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1:1 Resolution pointless for footage from Mini-DV?
Hey guys, my background is as a Final Cut editor.
In Final Cut, there’s a slew of presets when digitizing based on the format and results in specific file sizes. Example: I’m digitizing footage shot on a Mini-DV tape while the camera was in DV NTSC mode. So I’d select the DV NTSC preset, and it’ll give me a file that averages to around 1 minute = ~330 MB. There’s presets for 10-bit footage (BetaSP) that creates a 1 minute file = ~800 MB. But using the 10-bit preset is pointless when digitizing DV NTSC because it’ll create a 800 MB file that’s exactly the same quality as the 330 MB file.
I’m wondering if this sort of applies to Avid? I’m learning on an Avid Meridien workstation (Dell PC and Meriden Breakout Box). There’s various resolutions (15:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, etc.. etc…).
I have a chart that shows me the file sizes of different resolutions. I noticed that 3:1 results in a file size if around 1 minute = ~330. 1:1 Resolution results in around 1 minute = ~800 MB. So if I was digitizing from a Mini-DV deck, with the footage recorded in DV SP NTSC mode on the camera, would digitizing it at 3:1 result in the exact same quality as digitized at 1:1?
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4 Replies
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Since Meridien is the older hardware set, it has not firewire support (unless you want to pay for it) and since DV is already compressed, I would digitize it as 1:1 to prevent adding anymore compression artifacts and noise.
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Ah, didn’t think of that aspect. So I guess due to the analog nature of the box, 1:1 would be the best regardless of anything.
As a side question: with Avid hardware setups with Firewire input, would higher resolutions (e.g. 1:1) be pointless with low-resolution footage (e.g. Mini-DV)?
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You could rent a DRS-40 (maybe a 20?) and go SDI 1:1 out into the avid 1:1. That would preserve all quality possible.
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In my tests using older MCs and Adrenalines with and without firewire respectively, 2.1 is fine for dv. You really will not notice the difference even on a grade 1 monitor. The only benefit is that if your old avid wont allow you to mix resolutions in the same timeline 1.1 will be better of course for all of your titles and rendering. My personal view is that it should all depend upon the output format. DV is supposed to be around 5.1 compression but, seeing as you are having to go through a DA to capture then there is no harm going a bit above that, but there is a point where it just doesnt make a difference. Besides if you are going back to DV you will never notice the fact that you edited in 1.1.
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