DG System Back Level

[David Bensman]

Does anyone have a Compressor setting they can share for posting to DG? It would be much appreciated…

Also, I am still confused about the 720×512 frame size. Is that something that can be accomplished in Compressor (as I’ve read that it’s NOT actually resizing the image.

Also, my spec sheet from DG calls for 7.5 IRE, though I’ve read on the forum that people use 0 because DG adds setup. Any clarification?

Finally, the spec sheet calls for a Digital Audio Level high peaks at -20, which seems low to me.

I will go through “Test” phases with DG tomorrow but want to make sure I get my presents right.

Thank!

[Sean Mchenry]

I am currently looking at the MPEG2 encode section of the latest Squeeze and if you create a new encode setting in the MPEG2 section of Squeeze using the “none” under format constraints you can then set the frame size to 480 x 512. You can set other attributes as well. In our spec sheet from DG, it mentions 18MB/sec is the preferred total data rate. That isn’t going to happen for us under Squeeze as the max is preset at 10,400Kbps. Still, that’s better than a normal DVD so I suppose that would be OK since these aren’t true HD spots.

Has anyone done and successful tests with Sorenson?

Sean
Smchenry@mjp.com

[Craig Seeman]

DG spec is 720×512. That’s not just a frame size. The resultant encode has to have 32 lines of black at the top (480+32=512).

I don’t think you can do that it Squeeze the last time I tried.

There’s a patch for Episode that allows that. Also Episode can do 18Mbps.

[Sean Mchenry]

I still don’t see what they need 32 full lines for really but that’s fine.

I used Avid FreeDV (one decent use for it anyway) to capture footage at my desk and export a 30 second test as a full rez QT file according to the DG time line requirements. Sorenson, although it allowed me to choose the above setting failed when it came time to actually squeeze the test anyway.

I see no current way to use Sorenson. Shame really as the automatic FTP from the out box would have been great anyway. I say we bang on Sorenson’s door till the answer and I too will request this as a feature. We have about 10 editing suites here now and all the PCs, which is most now have Sorenson installed. Sure would be a good thing.

Thanks folks.

Sean McHenry

[Craig Seeman]

[Sean McHenry] “I still don’t see what they need 32 full lines for really but that’s fine. “

For a while they were “grandfathering” older customers with 720×480 but I believe that’s ended.

I suspect they’re using the 32 lines to embed something their (Vertical Blanking Interval) but I could be wrong on that.

Are you on Windows or Mac? I know Episode, with patch, works on Mac.
I’d suspect FlipFactory might work on Windows. I wonder if anybody has used Procoder or Rhozet to meet the 720×512 spec.

In any case, Sorenson does not do it.

[Sean Mchenry]

I have an older copy of Procoder on my laptop. I suppose I could test that but I am pretty sure it will do the same as Sorenson and “expand” the video to fill all the lines.

On PCs here as out workstations. A few of the graphics guys, the 3 audio suites have Macs and we have one FCP suite right now.

We had looked at an Anystream solution for the whole plant once but I haven’t checked on what they are doing for a while now.

Sean

[Craig Seeman]

[david bensman] “Also, I am still confused about the 720×512 frame size. Is that something that can be accomplished in Compressor (as I’ve read that it’s NOT actually resizing the image. “

The 720×512 file should be 720×480 plus 32 lines of black on the top.

[Bill Nelson]

Gentlemen, in my experience neither Sorensen or Compressor generates a genuine 4:2:2 color space MPEG stream… unless the .02 Compressor update changed something. I went around with the Sorensen tech regarding their implementation of 4:2:2 for about a week. Seems he was the last tech working there (so he said) and was unable to clarify why the choice for that format existed in the software but was not operative.

Episode rocks, as far as I can tell. Just bought the Flash extension yesterday for some web work. Very nice. I am a DG DropBox certified house because of Episode.

[Mark Spano]

FYI, I’ve been sending DG spots through the dropbox for a couple months now and have been using Squeeze to do it. I tweaked a preset and it passed their tests and have been certified with no problems. My spots once encoded come at 720×512, 4:2:2, and the extra black lines are at the top and bottom of the frame. I have never been told or advised to make them all appear at the top – not sure what that’s about, but as I said I’ve never had issues submitting spots this way. If anyone wants my preset, I can email you (it’s all of 8K or so)…

[Craig Seeman]

[Mark Spano] “My spots once encoded come at 720×512, 4:2:2, and the extra black lines are at the top and bottom of the frame. I have never been told or advised to make them all appear at the top – not sure what that’s about, but as I said I’ve never had issues submitting spots this way. If anyone wants my preset, I can email you (it’s all of 8K or so)…”

DG has accepted this? The lines are supposed to be at the top only as VBI (vertical interval blanking). Seems they’re changing their standards again. Before Episode had the VBR I feature, I tried what you did using Episode (512 top and bottom lines) and they flatly rejected it.