip, I clicked “yes.” Why would FCP then set a field dominance, if the best setting is no field dominance?”
The best setting is NONE if you have shoot Progresive and you want to end up in Progresive.
If you have shoot Interlaced and you want to finish interlaced, then everything interlaced.
If you have shoot Interlaced and you want to finish progresive, you need to set NONE, and apply a de-interlacing filter to your footage.
rafael -
First thing to solve alot of your problems is to rent a PAL compatible monitor such as the Panasonic BT-LH2600W. You can purchase one for less that $5K and it will solve alot of you PAL headaches. There is NO WAY to be able to judge properly off of you Mac monitor.
[Benjamin Meyer] “When I created the sequence, I dragged a clip into it, and when FCP asked me if I wanted to change the settings to match the clip, I clicked “yes.” Why would FCP then set a field dominance, if the best setting is no field dominance? Am I right to select “None” for field dominance? The image does look a big soft, but I assume that’s just FCP compression for the computer monitor.
Moreover, my Motion projects, when I change the settings to XDCAM EX 1080i50, it gives me field dominance. Why is the Final Cut Suite doing this? Am I wrong to switch it to no field dominance?”
As for this, PAL is an interlaced format just like NTSC but at 25 fps. So… 1080i50 (the i stands for interlace) is 25 fps at 50 fields/sec. FCP and Motion are correct by adding the interlace to their sequences.
[Benjamin Meyer] “3) I’m getting rainbow strobing/rippling on shots, kind of like a shutter problem, particularly where the luminance value is high, such as when there is a lot of sky in the frame. Sometimes, the rainbow ripples go away when I view the shot at 100% of its original size. In all cases, the strobing goes away when I go back to the shot in the Finder, and play it back in Quicktime. Which leads me to believe that either I need to change a setting in my sequence, or that this is the result of FCP’s compression during playback. Can anybody tell me whether I need to worry about this, or whether the problem will go away on a PAL monitor?”
As for this… Again, its because you are watching PAL over NTSC and there is a real timing difference in the two. Just like watching true 24p through a 60i monitor, you’ll get this strobing thing happening. Your sequence is set correctly, but the Canvas or Viewer windows are going to be scaled down for best performance, thus the rainbow effect you are seeing.
[Benjamin Meyer] “Obviously, the best solution to my problems is to get the production to rent a PAL monitor, install a Kona card or the like in the system, and see how this stuff actually looks. But, since that is not immediately happening, if anybody can provide advice, I will be most grateful.”
Sounds to me that your production has a serious issue here… If you can edit this properly, they shouldn’t expect the project to look high quality because you are going to have serious problems color correcting and making proper edits. Its kinda like making you drive a VW bug to ship a truckload of products across country just to save a buck.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
https://web.mac.com/schazamproductions
https://blogs.creativecow.net/waynecarey -
Hey Benjamin
as per the other threads:
1) … I went into my sequence settings, and turned Field Dominance to “NONE.” Now, it looks like progressive frames, when I go through frame by frame … Am I wrong to switch it to no field dominance?
Yes. If you are cutting XDCAM EX 1080i50 in a XDCAM EX 1080i50 sequence then you should leave the Field Dominance set to Upper.
2) When I animate stills, I am getting staggered motion when I render the Motion clip in FCP. Is this because I am working on a 60Hz monitor, in a PAL project?
Probably, but then again I don’t have a mismatched setup with which to test 😛
3) I’m getting rainbow strobing/rippling on shots,… is the result of FCP’s compression during playback.
Yes You need to view your playback on a properly configured monitoring setup before you can make any such critical assumptions about your video
Or, is it because the actual sky itself is different in France, and PAL simply cannot capture the atmosphere over North America?
LOL
Obviously, the best solution to my problems is to get the production to rent a PAL monitor, install a Kona card or the like in the system, and see how this stuff actually looks. But, since that is not immediately happening…
if you can’t go out and rent a PAL monitor and necessary I/O gear then consider buying or borrowing (or renting?) a Matrox MXO … if you carry on as you are then you’re just pisssing in the wind and may end up smelling less than rosy
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