Render settings for DVCPRO50

[Walter Soyka]

[Mille Larsen] “I’m making a title sequence and was told to deliver it in 1920 x 1080, DVCPRO50 or 25.”

That’s a very strange (and perhaps uninformed) request that you’ve received. 1920×1080 is a high definition raster size, but DVCPRO50 and DV25 are standard definition codecs. Something is not right there.

I’d suggest that the following things are important to confirm in a file-based delivery spec:

Raster size (1920×1080, 1280×720, 720×480, etc)
Aspect ratio (if applicable. 16×9, 4×3, 16×9 anamorphic)
Frame rate (23.976, 24.0, 25, 29.97, 30.0, 50, 59.94, 60.0)
Interlaced or Progressive
Field Order (for interlaced material)
Container (MOV, MXF, AVI, MP4, etc.)
Video codec (ProRes 4444, ProRes 422, DNxHD, H.264, MPEG2)
Video codec level (if applicable, such as for H.264 or MPEG2)
Video bit rate (if applicable)
Number of audio channels and audio channel configuration
Audio codec
Audio bit rate / sampling rate

Sometimes, there are additional requirements about timecode and slating.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Mille Larsen]

Hi, thanks for responding!

I’ve got these informations from the TV channel, that I’m doing it for:

Raster size: 1920×1080
Aspect ratio: 16×9
Frame rate: 25
DVCPRO50 or DVCPRO25

I have so far set my composition setting to HDTV 1080 25, 1920×1080, 16×9, square pixels, frame rate 25. Not quite sure if this is correct for

Any help?

[Walter Soyka]

[Mille Larsen] “I have so far set my composition setting to HDTV 1080 25, 1920×1080, 16×9, square pixels, frame rate 25. Not quite sure if this is correct”

That’s correct. You can start work with this, and sort out the output codec later.

The problem here is that they are telling you to deliver with a standard definition codec (DVCPRO50 or 25), even though you’re working on high definition content. This is non-standard. The codec they’re telling you to use expects a raster size of 720×576.

DVCPROHD (also known as DVCPRO100) is the HD variant of this codec, but that’s not what they’re asking for.

I suppose what they’re asking is possible, but again, it’s totally non-standard and not a good choice for quality.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Mille Larsen]

Well, that sounds strange..
Do you know how I render that out? I tried out some different settings, but I said: Warning output file will be resized..

[Walter Soyka]

[Mille Larsen] “Do you know how I render that out? I tried out some different settings, but I said: Warning output file will be resized..”

I’m not sure that you’ll be able to — it’s possible that the codec won’t accept the non-standard raster size for compression.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Tero Ahlfors]

DVCPRO codecs are tightly specced. Either you can render and get garbage or you just can’t render and you get a warning about the correct settings.

[Mille Larsen]

So if I want DVCPRO50 I have to go for size 720×576? Is there other options?

[Walter Soyka]

[Mille Larsen] “So if I want DVCPRO50 I have to go for size 720×576? Is there other options?”

I’d go back to the television station and tell them their spec is contradictory. Talk to someone in engineering if you must.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Mille Larsen]

Hey guys,

thanks! It turned out that my settings were fine for the TV channel. No need for DVCPRO50 or anything.