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Down converting HDV->SD
Hello,
I am planning to shoot HDV footage in 1080/25p. I don’t want to capture HDV in native to avoid long renderings on my MacBook Pro when editing. Because I will have numerous hours of footage (maybe 18, 20) and do not have unlimited storage I was thinking in doing an offline/online process in DV SD for offline (because it’s easier to down convert with the camera) online with ProRes422(HQ) afterwords.
Is there something to worry about that workflow ? Is passing from a HDV progressive format to a DV SD interlaced one problematic ? Is it better to shoot interlaced if we plan to down convert in interlaced ? In that case do I have to worry about specific scanning methods of those different formats, besides the frame rate ?
Thank you for reading !
motion pictures + storytelling = ?
-> FILMMAKING ! -
6 Replies
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DV files will be larger than HDV native files… I’d just capture native if space is an issue, then maybe even just stay there… Course you want to be capturing to an external hard drive.
There are other issues involved too. If you down convert to SD all of your graphics and other clips not video will have to be resized too.
Jerry
Apple Certified Trainer, Producer, Writer, Director Editor, Gun for Hire and other things. I ski.
8-Core 3.0 Intel Mac Pro, Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D, AJA Io HD, 17″ MBP, Matrox MXO2 with MAX Cinema Displays
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How do you capture?
I would stick to the original format. The rendering processes when you have to capture all the material again takes longer. It depends what your show looks like. Do you have a lot of graphics included, do you have to do things in motion, etc.
If its a single show just cuts and dissolves keep the 1080p codec. The other thing is progressive to interlaced. What is your final output? If it is a dvdSD then you should go to dvcpro50 and finish in this fomat.Rainer
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HDV to DV will leave you with a huge problem and as Jerry points out, has zero advantage in file size.
HDV is interlaced. Progressive mode means you have a progressive image in an interlaced frame. So capture as HDV 1080 50i and edit as HDV. Most of my clients follow this workflow without any problems. The final HDV footage gets converted to ProRes 422 during the grade in Color so the final timeline is ProRes422 (you don’t need HQ)
Recently a client did the workflow you are suggesting – downconvert to DV in camera during capture. It made no difference to storage and the final edit had to be recaptured. This took a week as timecode breaks had been captured over and reel names had been a bit screwed up in the original capture. Pre roll issues mean manually capturing and eye matching shots. After a week of an assistant patiently recapturing and eye matching sync, we still found a few shots that were out. Don’t do this as there is no reason and it costs time and money. Not only that but in DV it is really hard to see shots in HD that are slightly out of focus.
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Yeah my film is more simple cuts, and fades. I might have 2 graphics and I have some title on the images. So I just shoot and edit HDV 1080i. I plan on doing a SD DVD. Can I just export my film in Prores 422 and compress that for DVD format in compressor ?
Thanks guys !
motion pictures + storytelling = ?
-> FILMMAKING ! -
[Alexandre Brandt] “Can I just export my film in Prores 422 and compress that for DVD format in compressor ?”
Yes.
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Actually, you can set the render of your native HDV sequence to render in ProRes too. That saves time as it renders HDV to ProRes render files faster than HDV to another HDV render file. Select your working sequence and type cmd+zero. Then in the processing tab of it’s settings, change the render to ProRes.
Jerry
Apple Certified Trainer, Producer, Writer, Director Editor, Gun for Hire and other things. I ski.
8-Core 3.0 Intel Mac Pro, Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D, AJA Io HD, 17″ MBP, Matrox MXO2 with MAX Cinema Displays
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