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EX1 XDCam to DVD
Hi,
I have a one hour twenty five minute wedding video I need to commit to DVD. It was shot on an EX1.
I normally edit on a pro res timeline setting and use a reference file to work with however this time I
decide to do the edit with the native XDCAM EX 1080i files ( PAL). Am I right in thinking I cannot use a reference file in this scenario. Will I have to output a self contained pro res quicktime file. I think I used mpeg streamclip at some point the last time I did this but as that was 9 months ago and now I can’t remember the exact workflow even though I spent weeks researching it at the time.
I have spent two evenings reading articles on the web but can’t find the answer so if anyone can give me some simple advice it would save me researching it all over again and I am running out of time because I need to deliver it this weekend. I intend to use iDVD to output a disc image and to use toast to burn the discs.Many Thanks
brian paterson
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5 Replies
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Change your sequence codec by Prores and export.
For better quality (guess you have effects and graphics), set as well “Render in High Precision”.
It will takes longer, but its worth.
rafael -
Thanks Raphael,
To do this I needed more space so use the media manager in FCP to select a different external drive.I had not used this before and it’s interesting to see what the size of the new file will be before I begin to render in the Prores format. The original file was 108 gigabytes and the new one would be 168 gigabytes. However with the ‘Render in high Precision YUV’ turned on as you suggest the file size is 198 gigabytes.
As a larger file will need more compression to fit on a standard DVD and more compression means less quality then is it really worth using the high precision option. Will one not just cancel out the other. ?
It is going to take 18 hours to render in high precision.I tried doing a 1 minute test late last night which took nearly an hour for each version and really had to struggle to see any difference.
In the end I just went for the full render as you suggest but now I am unsure if that will ultimately produce the best finished product.brian paterson
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[brian paterson] “As a larger file will need more compression to fit on a standard DVD and more compression means less quality “
No.
Your concept is wrong.
The data rate you chose when making the DVD will be applied to whatever the source.
The better the source, the better the resulting MPEG-2.
You will get a better picture from a 10b Unc or Prores file than from a DV source.[brian paterson] “The original file was 108 gigabytes and the new one would be 168 gigabytes. However with the ‘Render in high Precision YUV’ turned on as you suggest the file size is 198 gigabytes.”
That’s OK.
If you do not render in High Precision you are really getting a Prores file with 8b content.[brian paterson] “It is going to take 18 hours to render in high precision.
I tried doing a 1 minute test late last night which took nearly an hour for each version and really had to struggle to see any difference.”If you want to get the best possible quality from your means, you have to fallow the best possible workflows and those normally takes longer because they imply more calculations.
The key is not to add further compression during the postproduction. You start with an already very compressed source (EX-1). Treat it the best you can.
Is possible that you don’t see in your computer the difference between the EX-1 and the Prores with the two different render options (8b and 10b YUV), but the difference is there, and may arise when you downscale the picture and compress the final MPEG-2.
Your main problem is that you have to put 3 hours of movie on a DVD and that, with Compressor, is difficult to achieve it with good quality.[brian paterson] “In the end I just went for the full render as you suggest but now I am unsure if that will ultimately produce the best finished product.”
At least you are sure that you can’t put out nothing better from FC, and that with the tools you have you can’t do nothing better.
At least that’s the way I work.
rafael -
Many Thanks Rafael,
I am trying to do as you say but I have hit one little problem which you might be able to help me with.Instead of just outputting a self contained quicktime file in a pro res format, I actually would prefer to re-render the whole timeline in a pro res format ( in case I decide to make some last minute changes ) and when completely satisfied just output a reference file to use in iDVD. ( which is quick to do )
However as I do not have enough space on the external drive I am using then I need to have final cut send the new render files to a different external drive, (which I have cleared space on.)
I thought I was doing this when using the media manager but after 18 hours it seems it has only placed a folder in the other external drive with a whole new set of pro res clips in and has not rendered the original timeline which still need rendering now it has finished. ( which of course I can’t do as i don’t have enough space)
So having changed the sequence settings to pro res, how do I actually re-render the timeline and have the new render files go to the other external hard drive with more space on.)
Normally i would select the drive, scratch disc and render folder etc at the log and transfer stage but how do I change this afterwards.?
I’m sure it must be easy but just can’t find the answer.
Many Thanks
BRIAN.brian paterson
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q[brian paterson] “So having changed the sequence settings to pro res, how do I actually re-render the timeline and have the new render files go to the other external hard drive with more space on.)
Normally i would select the drive, scratch disc and render folder etc at the log and transfer stage but how do I change this afterwards.?”
You still can select a new scratch disk and disable the old one.
rafael
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