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avc-intra test
I am looking to shoot on the Panny 3000 in the AVC intra 100 format. I understand that I can import it into FCS2 via log and transfer, and that it will be trans-coded (rewrapped?) into ProRez.
I’ve gone to the log and transfer window and clicked on the cog wheel > preference and noted there is a category P2 plug-in> (source) P2 AVC-Intra (trans-code to) Apple Pro Rez 422. So I am assuming that I do not need to down-load anything else from Panasonic to convert the AVC Intra to Pro Rez?
Does this all sound right so far?
Also, using this set up in Log and Transfer, is it possible to convert DVCPro HD to ProRez, or would I need to upload DVCPro & use compressor to do the conversion?
(What I was trying to do was to use DVCProHD footage to test the AVCIntra to ProRez Plugin. It seems that I would need AVC-Intra footage for the plug in to function?)
Any insights would be appreciated. Any small AVC-intra file that could be downloaded for a test would also be appreciated.
Cheers,
FCS2 6.0.4, QT 7.5, MacBookPro/PPC Quad
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13 Replies
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[Jim Cunningham] “So I am assuming that I do not need to down-load anything else from Panasonic to convert the AVC Intra to Pro Rez?”
Right so far. The AVCIntra codec comes with FCP 6.
[Jim Cunningham] “is it possible to convert DVCPro HD to ProRez, or would I need to upload DVCPro & use compressor to do the conversion?”
If it is from tape and you have a capture card, you can capture directly to ProRes. If it is DVCPRO HD on P2, you will have to injest, then convert. DVCPRO HD cannot be transcoded upon input.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Jim Cunningham] “Does this all sound right so far? “
No, you need the AVC Intra codec that’s free from Panasonic.
[Jim Cunningham] “Also, using this set up in Log and Transfer, is it possible to convert DVCPro HD to ProRez, or would I need to upload DVCPro & use compressor to do the conversion? “
Not possible in Log and Transfer unfortunately. You can use Compressor to do this very easily (use it on the raw quicktime files instead of exporting out of FCP, tc will remain in tact that way) or you can simply throw the DVCPro HD files in your ProRes timeline while editing. No real reason to convert your DVCPro HD clips to ProRes first (unless you want to).
[Jim Cunningham] “(What I was trying to do was to use DVCProHD footage to test the AVCIntra to ProRez Plugin. It seems that I would need AVC-Intra footage for the plug in to function?) “
Yes, you need AVCIntra footage.
[Jim Cunningham] “Any small AVC-intra file that could be downloaded for a test would also be appreciated. “
The camera’s out today or else I’d shoot a little somethin for ya.
Jeremy
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Dear friends,
Forgive my ignorance.
What is the AVC-intra for?
What the difference with DVCProHD?
No way to ask around here. Very little PANA around.
Thanks in advance
Rafael -
10 bit full raster as opposed to 8 bit thin raster. Same data rate.
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I am also trying to see if it’s VBR in the sense that no matter format you shoot you are shooting 100mb/sec, unlike DVCPro HD who’s data rate is fixed. FCP alludes to it, but it could just be a reporting error.
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So almost like ProRes in camera.
Sounds great.
Thanks Jeremy, if I don’t ask I get lost with they new flavours.
The war had just started.
Cheers,
Rafael -
[Rafael Amador] “So almost like ProRes in camera. “
Yep, kinda. it’s a lower data rate than ProRes, and I don’t think it’s VBR like I originally thougt. It still looks and works great.
Jeremy
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For those technically inclined;
There is more to the difference between DVCPro HD and AVCIntra than the latter being full-raster and 10-bit. The DVCPro HD is a DCT-based (discrete cosine transform) codec, like Apple ProRes. While the DCT is a well-proven and sturdy compression technique, it is lossy and relatively ineffective compared to some newer methods of compression.
The AVCIntra is a h.264 variant, which uses smarter and more efficient compression methods (CAVLC or CABAC entropy coding) to reduce loss and still keep the bit rates down. I’ve heard people argue that the AVCIntra is more than twice as efficient as traditional codecs, and thus AVCIntra 50 is equivalent to, or better than, DVCPro HD in quality. AVCIntra 100 should outperform DVCPro HD significantly. I haven’t been able to test this myself (yet), but the theory seems to suggest that this is a correct assumption.
Geir Ove Thorsveen
Head of Technology
Lillehammer University College -
Thanks for the technical explanation.
It’s hard to compare DVCPro HD to AVC-I directly as FCP does not handle AVC-I natively and it’s transcoded to ProRes on import. Therefore, everything you do to the footage form then on is ProRes. You can use Calibrated Software to watch AVC-i native if you have the proper components installed, but the codec is very very slow on decompressing and cannot be watched in real time except on very fast machines and at lower frame rates (720p24 plays in rt for example, but 1080p24 does not, and neither does 1080i) on a Mac with FCP. There are some windows based programs that will run AVC-I native and I believe Avid has announced native support for it as well.
On a pure esthetic level, AVC-I does look great. It’s nice to have 10 bit recording right in camera.
Jeremy
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