How do I best downconvert from EX-3 to DV Tape?

[Noah Kadner]

Depends on your NLE. If it were a Mac I’d get an AJA Kona 3 and use it to do automatic conversions and maybe bump up to another analog DV deck with SDI input for higher quality. For example a used DSR1500 would do the trick. Though S-Video is not a bad start, just somewhat noisy compared to SDI which would be clean.

Otherwise if you have extra time do the downconvert in your NLE and push out to DV via Firewire. That will eliminate any potential for noise in the signal and save you on getting the extra hardware.

As for shooting format- this camera’s sweet spot is 1080/24p. However you get more slow mo and high-speed effects with 720p so that’s a consideration. Either would make an excellent source to downconvert to standard DV.

-Noah

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[Craig Seeman]

First I’d ask why your client wants DV. It’s always worth exploring since they may find the higher quality EX raw files easier to handle. They may not understand that.

Sony ClipBrowser2 can downconvert to DV.AVI and Raw DV (.DV). The plugin is provided by MainConcept I believe. That will give them DV master files while you wrangle the EX files. Again they’re getting files, not tape but again why not give them files.

Even if they need DV files that would have significant advantages over tape.
No tape based risk of dropouts,
no need to have use a deck to capture,
faster than real time import since they’re just files,
portability to screen “on the go” with a laptop rather than having to screen tapes with a deck.

Again I’d strongly suggest you talk to your client about real vs perceived needs. They may not have any idea about the portability of EX files or DV files (if they really want DV).

[Bo Skelmose]

Hi
I use premiere CS3,2 to downconvert – Import the EX3 files in an XDcam EX project and export them to Microsoft avi files. Open a DV wide project and import the converted files – now you can export via firewire to your deck. This way your HD recordings looks great.

[Michael Slowe]

Frank, I’ve read the other responses to your question and everyone (of course!) has a different solution. I have another suggestion. On my EX1 I have been shooting in the SP mode which is HDV at 25 mbps. I have then run the video via firewire to the Sony M10 deck on to tape. That deck does a pretty decent down convert to DV. Two things though, can the EX3 shoot HDV and can you lay your hands on a Sony HDV deck? From what I hear the in camera down converts are not brilliant.

Michael Slowe

[Tulio Campregher]

Hi, I’ve been trying to use your solution to downconvert using Sony Clip Browser 2, I cannot find this “export” menu anywhere. Im on a Mac Intel, Is it a windows function only?
I still don’t understand why Sony didn’t add a downconvert via Firewire, I feel like going back to the Z1.We have solutions in the studio but we.need to create tapes in the field,

[Craig Seeman]

File/Export
then either
Raw DV
or
AVI DV
as you see fit

Are you sure you’re using ClipBrowser2

[Tulio Campregher]

Hi, Thanks Craig, I was using the Sony Browser app. not the Clip Browser app. ( maybe Sony could give them different names)
The funny tyhing is, It can only export to NTSC DV formats even though all the clips are 50i (PAL friendly format) in the SXS card.
Anyone has a clu on exporting to PAL?
regards,
Tulio