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Workflow for best end result when going to DVD when shot with DVCAM DSR250
Workflow for best end result when going to DVD when shot with DVCAM DSR250
Ok, I know that I don’t have the best video camera for today’s standards, however I try to only spend on what is coming into my part time business from the revenue that it brings in (or at least trying to J) , as I do more, I have been buying more items and its not cheap to do it right!!!)
Some backround. Here is my normal workflow.
Shoot with a DSR-250 on DVCAM tape
Capture using firewire
Create a timeline to match my video DV/NTSC (Final Cut Sudio 2)
Send my audio to Sound Track Pro then round trip it back
Color correct my video
Edit video I want in the project
Create titles in Motion then round trip back to project.
Preview final project on NTSC Monitor using black magic PCI card
Export timeline to QuickTime file
Turn video in DVD mpeg & dts files using compressor
Build DVD menus, features and build on drive then output to DVD.Ok, that is my work flow, it works fine have never had a problem with it. So why am I writing then, well here is my dilemma. Everything is fine when the video is played on a normal TV (Interlaced like my preview monitor). However when I play it back on my HDTV its not too bad (The DVD player stretches it to fit the TV, as most of my clients DVD would do), except the RED, GREENS looks blocky. My titles also don’t look that good, I know that its progressive and I shoot interlaced and I did not deinterlace it (every time I have tried I don’t like the look, it looks soft and fuzzy). I also tried DV50 same result.
Here is what I shoot, mostly Children’s & High School Stage Performances, so the lighting is all over the place, I must control my camera manually and a lot of hot spots due to stage lighting. I have been shooting for 4 years now and have been learning allot, I just want to deliver the best product at a reasonable cost.
So I asked my question above (Workflow for best end result when going to DVD when shot with DVCAM DSR250) because I have been playing with ProRes 422, as a test I ran my newly captured video through ProRes 422 it and also deinterlaced it at the same time.I the burned it to a DVD to test on my HDTV, I do have to say ProRes 422 looks much better, everything in the video. Now my file is huge but I can live with that. I also ran a test by changing just the timeline to ProRes 422 in Final Cut and the end result did not look the same, it looked fuzzy or soft.
So what workflow will give me the best result for delivering the best quality on a DVD?
I know this question has most likely been asked many times over, but I could not find it on this forum (Maybe I didn’t look the right way).
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1 Reply
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I’m a little confused on the deinterlacing. But if you’re shooting interlaced DV, leave it that way. DO NOT deintserace it. That will soften the image.
You mention peoples screens will be stretching the imaage to fill the screen, and if you’re shooting 4:3 it absolutely should not be and you shouldn’t make any decisions based on the idea your client might view it that way. They may choose to distort the images on their screen and that’s their problem.
A better bet would be to start shooting 16:9 and making 16:9 videos and DVDs if your camera supports it. It is the norm. People won’t be tempted to zoom or stretch, and most likely their system is correctly configured for 16:9 DVDs.
If your titles look bad/soft, A ProRes timeline will help that. No need to load all your footage as ProRes. You just want renders and titles to utilize the quality of prores. If you’re worried about file size LT is a fine option. HQ is overkill. DV was fine codec in it’s day on SD TVs as they could hide many shortcomings, but the HD monitors are just too sharp and revealing. Prores should help deal with the color saturation in the titles but watch your scopes anyway and make sure your colors you’re picking are legal.
Bottom line, SD isn’t pretty on the big HD screen, especially if it’s hampered by the DV codec across the board. It’s still passable shot 16:9 since it at least fills a HD screen, but 4:3 SD as a modern output format really is pushing it. Especially if someone is paying for a product. Especially when a modern SLR shooting 1080p or a HDV cam shooting on SD cards can be had for a few thousand dollars and wouldn’t require any additional hardware to your workflow.
My .02
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