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Choice of frame rate for web video, with possibility of later Blu-ray mastering?
I’m planning on shooting some videos that will primarily be delivered over the web, but keeping in mind a possibility for Blu-ray disc distribution later on. I was unsure about where to post the question, and I hope I’m not too far off base by ending up here.
My likely choice of camera will be the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera, which is nice and flexible in the choice of frame rates.
If I were to shoot stuff that I’d know would only ever find its way to the web, I’d just pick 1080p at 30 fps and be done with it. (Film look is not important for this project, perhaps even detrimental, so I’d pick 30 over 24). However, I want to keep my options open with regards to packaging some of the videos for small-scale Blu-ray distribution.
While the Blu-ray spec supports both 23.98/24 and 29.97/30, I’ve read somewhere that some players have trouble with 24/30 due to the compensation that they normally do to 23.98/29.97 in order to produce 24/30 being applied to native 24/30 material as well, which then causes subtle playback issues.
The choice of 29.97 seems safer, then, but one question remains: are there any consequences for web viewing if this is the chosen frame rate rather than 30? Or are the concerns regarding 30 for Blu-ray actually relevant?
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2 Replies
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Hi Jarkko…
In your case you’ll want 29.97fps, progressive (assuming the BMPC will shoot that, which I’m guessing it will). Obviously you will want to do all your post and mastering at that as well.
Both computer monitors/web and Blu-ray will handle 29.97 just fine. The vast vast majority of the time when people say “24p” or “30p” they are really talking about 23.976 and 29.97. It’s very rare to actually shoot or post in true 24fps or 30fps. In fact the only reason to shoot in actual 24fps, for example, is if you were going to move into the celluloid world and actually strike a real film print of the project… which virtually no one does anymore anyway.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Thank you for a clear explanation! That’s just what I needed.
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