seasoned FCP guy but need a little help with HDV

[Andy Mees]

>I need to use an HDV deck to ingest despite the video shot on regular DV, yes? If not, will a DSR-11 work?

correct. you need to ingest from an HDV deck/camera. the DSR-11 will not work

>If I just capture via firewire, I want to use the Apple intermediate HDV codec, yes? (I have an Aja IO LA, btw) Is there a drawback to this method?

Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) is not HDV. if you intend to edit in native HDV then you should capture as HDV not AIC

>The client wanting to edit in Native HDV, my sequence settings will be 1440×1080, upper field first. yes?

yes … but concern yourself less with those settings. just make sure you use the appropriate Easy Setup then leave the other settings alone and you will be fine

HDV is a breeze to edit with. if you are runnig FCP6 then you can take advantage of using ProRes422 as the render codec (Sequence Settings>>Render tab). The painful part of HDV is the long conform time when mastering back to HDV tape

[Walter Biscardi]

Good answers all around Andy, I concur with everything he’s saying.

The only thing we do differently here is capture to the DVCPro HD codec as I find that codec much easier to work with and our final output is HDCAM. If the client has specified an HDV workflow, then what Andy suggests is perfect for you.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

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[Chris Poisson]

Rick,

The way I do this is set up your sequence as 8 bit or ProRes, and don’t let FCP change the sequence settings when you put in your first clip of HDV. It will have to render but you’ll only be getting one hit, you will not have to conform as you would in an HDV sequence.

Have a wonderful day.

[Andy Mees]

Hey Chris

If you intend to master back to HDV then you will still have to conform regardless of your interim edit codec. Equally, if you already choose to use ProRes as the render codec then surely theres zero benefit to setting your entire sequnece to ProRes422, as when you edit in native HDV then there is no recompression except in those areas that require render.

Cheers
Andy

[Chris Poisson]

Hi Andy,

Yes, all true, just that in my workflow I never have reason to go back to HDV, ever. (Yuck!) Don’t mean to mislead our friend here.

Have a wonderful day.

[Jason Porthouse]

Andy,

Use the KISS principle like others have suggested. Treat HDV exactly as you would DV, use an appropriate HDV deck with the correct Easy Setup and you’ll be fine.

Edit away just as you would any other media.

If you’re mastering back to HDV, you’ll need to give yourself time for the ridiculous HDV conform process, that can take a while for a long-form programme. Like others have stated, I jump to another codec for output if you’re mastering straight to DVD or to any ‘pro’ tape format. If you were using your IoLA to go to Beta, for instance, and your drives were up to it, I’d create a new 16:9 SD sequence using either 8 or 10 bit uncompressed and drop my edited clips in that. Check that FCP has resized them correctly, render and edit to tape.

HDV (as DV) is pants for rendering graphics and compositing, so if you’ve lots of this I’d look in to a similar route.

HTH,

Jason

_________________________________

Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes.
Then when you do criticise him, you’ll be a mile away. And have his shoes.

*the artist formally known as Jaymags*

[Andy Mees]

thanks for putting me right Jason, i’ll try to remember that 🙂

[Jason Porthouse]

Sorry Andy, brain f**t there. I meant to address my post to Rick.

Something about grandmothers sucking eggs comes to mind 😉

Jason

_________________________________

Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes.
Then when you do criticise him, you’ll be a mile away. And have his shoes.

*the artist formally known as Jaymags*

[Peter Dewit]

My only suggestion would be if you are going to need to create a SD version test your workflow for that ahead of time. Downconverting in FCP from HDV to SD formats like DVD can be a real headache at times.