Hardware requirements for DVCproHD

[Walter Biscardi]

First off, you can’t use the laptop to capture DVCPro HD. You can edit with it, but not capture. There is a degredation in the signal when trying to capture DV100 to the laptop. I have no idea what causes this, but we have tested this workflow using our AJ-HD1200A via Firewire and it does not work.

You need a G5 Desktop and since there is no card that works on the Dual Cores yet that offer SD to HD Up Convert, I would recommend the Dual 2.7 PCI-X model.

If you want to bring in all those sources to DVCPro HD then you will need something like the AJA Kona 2 which will provide the SD to HD Up Convert for your BetaSP material. That’s the only Kona product to offer the Up Convert and one of the only products that can do this.

For the HDV, you would simply feed it via SDI into the Kona 2 and it will capture it at the DVCPro HD codec, though I’m not sure how clean that is. I haven’t use HDV at all here and I’ve been told the cleanest way to work with it is to capture at 8 or 10bit uncompressed HD.

Firewire 800 RAID is fine to edit DVCPro HD. Some realtime features may be limited, but you’ll be able to edit just fine. I run off a Fibre Channel array from Medea, the FCR2X.

Most importantly, you need a true professional HD Monitor to edit HD. An SD monitor cannot show you the true colors that an HD monitor can and this is extremely important when color correcting. HD has a LOT more latitude with colors and levels and if you try to CC HD on an SD monitor you will not get as good an image as you should.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Director, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Walter Biscardi]

First off you can’t capture DVCPro HD to your laptop. You can edit with it, but you must have a G5 Desktop to capture DVCPro HD. There is a degredation in the signal if you capture to a laptop. We have tested this workflow using our own AJ-HD1200A via Firewire to a 17″ G4 1.5 laptop and it doesn’t work.

I would recommend the G5 Dual 2.7 PCI-X model as there is no SD to HD Up Convert card available yet for the Dual Cores. The AJA Kona 2 is the card you will want which will allow you to up convert all your BetaSP material (and any other SD material) to HD. The Kona 2 allows you to capture any source directly to the DVCPro HD codec.

I would feed the HDV deck to the Kona 2 via SDI and try capturing to the DVCPro HD codec, though I’m not sure exactly how clean that will be. I’ve been told that the best way to work with HDV footage is to bring it in uncompressed. I don’t work with HDV so I’m not sure.

The Firewire 800 RAID is fine for DVCPro HD, though you may not get as much realtime as you like.

The big thing you need is a true HD monitor for color correcting. You absolutely cannot color correct HD material on an SD monitor using a downconverted signal. The latitude in color and levels that HD gives you brings a tremendous amout of freedom to push the envelope in color space and you can’t see that in an SD monitor.

You also need very accurate HD Scopes. I thought the FCP scopes were pretty accurate, but they only sample Safe Title area, nothing outside of that. A cheap HD scope is $11,000 so I went with Final Touch HD which is a real-time HD Color Corrector and features accurate HD Scopes.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Director, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Gary Adcock]

[walter biscardi] “I would feed the HDV deck to the Kona 2 via SDI and try capturing to the DVCPro HD codec, though I’m not sure exactly how clean that will be. I’ve been told that the best way to work with HDV footage is to bring it in uncompressed. “

Walter – the kona LH is better suited for this task with it;s component in capability- It however does not do any up conversions.

as for storage a simple sata array would be better than using FW for this task.

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA

[Mike Schrengohst]

Hello Gary,
I just signed up for your Apple Seminar in Dallas on Jan. 27
Will you be bringing any P2 footage from the HVX200?
Thanks
Mike Schrengohst
dvd.pro@verizon.net

[Gary Adcock]

[Mike Schrengohst] “I just signed up for your Apple Seminar in Dallas on Jan. 27
Will you be bringing any P2 footage from the HVX200?”

Hey Mike

that would be a good bet…
where do i put my money down?
( sorry just left CES in vegas)

see ay there.

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA

[Drizzt_g]

Wouldn’t the HVX200 resolve the lost of quality during capture to a laptop since you don’t have any capture with a P2 workflow?

[Mike Schrengohst]

You would think so. The info on the P2 card is akin to Digital Photos on your Digital cameras SD card. The whole notion of “capturing footage” goes out the window with P2. The trick will be to get a consistent workflow down. And I cannot wait to see how confused clients will be. I know a few of my clients will get pissed when I keep fiddling with my laptop during a shoot! And trying to explain what you are doing will only confuse them even more. I usually digitize footage on my own after the shoots so for many clients they might feel that this revoultionary way of shooting is slower than shooting on tape. But once they get the entire process down they will discover a streamlined editing process… that will in the long run save everyone time.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Drizzt_G] “Wouldn’t the HVX200 resolve the lost of quality during capture to a laptop since you don’t have any capture with a P2 workflow?”

His work is not solely P2 so he needs to work with a G5 and a capture card. But in theory, if it’s only a P2 workflow, then it should work fine with just a laptop. If you need to bring other formats to DVCPro HD, then you need a G5.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Director, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Matt Short]

Thanks for all the info, Walter.

[Gallatin1761]

Hi Walter:

You wrote “A cheap HD scope is $11,000 so I went with Final Touch HD which is a
real-time HD Color Corrector and features accurate HD Scopes.”

Are you saying that instead of an HD hardware scope you are now color
correcting with the Final Touch HD software? Are there electronic waveform vectorscopes in
the Final Touch HD program? Do you color correct to your DVC PRO HD
sequence & media ? Or do you up-rez your show and color correct Uncompressed HD media?

I’m asking because I’m looking for a practical way to online/color correct HD in-house.

Thanks in advance,
Martin