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question about capture/importing/file transfer
Hello,
I’m thinking about getting EX1. I know it shoots 1080p, and I would probably almost always shoot in this. I’ve seen on wikipedia that to capture 1080p at best quality, you should use either Dual-link HD-SDI or 3G-SDI. Here is a link to my source. Just scroll down a bit to the chart:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Digital_Interface
My question is: If i use a card reader, will that still give me the best quality possible since it’s not really video capture; it’s just a file transfer?
I just want to know because I don’t want to buy more than I need in terms of a PCI express card from BlackMagic for my MacPro.
Thanks guys
Robert J. Grauert, Jr.
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5 Replies
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Capturing live using the SDI port effectively bypasses the camera’s compression section and records a 4:2:2 signal right off the camera head. This is the very best quality you can get from the EX. The HQ 1080 setting that is recorded to the SxS Pro card will be at the 4:2:0 colour space and that’s the best you can get recoding to the cards. Transferring HQ 1080 from the card to a hard drive after the fact will still result in a file with the 4:2:0 colour space.
– Don
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What do you mean by “capturing live using the SDI port”? I know what SDI is, but to do what I quoted, is the camera hooked up to a computer that has HD-SDI input? Or can you get a hard drive to connect to the camera that has HD-SDI?
Robert J. Grauert, Jr.
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Exactly- you cannot improve the signal once captured to SxS- that’s a digital transfer. However you can get a better signal if you hook up the HD-SDI output of the camera-as you are shooting live and send it to an uncompressed capture card like a Kona 3. But this is quite cumbersome and the results may not really be worth the effort in most instances. Here’s why capturing the HD-SDI signal after you record to XDCAM EX is pointless:
https://www.callboxlive.com/resources/?p=29
-Noah
My FCP Blog. Unlock the secrets of the DVX100, HVX200 and Apple Color. Now featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook
https://www.callboxlive.com -
Ok, that article makes sense to me. But at the end it says to export your FCP timeline as ProRes or uncompressed…
Does it mean 8 or 10bit uncomressed? or select “None” when selecting your compression type.
And also…export to what? Tape again? That would sound pointless to me because wouldn’t it just get compressed again?
Robert J. Grauert, Jr.
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It really depends where your going next. I like 10-bit uncompressed as an archival format because out of FCP it maximizes the render quality of all of your titles, filters, composites, etc. And from there you have a huge but very versatile archive master from which you can derive your DVDs, web versions, even film outs, etc. It’s just the least touched version of a final edit you can create.
Noah
My FCP Blog. Unlock the secrets of the DVX100, HVX200 and Apple Color. Now featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook
https://www.callboxlive.com
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