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Going from DVCProHD to ProRes 422
I’m about to start work on a feature that was shot on a Sony F900. The director has brought everything into FCP as DVCProHD, but would now like to switch to ProRes422 to be able to do some finishing work on it when the time comes. My question is this:
Is it possible, or does it make sense to transcode all of the DVCProHD footage to ProRes, or will we have to go back to the master tapes and re-capture everything? I not exactly sure how the process works and was hoping to get some guidance. It has already been captured from HD to DVCProHD, is there any benefit to using ProRes, or has the benefit been lost by going to DVCPro HD in the first place? Also, if the hope is to be able to use the ProRes footage for an online, is it okay to do it at “quarter” resolution?
At any rate, how would you all recommend I proceed? I am working on a 2.6GHz quad with 4GB ram and an x1900XT graphics card, just FYI.
Thanks…
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9 Replies
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If it were my project, I would want a full recapture.
Move the DVCPRO-HD files to another folder so that final
cut can’t find them, then select all the clips and recapture
with the tapes ready in hand, but change the setting to
capture in ProRes. -
Transcoding it won’t gain you much. It’s already been crunched to DVC-HD land and whatever cons are associated with that codec are a permanent part of the quicktime files. HCoding to Pro-Res will give you some small advantages when adding filters, etc…. as the compression is better. But frankly it would be a total waste of time. You’re much better off recapturing to Pro Res.
Having said that, DVC-HD is a very quick and stable codec for editing. Unless your director really wants to do “finishing” work while you’re still in edit. Depends on the scope of the project.
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[ventureforth] “The director has brought everything into FCP as DVCProHD, but would now like to switch to ProRes422 to be able to do some finishing work on it when the time comes.”
DVCPro HD is perfectly fine for finishing. We’ve delivered almost 60 broadcast HD masters using DVCPro HD from start to final grading.
If you really want to go ProRes, then you recapture all the media natively to ProRes. You don’t capture to DVCPro HD and then convert it to ProRes.
Get yourself an AJA Kona board and recapture the material.
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
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I think this has been covered to death, but there may be something new that I don’t know, and that is, what hardware combination can actually capture ProRes without dropping frames or otherwise failing? I know my dual 2 gig and Kona LH can’t, what is needed? I know about the AFA iO HD, but I don’t think it’s out yet, and I don’t have the cash for one anyway.
Have a wonderful day.
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[Chris Poisson] “what hardware combination can actually capture ProRes without dropping frames or otherwise failing?”
In our experience, a G5 Quad and up with a Kona 3. Works perfectly fine in both SD and 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
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Glad to hear this.
I have been hired to edit a docu/series shoot in HDV with 12 hours of footage per program!
The production company wanted me to edit and post in native HDV.. damn! what a pain! I have convinced them to “ugrade” to FCP6 and Decklink HD Extreme and capture and edit in ProRes HD
I was this moorning a little bit afraid because I have heard that a Quad G5 (6GB RAM) is not enougth (even worse than HDV) to handle the codec compression/decompression tasks.
Your Post it’s a relief for me.. I know that I have still the option of DVCPROHD.. but I have been convincing them about the benefits of ProRes.
I have to tell that on my Quad G5, with 5.5GB and a Multibrigde Extreme, Prores in SD works like DV
thanks!
Greetings from the Mediterranean Sea!
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[Jordi J Recort] “Your Post it’s a relief for me.. I know that I have still the option of DVCPROHD.. but I have been convincing them about the benefits of ProRes.”
Keep in mind, we use a Kona 3 and that works fine with a Quad G5 for capturing / editing ProRes. If you’re using the Decklink product, you should probably ask over in the BlackMagic forum whether or not that will work on the Quad G5.
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
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But both cards are just I/O so the ProRes compression/decompression task are handled by the CPU and neither the Kona3 or the HD Extreme have intervention on that, isn’t?
So both will perform the same….
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[Jordi J Recort] “But both cards are just I/O so the ProRes compression/decompression task are handled by the CPU and neither the Kona3 or the HD Extreme have intervention on that, isn’t?”
The Kona handles the ProRes codec so the CPU can be tasked with other realtime effects like filters and transitions. So in the case of the Kona 3, yes there is an intervention that makes your machine run faster.
this is the same with DVCPro HD and HDV with Kona boards.
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
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