IMX 50 .MXF delivery help

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Brian Whitton] ” so I don’t think we’re going through Fastchannel. “

Didn’t mean to lead you astray there, just using Fastchannel is as an example as what happens to the 480 to 512 conversion.

[Brian Whitton] “If I got back to FCP, change the pre-Compressor delivery sequence to 720×480, and scale the images fill the space, I’m lead to believe that the xdcam transfer will add the extra 32 pixels, right? Will that be correct ? “

Yes. It will add the proper blanking. Are you delivering 4×3 center cut or letterbox?

Jeremy

[Brian Whitton]

Not 100%. My producer only gave me an excerpt of the delivery specs, but he is sending along the full doc shortly.

I’ll let you know ASAP. Thanks for walking me through this Jeremy.

[Brian Whitton]

Looks like it’s 4:3 center cut. No letterboxing.

[Jeremy Garchow]

And this is the HD movie? So you have a pillar boxed 16×9 movie? or you have a full frame 16×9 movie and you need to center cut it?

[Brian Whitton]

Yes, this is what I’ve been talking about the entire time. Music video shot in HD full 1920×1080.

We are delivering a digital file in SD. According to the full spec doc they don’t accept digital HD files, only tape. They don’t seem to specify letterbox v cropped, full-frame 16×9. So I guess it’s a question for the artist/manager/producer.

Anyway, here’s where I’m at:

I followed your instructions and made both sequences 720×480 (pre 29.97 export and pre xdcam export). Played the final MXF in xdcam and it looks good to me. Nicely 4:3 with no noticeable distortion.

They’ve also asked for it as a playable DVD. I assume they mean they want a data dvd with the MXF as well as a dvd that plays the video in the 29.97 frame rate at the SD frame size.

To do this, I “exported” (though XDCAM transfer calls it an import) the IMX file as a .mov, and dropped that into compressor to make DVD SP files (m2v and ac3). Just checked it in DVD SP and both files import well and simulate well.

Submissions must be made by Thursday at 3 pm to be in their acquisitions mtg on Monday, so I have a little time to have a few more catastrophes.

Let me know if you see anything glaringly uninformed here.

Thanks again Jeremy!

Brian

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Brian Whitton] “Yes, this is what I’ve been talking about the entire time. Music video shot in HD full 1920×1080.

We are delivering a digital file in SD.”

I undersand all that. You just need to know whether to deliver a letterboxed 4×3, an anamorphic 4×3 or a center cut 4×3. There’s a big difference in all of them, especially the center cut.

This is what you should do. Export the 23.98 HD movie. Take that to compressor, down convert, adjust PAR and add pulldown there (I have posted how to do this many many times in the past on the cow). This will leave you with a 29.97 SD file. Bring that 29.97 file in to FCP and THEN export the MXF file from your Compressor created SD file.

You can make the DVD files from the same HD file while you are in compressor.

Have you checked the IMX file on a proper monitor or just in the software?

Oh wait! You don’t have MXF4mac. My bad! You should really get the MXF file checked on a proper monitor.

Jeremy

[Brian Whitton]

Ok, so it looks like I’ll be delivering in letterboxed 4:3. The spec doc doesn’t specify and we decided to deliver a full image.

[Jeremy Garchow] “Take that to compressor, down convert, adjust PAR and add pulldown there (I have posted how to do this many many times in the past on the cow).”
SO. Understood everything, and will check the CC archives for directions to make the necessary compressor adjustments. I assume I won’t need to downconvert, as we’re going letterbox. Also, I assume the frame size going into compressor will be 1920×1080, but I will be adjusting it therein to 720×480.

[Jeremy Garchow] “Oh wait! You don’t have MXF4mac. My bad! You should really get the MXF file checked on a proper monitor.”

By proper monitor, you mean standard crt TV? Checking for issues like color and gamma? How would I check the MXF file on a proper monitor if it only plays in XDCAM?

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Brian Whitton] “I assume I won’t need to downconvert, as we’re going letterbox. “

GOing from HD to Letterbox SD is a downconvert. Yes, you will need to downconvert.

[Brian Whitton] “Also, I assume the frame size going into compressor will be 1920×1080, but I will be adjusting it therein to 720×480”

That’s correct, but you will add padding in the Geometry tab to get the letterbox.

[Brian Whitton] “How would I check the MXF file on a proper monitor if it only plays in XDCAM?”

Uh, hate to say it, but MXF4mac’s MXF Import. You know, that waste of money?

Color, gamma, and pulldown, yes.

Jeremy

[Bouke Vahl]

You can use the XDcam plugin to import your footage.
However, same as with MXF4Mac, this won’t help you at all.
What you’ll get back is what you have send, and that is no indication that the broadcaster will like it this way.

If there is a gamma difference between you and the broadcaster, you won’t know, as you will see what you have made that is correct for YOUR system.
You need to be sure about your workflow all the way, and you need to send testclips to the broadcaster to be sure.
That includes field dominance test and gamma tests (just make 3 vertical bars, black, mid-grey and white).
If unsure about letterbox vs FHA, just make both.

Audio levels is another thing. Chances are pretty slim you’ll guess it right.
So, call the broadcaster, get friends with a tech there and send testclips. Or, ask him what they use for QC.
(believe it or not, our biggest broadcaster over here uses Vegas for QC.)

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Brian Whitton]

Hey Jeremy,

I’ve almost figured this out. I exported my 24fps file to a 1920×1080 quicktime, and in compressor figured out how to accomplish a 3:2 pulldown (lower field interlacing, fast rate conversion, etc.), but the part where I’m lost is the PAR and padding to achieve a 720×512 frame size.

I thought I would choose the 720×480 frame size, and since I’m going for letterbox, I thought a PAR of NTSC CCIR 601/DV (16:9) (PAR of .8438) would be it. But then do I choose the 16×9 option again under Padding? When I do that, there’s nothing added to any of the fields (they’re all 0). I did a test export, but the size came out to 720×486.

Can you shed some light on this PAR thing, and how to get the frame height to 512?

mxf4mac is really starting to look good right about now.