File Storage Format

[Simon Laidlaw]

Obviously to keep the quality you need to err on the side of caution. I output 1 hour long broadcast projects via the quick time codec and they come out at 50GB!

One that you might want to try is the (free to download) avid DNxHD codec. Vegas will pick it up (after a re-boot) and you’ll find it in the quicktime render settings. It is still a .mov file but you can adjust the Mbps to something like 35 which would probably be good enough for blu-ray and may come out a little smaller than 30 gigs.

http://www.cutmustard.tv

[Norman Black]

DNxHD codec comes in a few flavors. DNxHD does not use inter frame compression so it needs much higher bitrates for quality than H.264 for example.

36Mbps which is only intended for proxy files.
145Mbps 4:2:2 8-bit
220Mbps 4:2:2 10-bit
440Mbps 4:4:4 10-bit

The proxy format is not a high enough bitrate for storage, IMO, and the others will generate very, very large files due to the high bitrate. Consider that a commercial Blu-ray’s are typically around twenty something Mbps average bitrate.

Your best file size to quality ratio would be with the AVC format.

[Don Cobble]

Norman – Thank U
IF there is possibility of needing to edit the file later is the AVC a good format for maintaining the quality like (I think cineform is)?

Which AVC setting would be best for storing for 1980×1020 30P? any recommendations?

PC
I7 2.8 Ghz 8GB Ram
Win 7 Pro 64bit OS
PNY Quadro 4000

3-4 TB HD
Vegas 10 64bit & Vegas 11 64Bit & Vegas 12 & Adobe Production Premium CS5.5.2 & Avid Media Composer 5.5

Camera
Sony EX1 shoot in 1920×1080 30P