Uncompressed capture from Varicam

[Chris Bell]

D5 would be a good choice. Solid, reliable, established format.

AJA or Blackmagic both read any frame rate from 1-60. Both can do 4:2:2

Chris Bell

[Gary Adcock]

[Wolf Austad] “Requirements would be that the device can read the VITC/UB flags off the HD-SDI stream (preferably with no TC/U-bit deembedders) and be able to ditch the non-flagged frames upon capture.”

All of the Kona HD cards can do the offspeed capture from a Live Varicam in realtime at 8bit, 10bit or any compressed formats available in FCP with no post processing needed.

Note that FCP does not accept master Timecode over HD/SDI so you will need to deal with that drawback in a live capture scenario.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com

[Wolf Austad]

Thanks for the suggestions. However, I am not entirely sure how that would work. When I read the FAQ at f.ex. AJA’s web site I find the following:

If you are deliberately over/under cranking the shooting rate in order to get a slow/fast motion effect (for example: shooting a clip at 48 fps with the intent to play it back at 1/2 speed in a 24 fps sequence), then you should use the “AJA Kona2: 720p 59.94 DVCProHD” Easy Setup to capture ALL of the frames (active + duplicates) – then process the resulting clip using the software Frame Rate Converter with a target frame rate of 23.98. The KONA 2 board extracts the VariCam flags from the RP-188 stream during capture and inserts them into the captured DVCProHD stream where the FRC can find them. Note that this ONLY works if you are capturing using DVCProHD compression. The KONA 2 board doesn’t do the slow/fast motion processing – this can only be done by the Frame Rate Converter using the VariCam flag bits inside the DVCProHD-compressed clips.

Now, even if I use a Sony SRW-1 or a Panasonic D5 deck in 720/59.94, which would be good enough for this job, post would still need to digitize this footage and if they can’t ditch the non-flagged frames without going through the DVCPRO HD codec, then I am back to square one. And also, as far as I know, the Panasonic hardware Frame Rate Converter box also uses the DVCPRO HD codec.

Am I missing something here?
Is there a workaround I can recommend for post?

Aasulv Wolf Austad, fnf
Director of Photography
Los Angeles based

[Gary Adcock]

[Wolf Austad] “When I read the FAQ at f.ex. AJA’s web site I find the following:”

Wolf,
Thats is the Apple recommended way to handle the offspeed footage.

I have been the post instructor at the “Varicamps” for over a year and I show the uncompressed capture process as part of my demos at every camp, mentioning that it is a possible replacement for the Panasonic hardware FRC. ( which can only handle the compressed format.

The setting for proper highest quality uncompressed VFR acquisition is “AJA Kona2: 720p 23.98 10bit Varicam”

[Wolf Austad] “Now, even if I use a Sony SRW-1”
I am not sure the SR-1 records the flagged frames properly from Varicam.

[Wolf Austad] “post would still need to digitize this footage and if they can’t ditch the non-flagged frames without going through the DVCPRO HD codec, then I am back to square one.”
Again it is possible to handle the VFR content directly in FCP at a 10bit Uncompressed rate direct from the camera. Using a Kona 2 board.

[Wolf Austad] “as far as I know, the Panasonic hardware Frame Rate Converter box also uses the DVCPRO HD codec.”

That is correct .

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com

[Wolf Austad]

Thank you for a very informative answer! I guess I attended the Varicamp before you started lecturing there… Otherwise I would have known better.

>Note that FCP does not accept master Timecode over HD/SDI so you will need to deal with that drawback in a live capture scenario.

Now, if this VITC reading problem is located to Final Cut Pro, would I be able to use f.ex. AJA VTR Exchange to capture and by that be able to use just one HD-SDI cable from the camera? Running an extra cable out of the camera for TC is a major PITA for onset work, so I would really like to avoid it.

Aasulv Wolf Austad, fnf
Director of Photography
Los Angeles based

[Gary Adcock]

[Wolf Austad] “Now, if this VITC reading problem is located to Final Cut Pro, would I be able to use f.ex. AJA VTR Exchange to capture and by that be able to use just one HD-SDI cable from the camera? Running an extra cable out of the camera for TC is a major PITA for onset work, so I would really like to avoid i”

Yes AJA VTR app will work as this issue is FCP not the Kona Board.
I never run the TC from the camera in a live capture situation, I generate timecode from a separate off camera source
and to all the devices as TC or as an audio track to DV cameras.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com