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Broadcast quality
I am producing a 30 minute program that airs on a national network. Currently all projects are entirely SD and shot on several different 1/3 and 1/2 inch chip cams. (Sony DSR 390) This footage is being uploaded through a Panasonic AG-DV2500 player via firewire onto a MACPRO (1.8 terabytes). Editing is done in FCPS2. Once all editing is down, we are recording back to mini dv tape and then sending off for conversion to Beta SP. When I watch my program on TV it is lacking quality in my opinion. It does not appear as sharp as it should be and just lacks overall picture quality. I am comparing it to other programs that are shot with much lesser cameras and the other shows appear to have better resolution/picture quality.
Now I am wondering if I am capturing my footage at full quality, or if some other setting could be off. Or, could it be the method in which the company is converting my video to beta sp format?
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46 Replies
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Well, if it is firewire, then you are capturing at full quality. But quality is dependant on a lot of things. how good the camera operators are, how well the footage was shot and exposed. Then the talent of the colorist…how well did they color the show? Was a broadcast monitor used to do this?
And yes, the dubbing process from DV to betaSP…that can be a HUGE factor. If I were you, I’d look at your DV master compared to the betaSP master and see how they hold up.
Plus, these other shows that were shot on lesser cameras…how do you know this? And they might have been captured in a higher quality format than DV…like uncompressed SD or ProRes or 1:1 if on Avid or DNxHD, and color corrected in a far better compression space, then output directly to digibeta or betaSP, with no quality loss due to losing a generation by dubbing DV to betaSP.
There are many factors involved in the post process.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
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I wouldn’t suggest making a BetaSP from a MiniDV tape. MiniDV is very compressed. Here are a couple of suggestions:
1. Make your BetaSP master directly out of FCP. There are tons of places out there that you can send them a QT file and they’ll make your master for you.
2. Master to ProRes. I’m not sure what your timeline is set up as, but ProRes is a great codec and will help maintain quality.
3. Get a colorist to do a pass on your project. This is often over looked and a good colorist can really help to take your project to the next level.
-Russ
Russell Lasson
Colorist/Digital Cinema Specialist
Color Mill
Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.colormill.net -
[Brandon Carter] “Once all editing is down, we are recording back to mini dv tape and then sending off for conversion to Beta SP.”
If it’s a broadcast show, you should be capturing / editing to 8bit Uncompressed SD or ProRes and going directly to BetaSP from that timeline. DV is killing your graphics quality and the overall product when you go back to DV tape has a softness to it. This is especially evident when you dub the tape from DV to BetaSP.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author.
Credits include multiple Emmy, Telly, Aurora and Peabody Awards.
Biscardi Creative MediaCreative Cow Forum Host:
Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Apple Color, AJA Kona, Business & Marketing, Maxx Digital. -
Ok..Thanks for all the replies. I think my major issue is the DV to Beta SP. I think my color is pretty decent, but the overall look of the broadcast is very soft…kinda like its just out of focus…. The company I am using now requires mini dv. However, I have a local company who will do it off an external hard drive. I think I am going to give that a try and see how it turns out.
If anyone has more ideas I’m all ears! -
hi brandon
sorry to say but chosing DVcam as a production format al ready is living
on the lower edge of broadcast quality (IMO already less then broadcast quality)
already giving you so less data to work with in post.
but good made DVcam footage can still kill poorly shot footage on the highest format.
i don’t understand why you go back to miniDV how do you do this with timecode anyway???
miniDV is consumer level like VHS in the early day’s
just don’t.get your HQ quicktime to someone who has a deck and good IO
greet
Maurice -
[Brandon Carter] “However, I have a local company who will do it off an external hard drive. I think I am going to give that a try and see how it turns out. “
If it’s a DV file, it’s still going to be soft. Capture / Edit in Uncompressed or ProRes and you’ll have a better end product.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author.
Credits include multiple Emmy, Telly, Aurora and Peabody Awards.
Biscardi Creative MediaCreative Cow Forum Host:
Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Apple Color, AJA Kona, Business & Marketing, Maxx Digital. -
Most of my footage is being shot with a Sony DSR 390L with Fujinon lens. I am using mini dv tape as I have been told there is no difference in quality between mini and full size. Most of the competing shows are using “palmcorders” such as gl2’s and Xl1s. If my Sony is not even broadcast quality then what format do you recommend? My dubbing company required that I record my show to mini dv for them to dub to beta sp.
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As others have said it probably because of working with DV footage.
Or it could have nothing to do with your process and completely on how the broadcasting station is broadcasting. They are re-compressing your show before it goes to air. It could also be happening as the closed caption is adding another pass to the process. By going from mini dv to beta you’re taking a hit, and depending on where captioning is added, you’re taking another hit. Than a hit at the station as they need to compress it for broadcast. Then there’s the whole issue what system you’re watching it on. Over the air antenna? Satellite? Cable? Over the air would be the best quality. Depending on your Satellite or Cable provider the station you’re airing on my only be alloted so much bandwidth.
The show you see broadcast will never look as good as the show leaving you’re studio.
Especially on the Pursuit channel, which is usually a lower bandwidth on any cable/satellite provider.
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double post. sorry.
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OK…Forgive me as I am new to editing….my wife is the editor. I went into sequence-settings and then changed quick time compression to ProRes 422 from DV/DVCPRO-NTSC. Now under audio/video settings, should I change capture preset to HDV-Apple ProRes 422? What else should I change?
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