Reporting Back-EX1 render times

[Greg Ball]

Thanks Mike. Here are a few questions though.

1. Why a self contained QT and not a reference movie?
2. What SD sequence settings did you use?
3. For a 15 minute video would you just use Compressors 90 minute best settings?
4. Why do you shoot progressive not interlaced?

[Chris Babbitt]

Mick,

I’ve been experimenting as well, and I can’t seem to come up with settings for an SD sequence that work, other than NTSC-DV. Would you mind sharing your sequence settings?

I’m finding, so far, that for 1080i projects, I’m getting the best result just editing the native XDCAM format and then exporting to a Pro-Res SD file and taking that into Compressor. You don’t have to render first. For 720p or 1080p projects, I get excellent quality just exporting a Quicktime reference movie of the sequence and taking that into Compressor. It’s less steps, but may be slower than your method. I’m not sure.

[Mick Haensler]

[Greg Ball] “Thanks Mike. Here are a few questions though.

I’ll try to answer them as best I can. I’m not a techie. I’m the kind who finds something that works and sticks to it.

1. Why a self contained QT and not a reference movie?

Several reasons. A: It seems, notice I said seems, to render faster. B: Since I render out in Pro Res HQ, I have a high quality Master for archiving and duplication.

2. What SD sequence settings did you use?

I use regular DV but I render out using Pro Res HQ

3. For a 15 minute video would you just use Compressors 90 minute best settings?

Yes. A lot of older DVD players can’t read the high bit rates of a higher quality compression

4. Why do you shoot progressive not interlaced?

It depends on what I’m shooting. For the most part right now I’m shooting mostly interviews that might need to go to the Web. From what I’ve read, Progressive is the only way to go for Web stuff.

I am not an expert by any stretch. I have only been on Mac since February of this year and have been shooting EX footage since June. I have a huge amount to learn but I know what is working for me and this is it. I hope that helps.

Mick(not Mike, Nick, Mitch, or Mic, it’s Mick, like Mick Jagger) 🙂 Haensler
Higher Ground Media

[Mick Haensler]

[Chris Babbitt] “I’ve been experimenting as well, and I can’t seem to come up with settings for an SD sequence that work, other than NTSC-DV. Would you mind sharing your sequence settings? “

That’s what I’ve been using Chris. It seems to work just fine. Please post if you find a better solution.

Mick Haensler
Higher Ground Media

[Chris Babbitt]

Mick,

Why not just export your original XDCAM sequence to an SD Prores file? It seems to me that you are getting the same result without the extra step of the DV sequence.

[Mick Haensler]

[Chris Babbitt] “Why not just export your original XDCAM sequence to an SD Prores file? It seems to me that you are getting the same result without the extra step of the DV sequence.”

As I said earlier in the thread, I find something that works and then I stick to it until I or someone else comes up with a better way to do things. May I suggest YOU do a side by side comparison and report back the results.

Mick Haensler
Higher Ground Media

[Greg Ball]

Mike, can I ask you why you use regular DV but render out using Pro Res HQ?

Isn’t DV much lower quality than your original EX-1 footage?

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Chris,
I think that what Mick does is to set the SD sequence as DV just for editing. ,Before rendering he changes to Proress.
If you edit in an EX-1 sequence and you drop that in a SD Proress, or just edit directly in an SD Proress sequence, it will be no difference. In both cases will be only one rendering, and this is the most important when working with 411/420 footage.
If I go to SD I prefer to cut directly in an SD sequence because the possibilities for re-sizing and re-framing that the HD footage offers.
In any case I set High precision and BEST Motion rendering.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Chris Babbitt]

Thanks for piping-in on this, Rafael. I’ve been trying your method, but I just can’t seem to get it right. Would you please explain how you set up your Prores sequence. Right now, I’m working with an EX 1080 60i project. What settings would you use for your ProRes SD sequence? What about slo-mo? How is that going to be affected? Is this method better than just exporting the XDCAM sequence directly to ProRes?

As I understand it, High Precision only applies to graphics, and by my experience that appears to be correct.

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Chris,
For the SD sequence just open a NTSC DV and change the codec to ProRes. Don’t forget to set Anamorphic.

[Chris Babbitt] “What about slo-mo?”
With the Slow-mow can be a problem. When you drop your EX-1/Upper-first in a Lower-first sequence (ie DV) you get the Shift-filter on. When you try tome a Slow-mow with “Frame Blending” FC makes a big mess. Shift-fields with Speed change can nt live together.
Solution: Nest the clip with the Shift-fields before applying the Speed change.

There is other solution that can works, for example if you go to DVD.
Edit your EX-1 footage in an Upper-first SD sequence. You avoid the Shift-fields filter and you can make Slow-mow
You can export without problem NTSC ProRess Upper-first. Any intelligent application (Compressor, Bit-Vice) will make a Upper-first MPG-2.
There is some miss understanding about he fact that NTSC DV, 8/10b Unc and Proress must t be always Lower-first. This is true only when capturing or printing to video. When the video is in your computer you decide the field order.

[Chris Babbitt] ” Is this method better than just exporting the XDCAM sequence directly to ProRes?

As I said I think that the less times you render your footage, the best.

As I understand it, High Precision only applies to graphics, and by my experience that appears to be correct.”
High Precission is nothing about graphics. Is critical that you set “Render all YUV material in High Precission YUV” and Motion Effects Rendering: BEST. Tis affect to how the 1920×1080 4.2.0/8b Square pixels are converted in 720×480 4.2.2/10b NTSC-Anamorphic Pixels.
Cheers,
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com