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1080i XDCam EX to SD DVD via compressor
I have an XDCam EX 1080i QT that I’m compressing in Compressor for DVD. I export as a current settings self contained QT. Codec is XDCam EX and the initial results looked blocky, like a field doubled interlaced issue or something. But I just used the 90 min best 2 pass VBR. Looks like I should have turned on frame controls, which I never do with my pro res material and it all looks great.
So what settings in the frame controls?
Deinterlace? I want a interlaced SD DVD.
Output fields?
Resized filter?
Adaptive details? (I hear that’s overkill) -
8 Replies
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Same results with a ProRes timeline output.
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Your source footage is 1080i , which is interlaced. So you don’t want to de-interlace.
Just use the Resize filter set to BEST.
This will give great SD DVD quality. -
Tried that. No difference. You\’ll notice that also, when you turn on frame controls, \” don\’t deinterlace\” isn\’t a choice. Just the type of deinterlacing. Seems odd. Perhaps it only applies if you\’re outputting progressive.
Anyway- scaling 1080i to 480i looks like crud. Almost like it was a 320×240 video scaled up. Big stairstepping on graphics. NOT interlacing issues. But obviously some sort of problem stripping out the fields, scaling, then reinterlace at 480. I’ll admit I wasn’t at my own system where I wouldve simply downscaled with AE which is a bit more adept at the task in my experience. Then I would have an SD and HD master, and be able to run quick compression tests on the SD master without wondering where the issue is.
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Try this. Out of FCP do an export with QT conversion and choose QT ProRes 422. Make the size 720 x 480 16:9 and keep it interlaced.
Then take that new SD QT movie into Compressor and encode with your usual SD MPEG2 settings. It will look fabulous.
We have found that 1080i to SD in Compressor is bad. Doing it right out of FCP to a QT, then making the MPEG2 works perfectly. Why? No clue.
Let us know.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production and Post
Owner/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
HD to SD in compressor when using frame controls is superb. This workflow has worked for me hundreds of times. Even HDV sources look great on DVD this way. Your quicktime scaling workflow might be working aswell but HD to SD in Compressor is only bad if you’re doing it wrong;)
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It usually works for me but not in this case. Only thing I can figure is it was interlaced. Will do more tests.
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You know, this was on another facility’s system where they had latest FCP, but not Snow Leopard, and who knows what QT. Could be a qt/os/FCP version bug.
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[Bret Williams] “Tried that. No difference. You’ll notice that also, when you turn on frame controls, ” don’t deinterlace” isn’t a choice. Just the type of deinterlacing. Seems odd. Perhaps it only applies if you’re outputting progressive. “
Bret, what’s going on with you?
– If you don’t want Compressor to de-interlacece, select “Output: AS SOURCE”.
It won’t be field-order managing.
– Even if you are not de-interlacing, You SHOULD set Frame Control ON because you are downscaling.
And ALWAYS set “Frame control ON” when you are processing 10b stuff (Prores), otherwise Compressor WORKS in 8b.
– Last year I’ve stopped using Compressor for downscaling (Leopard/FC7). I think that the quality is UNACCEPTABLE. Even FC does better downscaling. Now I’m using my dear SHAKE, and the quality blows any other piece of software that I’ve tried (AE, Motion, Purifier).
rafael
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