Need HDCam to DVCPRO HD advice

[Sean Oneil]

What are you outputting to?

Sean

[Shane Ross]

[Dan Riley] “I need to get the HDCam footage transfered to DVCPRO HD at the
same HD format”

Well, that’s not possible. HDCAM and DVCPRO HD are different formats. You can get the same frame rate, but that’s it.

Capturing with a Kona card as ProRes or Uncompressed 10-bit HD would et you the best results…but what is the other footage you are cutting this with? Or is this the only footage for the project? 10-bit UC would look better, but ProRes will look fine.

Shane

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[Dan Riley]

For air, the sequence will be output to DigiBeta, but I’ll edit it HD.
I’ll use a project setting of whatever I decide to do with the transfer.
I’ll bring in all the other elements in that same format when possible.

And yes, I know the tape formats are different, I meant the same HD format of
frame size and rate, which in this case will be 1080p30 (29.97).

So, from a quality standpoint, and this is my main concern, does native HDCam
look better than native DVDPRO HD? Would I be losing anything going from the
one to the other? And if so, then it seems like the best idea is to capture directly
from HDCam to FCP using the HD Pro Rez HQ format.
(I don’t want to use HD uncompressed).

Dan

[Shane Ross]

Depends on the camera used…DVCPRO HD from a Varicam looks great. That is what they used on PLANET EARTH.

But that’s besides the point. If HDCAM is your master, then ProRes is a good option. Before ProREs, DVCPRO HD was the option if you didn’t have the RAID to handle 10bit UC, or you needed to work in an offline resolution.

Shane

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[Sean Oneil]

[Dan Riley] “So, from a quality standpoint, and this is my main concern, does native HDCam
look better than native DVDPRO HD? Would I be losing anything going from the
one to the other? And if so, then it seems like the best idea is to capture directly
from HDCam to FCP using the HD Pro Rez HQ format.”

ProRes will technically be higher quality. But after downconverting and outputting to digibeta it won’t make any difference. Do whatever is less expensive.

Sean

[Walter Biscardi]

[Dan Riley] “So, from a quality standpoint, and this is my main concern, does native HDCam
look better than native DVDPRO HD? Would I be losing anything going from the
one to the other? And if so, then it seems like the best idea is to capture directly
from HDCam to FCP using the HD Pro Rez HQ format. “

I would probably try ProRes first as you will stay full raster 1920×1080. I’ve had some issues with ProRes captures, but a lot of folks are happy with it.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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[Dan Riley]

They are using the Sony HDW-F900R.
I originally wanted them to take the HD SDI out and record directly, uncompressed
to a Mac Pro and KONA3 card and RAID. But that didn’t work out.
I wanted this because there is green screen on this shoot and I wanted as clean a
recording as possible to work with. But now we’ve decided to go with the HDCAM tape.

Dan

[Gary Adcock]

[Dan Riley] “So, from a quality standpoint, and this is my main concern, does native HDCam
look better than native DVDPRO HD? “

Unless you are working on a Quantel System you will NEVER see Native HDCam….

( Sony did not want anyone to see that it was 1440×1080)

HDCamSR is a full raster format.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Inside look at the IoHD

[Gary Adcock]

[Dan Riley] “They are using the Sony HDW-F900R.
I originally wanted them to take the HD SDI out and record directly, uncompressed
to a Mac Pro and KONA3 card and RAID. But that didn’t work out. “

Why not Dan? I do this all the time, both with the K3 and an IoHD.

For green screen / EFX work I always capture as ProResHQ or UC 10bit.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Inside look at the IoHD

[Sean Oneil]

[gary adcock] “Unless you are working on a Quantel System you will NEVER see Native HDCam….”

Don’t forget Sony xpri.

Sean