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MC5 Canon 5D transcode what Resolution?
Hi, I am new to this forum, however I lurked around and could not find answers to my specific workflow issues.
I am currently preparing to edit a feature documentary, shot with EX1/nanoFlash 100MB GOP MXF and Canon EOS 5D media, all 25fps. The final programm will be printed on 35mm film, so I need the best quality.
Using the latest MC5 version on a certified machine.I wonder to what resolution I should transcode the media and if it is possible to realize an offline/online workflow as there will be tons of material (<80hrs) arriving here.
The nanoFlash media is mounting through AMA and playing RT (after patched to MC5.0.3.4-great!!), but as audio is recorded with SoundDevices774T, I have to transcode the media to be able to read the audio TC from the Lockit on the video. I did some tests with batch-importing, and it seems that I can safely transcode the nanoFlash media to a lower res, say XDcam 50, for editing and later decompose and batch-import the final timeline to DNxHD185X.
Big question is, how I ingest the CanonEOS Media. In VLC player (CTRL-I), the Canon-media shows 44Mbits/sec (streaming) and 170 Mbits/sec demuxed. I read somewhere else, that the Canon Media is 8bit RGB, so this would point to an AMA->transcode workflow, with an offline-edit @ XDcam50, later batch to DNxHD185 (8bit)
Now I found the Cineform website, where they say, that their product neoScene v5 will extract 4:2:2 (10bit) from Canon-Media.
So I wanted to ask the Pros here, what they think about it. Should I go for neoScene and render all the Canon-Media to their codec and work with it, or can I just mount and transcode it through AMA??
thx for ur input
best regards
Markuscameras don’t lie yet liars may use cameras
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3 Replies
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For Canon 5D footage going to DNxHD 145/150 will be good enough. The 5D shoots 8 bit 4:2:0 in NTSC color space, so your new transcoded media will become your new master. Media Composer will create timecode based on creation date – If you go that way, backup your DNxHD media as your new submaster sources just in case. Cineform can make YUV and will make video legal SMPTE (constrained) range with black at 16RGB and whites as 235RGB.
Also, import your BWF files dircetly to the bin. Do not use AMA to BWF files as the timecode will be wrong.
Michael
Michael Phillips
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Michael-thx for your quick reply.
Your suggestion to transcode to DNxHD 145 (in 25fps-world that’s DNxHD 120, right?) would make media managment way easier for me.How do you interprete the “demuxed data rate 170Mb/sec” in VLC-player / CTRL-I?
The only thing I don’t get here, is how the Cineform folks are trying to make $$$ with their product NeoScene, when they claim it can magically interpolate a 4:2:2/10bit file out of 4:2:0/8bit sources?
Cineform state on their website:
“If you convert your 8-bit source data to 10-bit data prior to manipulation in post, your gradients will remain smooth during heavy effects work. Think of it this way, because of the extra two bits you have four additional discrete steps in a 10-bit image between each discrete step in an 8-bit image.”
If this was the only reason, then I could also transcode the final TL from DNxHD120 to 185X to gain the “two extra bits” just before the grading process, that will happen on a Symphony-Nitris in 10bit colorspace
Am I mistaken to think that way?regards
Markuscameras don’t lie yet liars may use cameras
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There is some truth to that as how a file gets converted from one space to another can affect overall quality such as banding etc. I am consulting on two features right now, and I chose to transcode everything to Cineform first. One for the decode qualities and encode to a higher bit rate (as they state), and for creating a submaster that had timecode part of the file to make it persistent and consistent.
Once that was done, I did an offline from those files at DNxHD36 with a conform to the Cineform file later either in an Avid product or a DI system. If gives me the flexibility to choose at a later date.
Michael
Michael Phillips
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