How can I transcode 1440×1080 30fps footage for a 1920×1080 25fps sequence

[Gary Askham]

What’s the final purpose of the edit? If it’s for broadcast or high quality web then you’re going to need to have it converted by a hardware convertor. In the US Terranex seems to be the brand to ask for. Here in the UK you would ask for an Alchemist conversion. It can be very expensive.

If it’s not for broadcast then you can try using software solutions. Nattress makes an FCP Plugin, Compressor can do standards conversions but it can be a bit hit and miss. Mpeg Streamclip can do fast and dirty conversions too.

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FCP and Avid Technical Support
Air Post Production
Shoreditch – London

[Simon Tyler]

Thanks Gary. No the edit won’t be broadcast, I’m making a Quicktime file of four edits I want to loop at an event for marketing. I’ll be playing them on a 23-inch screen, so they need to run smoothly.

I’d like to use Compressor or MPEG Streamclip as you suggest, and I need to convert the pixels from rectangular back into square pixels. I’ve exported direct from FCP using Quicktime Conversion to a ProRes file, and the image is nice but it judders. Perhaps the conversion from 29.97 fps to 25fps is causing this.

Thanks for the advice about Natress – I’ll give that a look.

Simon

[Walter Soyka]

[Gary Askham] “In the US Terranex seems to be the brand to ask for. Here in the UK you would ask for an Alchemist conversion. It can be very expensive.”

As an aside, there are plenty of Alchemists here in the US, too. I’d say Alchemist has the edge here — it uses motion compensation in its frame rate conversion.

Teranex has just announced motion compensated frame rate conversion in their latest product, and I don’t think it’s hit the street yet.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Simon Tyler]

Thanks very much Dave for your advice – I’ll check out the posts on Compressor.

I certainly never think any of this stuff is simple and I realise that transcoding to 1440×1080 was a bad idea. I followed the only neatly presented step-by-step workflow I could find on the web. At least I still have the original 5D files in case I need to do a second edit.

Simon

[Peter Wiggins]

Simon,

I’ve already done all the compressor presets for you.
5D to FCP PAL Compressor Presets and timelines

I’d recommend you start again witht the original 5D files

Peter

[Simon Tyler]

Thanks very much Peter. I tried out your Compressor droplets in the early stages of testing, but unfortunately didn’t stick with them. The end-to-end workflow I ended up using included a separate step to conform all the footage to 29.97fps, and at that time, I wasn’t sure of exactly how much of the conversion the droplets would take care of and how much other processing I needed to do.

I also tried out a Timestretch droplet on the entire edit yesterday, just to see what would happen. Of course it didn’t sync up with the audio, so yes you’re right, I would need to go back to the original files and start again to sort it.

Simon

[Peter Wiggins]

I think you will have a certain amount of pain whichever way you choose, but it is always worth starting off on the right foot.

[Simon Tyler]

Thanks Peter. I’ve learned the hard way on this one!!