FCP Studio 2 & HD

[Walter Biscardi]

[dan] “We tried digitizing using the DVCpro HD codec and were not that thrilled. Would a card (Kona) give us better results ?”

Well, you’re shooting in the DVCPro HD codec so that’s what you have. If you’re looking at the output directly from the camera while you’re shooting, you’re seeing an uncompressed image from the camera head. When you watch that exact same image after recording to tape, you will see the DVCPro HD compression.

I have edited / delivered in the neighborhood of 60 – 70 HD broadcast masters using the DVCPro HD workflow with material originated on the Varicam, HVX-200 and HDX-900. It holds up identical to working in the Uncompressed 8 or 10bit workflow. You can’t make the images look any better than what the raw tape is.

If you’re not impressed with the DVCPro HD pictures, that’s a product of the cameras and the codec. The networks have told me we’re delivering some of the best HD programming they are getting. I’m capturing DVCPro HD via the Kona 3 and mastering back out to my 1400 deck in DVCPro HD.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Ernie Santella]

Tell us what your not thrilled about? Could it be the settings on your 900? Anyone can easily make the camera look bad by tweeking the parameters. Noisy, bad color, sharpness etc. I’ve seen footage shot by other guys on a Varicam that looked horrible. I agree with Walter, so far, my 900 and editing at DVCProHD looks excellent. The codec doesn’t sound like your problem.

Ernie Santella
Santella Film/Video Productions
http://www.santellaproductions.com

[Dan Mirolli]

Thanks Walter . . . .The camera output looks great into a portable HD monitor. It’s in FCP that it looses something. I guess I’m asking this. What settings in FCP should I use to ensure the best outcome . . . .also, if a hardware card gives me more access (Pro Res ?) to better codeds . . which card and what codec. Sorry for all the questions, we are new to this.

[Dan Mirolli]

Our settings were 1080-59.94i at 24p. I did not get into any internal settings beyond that.

[Steve Connor]

Are you talking about the picture on the FCP viewer or do you have a broadcast monitor connected?

Steve Connor
Adrenalin Television

Have you tried “Search Posts”? Enlightenment may be there.

[Walter Biscardi]

[dan] “Thanks Walter . . . .The camera output looks great into a portable HD monitor. It’s in FCP that it looses something.”

Are you looking at the SDI output of the camera while you are shooting OR are you looking at playback of the tape? Again, the output of the camera is Uncompressed. When it is recorded to tape, Compression is added. This is a very important thing to note.

There is nothing lost in FCP in our experience so far with the DVCPro HD codec. What plays back off the tape is identical to what is recorded and mastered.

It is NOT however the exact same quality as looking at the raw SDI feed off the camera before the image has been recorded to tape.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Dan Mirolli]

Are you talking about the picture on the FCP viewer or do you have a broadcast monitor connected?

Steve Connor
Adrenalin Television

Steve,

I’m talking about on my workstation computer monitor (in the FCP viewer). We have broadcast monitors but they are not HD.

[Dan Mirolli]

Walter,
I’m in no way saying the video is not potentially great, I think though that we have some config issues and that is what I’m trying to clear up.

Is there a way to down convert the video in FCP so we can use our SD monitors ?

thanks,
Dan

[Steve Connor]

Dan,

you cannot judge picture quality in any way by looking at the picture in the FCP screen, you HAVE to use an external HD monitor.

Steve Connor
Adrenalin Television

Have you tried “Search Posts”? Enlightenment may be there.

[Dan Mirolli]

I suspected that Steve. Just did a test and noticed that there is a huge difference (not better or worse) between 24p & 60i also.