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PC for HDV in Avid Xpress
Having recently got my Sony Z1, I am looking forward start editing HDV.
The projects I start in HDV won’t be coming back to it, as I think the re-compression can be very harmful for the aberrations and image quality.
So I would have three questions:
1) What are the major issues for capturing HDV to be later exported to HD?
2) What is the best way to shoot in HDV to be later shown in DV: should I downconvert at capturing or when exporting?
3) Which PC system combo would you advice, certainly base on Intel’s Core 2 Duo?
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2 Replies
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Carlos,
First, I would suggest that you use the HDV codec as an acquisition codec and not for editing and distribution. Sounds like you are thinking the same way. You may want to transcode to DNxHD if you have lots of layers or heavy rendering. DNxHD is a terrific mastering codec; you should not lose any quality going this way. If everything is just cuts and dissolves, maybe just worry about getting out of HDV at mastering time.
Personally, I would not downconvert until the very last step. Keep your footage, your elements and your edit at as high a resolution as the original quality dictates.
And as for PCs, I would definately go for one of the approved systems listed here:
https://www.avid.com/products/xpresspro/Qualified_PC_Workstations.pdf
https://www.avid.com/products/xpresspro/Qualified_PC_Notebooks.pdfLess hassle all around if you can just EDIT and not play computer tech all day. My opinion, anyway.
Regards,
Joe Womble
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Joe,
Thanks for your comments. We seem to agree on most points, except perhaps on the Avid list for recommended computers. That may work fine in the US, but I live in Brazil. So as well as Apple is not too popular here and very very expensive, you have very little to pick for on ready made PCs.
In my case I will be assembling my own computer, using top quality parts like those recommended by the Videoguys or similar. In fact that was what I wanted to find out from the people in this forum: what they were using as parts.
As you well said, I will be using HDV just for acquisition, never to come back to it. And the DNxHD codec should help me there. After I finish my editing, I will take it elsewhere if the road is to be HD.
That means I will need lots of HDD space and speed, and of course, if I need to downconvert I will do it at the very end.
I am not interested in computer tech either, so I will probably go for what seems to work, which is a specific Asus motherboard, a fast Core 2 Duo cpu and a good video-board.
Regards
Carlos E. Mart
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