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Looking for advice on HD native show to NTSC Beta SP output
Hi,
I’m working on a show that was shot 1080p on the XDCAM and it’s going to be broadcast in SD NTSC.
I have to reposition a lot of things, including the graphics and the actual editing itself to make it work for 4:3,
I’m curious about what other people (especially people who’ve had to do this a few times) think about the best way to go from HD to SD NTSC, not just in adjusting for a different format, but also having to deal with aspect ration issues- that is the show I’m dealing with won’t be letter boxed. It will be ful screened, so I have to take this HD sequence and output to SD NTSC, while also making it full screen and 4:3 TV and Title safe…
So yes, any thoughts on the fastest, easiest most trouble free way to get there would be much appreciated.
Best,
Samah -
6 Replies
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Cut and paste to a 4×3 SD timeline and resize the image so that the top and bottom of the frame equal the frame height. If there is any squeezing of the image when you first paste it into the SD timeline you need to remove attributes–distort for all the clips. As far as repositioning text and graphics, try to find numbers in the motion tab that you can simply paste onto all similar text and graphics elements to move them identically throughout your project.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
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Thank you David.
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I just drop my 1080 footage into an SD timeline, adjust as to whether you want letterbox or center cut, render and get on with it. FCP 6 will add the shift fields filter automatically, unless you shot progressive.
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Thanks Chris.
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Or just use a an AJA card or BlackMagic and do it all in realtime. We do HD programs for most networks and need to deliver HD and SD masters. Our final masters all run though the Kona3 and then through a legalizer before they reach tape. Some networks want SD 4:3, other want 16×9 letterbox. In some cases we have to do a resize on lower 3rds for the SD output. It’s also necessary to protect for 4:3 in action. If the cameraman didn’t adjust for this case we do a pan/scan on the object to get proper framing. It’s much easier when the network allows a 16×9 letterbox.
Michael Alberts
Ambidextrous Productions, Inc.
http://www.ambidextrous.net -
All good stuff….
BUT….
Hardware conversion is sooo much better. Do you have a PDW-F70 deck? If so, it will down-convert for you, on the fly. It can downconvert to letterbox, center punch, or anamorphic. You would want the center punch. A hardware capture card like the AJA Kona series or Blackmagic series can also do this.
I’ve been doing this for the past year and a half, now, without any problems. Nesting sequences can get you into trouble in all sorts of ways. And Compressor can downconvert but at a cost of quality loss.
For your issue, samahcinema, I would create two sequences. One for HD and one for SD output at HD resolution. This way you can have an original HD version and then an SD version for broadcast. Somewhere dow the line, someone will want your program in HD and you’ll have it when you need it.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com
https://blogs.creativecow.net/waynecarey
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