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HDV to Digibeta and Old Avids
I’m pretty new to FCP. We work on old Avid Meridien Media Composers and they can’t handle the flood of new file formats that are coming in. The current issue is that we have a ton of HDV 1080i60 files for a documentary that we want to cut on our Avids. We don’t have the tapes, just files that were digitized using FCP. We started by making 60 min. HDV sequences in FCP and dumping them via firewire to DV. Then bumping the DV to Digibeta and then bringing them into the Avids. But as you probably have guessed already, it looks lousy. The DV doesn’t handle the HDV resolution well and we’re getting all kinds of moire artifacting.
So, using Compressor, I started trying to transcode the HDV files to a Quicktime SD format and nothing looked good, I kept getting the moire effect. Finally I got decent results transcoding to Avid 1.1x SD. So now all I can think of doing is transcoding all the files, import them into the Avid, output to Digibeta, bring them back in at 15:1 so I can cut the doc, then uprez from the digibetas and then output back to digibeta. Lost yet? This just seems ass backwards and tremendously time consuming.
An alternative is to cut them on the FCP system (which I’m really unfamiliar with!) staying in HDV and then output straight to Digibeta via the Blackmagic DeckLink HD Extreme card. Which gets me to my long, long winded question. Can I go straight to Digibeta from a HDV sequence in FCP, or am I going to get the same moire effect? THANKS ALL! -
5 Replies
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I think you are to be commended for trying to squeeze what you can out of those old workhorses. The Meridien line was a beautiful thing. Wondering how much material you are working with here?
If you can get the tapes, get your hands on a deck or camera that plays them that also has HD-SDI out. This deck or camera can also do a downconvert, use that to dub to digibeta (or load directly into the Avid but that is a pain considering the poor quality of an HDV tape mechanism).
Without the tapes, two choices (that aren’t lots of exporting and importing). A Final Cut system with hardware, output digibetas from that (but not in a DV sequence!). Or get a newer license of Avid (2.5 on of the current incarnation can run as software only). Import the HDV into that, transcode to your desired SD format, 15:1s if you like. Keep the HDV media. If you are to master on the Meridien as well, then once you have locked picture, use that sequence to trancode the desired HDV material to 1:1. the latest Media Composers can generate Meridien compatible media (as long as you choose OMF). And you now have the option of using the Meridien offline with the HDV media to do a high definition finish (on an appropriate system).
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Well, I think it is high time to retire those Avids…or keep them relegated for what they do best….SD. Also, Id forget trying to transcode HDV to anything…that means many man hours and many steps of quality loss.
But, you can try this. HDV to Digibeta, output from FCP via the Decklink. Then do your Avid thang. That should work…as long as your deliverable is SD.
Or start to learn how to use FCP…it has it’s uses. Especially when it comes to all these NEW formats. Either that or get newer Avids (VERY cheap now and very compatible), and capture the tapes with them. Working with new formats means upgrading your hardware.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks Dino, yeah, the Meridiens are rock solid, but alas…too, too old. I haven’t added up all the hours, but it’s probably around 100 hours. The tapes are not available. We do have one newer Avid, it’s an adrenaline w/Mojo on a PC. We thought that would recognize the HDV, but it doesn’t seem to have the right codecs. Unfortunately the company is not purchasing ANYTHING right now, so we have to make do with what we’ve got.
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I’m going to try the FCP to Digibeta from the HDV sequence and see how that looks. Thanks!
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A crazy Idea…
If you have SDI output from your Final Cut system and your Avids have SDI in to them…just play the clips out from the FCP system and capture directly into the Avid inputs. You will probably need to use AES/EBU audio into the Avid rather than embedded SDI audio, but it should work without having to do to Digibeta as an intermediate step. The only problem is you will not get matching time code on the clips, but you wouldn’t get it by going to tape first either.
Just a thought…
Tom
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