Animation Codec w/ Blackmagic Card

[Chris Borjis]

Though you can play back an animation codec quicktime in real time on a fast disk array, the codec itself is not supported
with hardware acceleration on any interface cards.

what you have to do if you can’t render 10 or 8 bit uncompressed (if you have alpha channels etc…) just drop it into a 10 or 8 bit uncompressed timeline and render it to make it play in realtime. thats the only option I’m aware of.

[Lisa Rolley]

Hey there Thanks for getting back to me you rock!

Ok so in this case there is no alpha so but then ideally i would have them kick out uncompressed 10 bit qt’s? Is the quality just as good as animation if not better and should i be requesting this format from AE & 3D guys and/or making qt’s out of tiff sequences from these guys?

I heard that the problem with these codecs is that unless you have a super fast raid system you cannot edit in real time – i even noticed this with the animation timeline this sluggishness.

[Jeremy Garchow]

What format is your timeline/footage?

[Lisa Rolley]

usually animators will give me animation codec qt’s that are 720×486 or 720×540 – i would like to know what format i should be bringing into final cut in order to have highest quality possible without the sluggishness that u get. I have an 8core macpro with 500gb storage on a 2nd internal sata drive.

I also do not understand the changing of compressing setting in sequence settings – if the qt’s are animation or uncompressed 10 or 8 bit and then i switch it to say JPEG, DV/DVCPRO or DVCPRO 50 when i have picture locked then want to switch back to full resolution will everything truly be at full quality again?

I know i seem pretty confused so i apologize for my lack of experience.

thank you for your time

L

[Chris Borjis]

the black magic design website has the codecs for free download for mac or windows.

ask your clients to render to the 10-bit blackmagic codec.

you can drop those in the timeline and play without any rendering.

with todays faster systems you can indeed play a 10-bit uncompressed standard definition quicktime from even a usb external hard drive.

[Lisa Rolley]

And in terms of quality its still as good if not better – also you guys had mentioned alpha channels so if i get stuff with alpha can i also use blackmagic uncompressed 10 bit?

thanks so much for the help
best
Lisa

[Jeremy Garchow]

What codec do you you usually FINISH your timeline in?

What avenue do you finish to? Tape? DVD? Web? iPhone? Silver Screen?

[Chris Borjis]

[lisa rolley] “And in terms of quality its still as good if not better – also you guys had mentioned alpha channels so if i get stuff with alpha can i also use blackmagic uncompressed 10 bit?”

well yeah, its 10-bit UNCOMPRESSED 🙂

Animation is basically the same thing just a bit smaller filesize and carries an alpha channel. You MUST use
Animation if you want alpha channels.

[Jeremy Garchow]

Animation is 8bit.

[Chris Borjis]

[Jeremy Garchow] “Animation is 8bit.”

Thats something I don’t remind myself enough lately.

there you go lisa.

10-bit uncompressed will give you the edge above animation.

think smoother gradients.