PAL Export question

[Russell Lasson]

You could shoot at 24P, digitize the footage, then use Cinema Tools to conform the footage to 25P. Conform just retimes the footage so that one second is equal to 25 frames instead of 24 frames. So for every second, it will shorten the length of the footage by 1 frame. This ends up speeding the footage up by 4%. This has been a common and acceptable conversion for many workflows.

The really nice thing about this workflow is that the footage isn’t recompressed and no interpolation happens to create or remove frames. It looks great.

From there, you could just send a drive or DVDs with the footage to your client.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Michael Gissing]

[Russell Lasson] “You could shoot at 24P, digitize the footage, then use Cinema Tools to conform the footage to 25P”

That sounds like trying to make a sows ear out of a silk purse.

If the camera shoots 50i then shoot with this and make 50i DV files if that’s what the client wants. No need for convoluted speed conversion which will also change audio pitch if the camera is switchable.

[Michael Gissing]

If the client wants 25 frame DV 16:9 then I would shoot 50i (or 25p) if your camera is switchable. Speed converting from 24 is an unnecessary step that changes pitch and will be a huge problem if you are recording sep audio.

[Russell Lasson]

After looking at the specs of the HDX900, I’ve learned that it will shoot at 50i or 25P. It’s just shoot it at that like Michael said. It will simplify things greatly.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Ernie Santella]

The client would like DVCAM 50i. It’s not artsy, so they don’t require the 24/25 fps look.

So, you guys think shoot with the camera set at 1080/50i, digitize into FCP at 1080/50i then drag it into a PAL DV timeline and resize?

Or… can I digitize it with my Kona3 card as PAL DV 50i? Will the Kona card do the conversion?

Sorry for so many questions, but I’ve never had to deal with PAL before.

[Russell Lasson]

[Ernie Santella] “Or… can I digitize it with my Kona3 card as PAL DV 50i? Will the Kona card do the conversion?”

If you have a Kona 3, that’s a great way to downconvert it.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Michael Gissing]

Indeed, convert on capture. If your FCP setup has NTSC reference video, it would be best to disconnect this when you capture.

Take PAL reference from the Kona into the camera.

[Russell Lasson]

[Michael Gissing] “If the camera shoots 50i then shoot with this and make 50i DV files if that’s what the client wants.”

I agree. I just didn’t know for sure if the camera could shoot in PAL. Since it does, there’s no point in doing it any other way. Plus he has a Kona 3. He’ll be fine.

But sometimes the speed conversion is a great tool to use.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Ernie Santella]

OK, next question. They asked for DVCAM format files. What is considered PAL DVCAM? There is DV, DVCPro50 & DVCPro codecs. Not sure which format to digitize into. I’m assuming DVCPro is the best quality correct?

[Michael Gissing]

DVCPro50 is not DVCam but a different codec. DV is DV. The DVCPro easy setup is probably designed to drive a Panasonic machine but the raw codec is DV. Choose that codec and all is well.

I have a Decklink and the setup is “Decklink DV PAL”.
I don’t know the Kona setups but the standard Apple DV setup is looking for firewire so you will need to find a Kona equivalent to the Decklink I use.