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sequence settings DVCPro50
I have just finished shooting my fist non-digital betacam job and have a question regarding import and sequence settings.
Material is originally P2 – now on hard drive as MXF files. Shot Standard def DVCpro50.
What should my caputure and sequence settings look like for optimal quality throughout the chain?
I will obviously be doing log and tranfer and not capture so maybe that setting has no bearing?Final product will be laid off onto DigiBeta through the AJA I/O.
Thanks for any light on the subject!
Dual 2.7 GHz G5, 4GB RAM, ATI Radeon 9650, Xserve RAID, AJA IO, 2 20″ Cinema Display, FCP Studio 2 (6.02), OS X10.4.11
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8 Replies
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So DVCPro50 is a 4:2:2 codec. There is no significant quality difference to the digibeta (Digibeta is 10bit, DVCPro50 is 8bit). just transfer the files through log and transfer. FCP saves the transfered files once again. Choose a different Hard disc for safety. So you have the original files on one disc, the FCP DVCPro50 files on another. That’s it. Use the DVCPro50 codec all the way through your project. Then transfer the complete sequence file through AjaI/O onto your digibeta. It’s like you’ve shot on Digibeta.
Rainer
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Thanks Rainer for the quick response. I’ll stick with the DVCPRO50 codec as you suggest. The only other difference I notice from the DigiBeta settings is the field dominance is set to “lower”. I am in PAL land and the setting was “upper” with the Digibeta material.
I am so impressed with my first pictures in this new (to me) format. For a fraction of the price I have hardly compromised anything in quality. I shot on the new HPX 171
CheersDual 2.7 GHz G5, 4GB RAM, ATI Radeon 9650, Xserve RAID, AJA IO, 2 20″ Cinema Display, FCP Studio 2 (6.02), OS X10.4.11
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Hi Kim,
I work with P2 for over 3 years now, and I think it’s very good, very reliable and I didn’t loose one clip.
I think upper/lower field question doesn’t count as long you don’t mix it in the editing process (especially when you do compositing). When you play the sequence over IO to the digibeta it shouldn’t do any difference. I’ve never had any problems. By the way, I live in PAL world.Rainer
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Hi Kim,
Don’t edit in DVCPro50. You go to digibeta (10b Unc).
Set your sequenc in 10b Unc or ProRess.
When you are ready to export, set “Render all YUV material in High Precission YUV”.
[Kim Rowley] “The only other difference I notice from the DigiBeta settings is the field d”
8 and 10b Unc codecs must be Upper when you go to tape in PAL land.
rafael -
Hi Rafael,
Do you really think there is a perceivable difference setting the sequence to 10 bit uncompressed? I was under the impression (also through surphing past Cow posts on the subject that the perceivable difference between 8 bit and 10 bit is nil to the naked eye unless the program has a lot of graphics. The difference in file sizes are considerable and in the past year I have opted for 8 bit uncompressed when working with DigiBeta, bringing material in and out through the SDI I/O of the Aja I/O.
Any thoughts?Dual 2.7 GHz G5, 4GB RAM, ATI Radeon 9650, Xserve RAID, AJA IO, 2 20″ Cinema Display, FCP Studio 2 (6.02), OS X10.4.11
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Hi Kim,
I’m a real believer of the 10b:-)
I think that when ever there is a rendering is important to keep as much as we can of the process.
I guess you are in NTSC land. Your picture must be converted from 720×480 to 720×486 this means that every single pixel of your picture needs to be re-calculated. I wouldn’t only set my sequence in 10b and “High Precision”, but also I would check the “Motion Effects Rendering: BEST”. Longer rendering, but better quality.
Whatever filter that you apply will work better. When you are lying graphics, the RGB values are converted with more precision to YUV.
If you would be about just to print DVCPro50 to DigiBeta the AJA alone would do a perfect job. but if you have to render in FC, avoid another process in the card. Do everything in FC in Hih Quality. Then use the AJA just as an interface to print your 10b master.
Kim, the files size is not an excuse anymore for no going to 10b. ProRess SD HQ it takes some 60Mbps. Just a 20% bigger than DVCPro50.
Cheers,
rafael -
OK…I follow your thinking. I am in PAL land actually (Italy). So… I set up my sequence with the ProRes HQ PAL setting, the first time I bring a clip into the sequence FCP asks me the famous question if I want my sequence settings to match the video format. I of course answer “no” since I know what I am doing! 🙂 I do though get the green “need render” line in my timeline over each clip. Have I understood correctly?
That would give me the highest quality output of my mterial?
If so couldn’t I just leave the sequence settings at DVCPro50 during editing and then change my sequence settings to Prores at the END of the job, then render only once and Output to Digibeta?
Thanks for time Rafael. I see you are in Laos. Incredible!
Dual 2.7 GHz G5, 4GB RAM, ATI Radeon 9650, Xserve RAID, AJA IO, 2 20″ Cinema Display, FCP Studio 2 (6.02), OS X10.4.11
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[Kim Rowley] “If so couldn’t I just leave the sequence settings at DVCPro50 during editing and then change my sequence settings to Prores at the END of the job, then render only once and Output to Digibeta? “
Kim,
Don’t forget that in PAL land DVCPro is Lower-first but 8/10b Unc and ProRess must be Upper if you go to DigiBeta. You need to Shift-fields some time.
rafael
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