HDV mastering & grading

[Luke Maslen]

Hi Jim,

If you don’t need SDI output, then the most cost-effective solution would be to bypass all the convertor boxes by selling off the G5 and replacing it with a Mac Pro. Even the base model will do. Then install the US$249 Intensity card. This will enable you to capture (and monitor) uncompressed HD and SD video from the Sony HVR-M25E deck. This is a very neat solution which avoids having to buy more expensive HD-SDI hardware when you don’t even have a need to connect via SDI. The Intensity card cannot be used with PowerMac G5’s at this time although we are hopeful that will become possible.

For device control of the deck, just use Firewire. You need to change the device control setting in Final Cut Pro to using Firewire and not “Firewire HDV”. Then on the Sony deck, enable the i.Link HDV->DV downconversion function. This will enable you to capture high definition video from the HDMI output of the deck while controlling the deck via Firewire.

If you do need to output SDI video, then your proposed workflow should work fine although you could substitute the US$995 DeckLink HD Extreme card for the Multibridge Pro as it is essentially the same except that it doesn’t have HDMI output.

Regards,

Luke Maslen
Blackmagic Design

[Jim Loomis]

Many thanks Luke, all advice is greatly appreciated at this stage. I think the solution will have to be a capture card & decisions will be made soon.

All the best

Jim