What codec to master to HDW-500 HD

[Michael Alberts]

You can’t go wrong with the 8bit uncompressed. You’ll have much less render time with the uncompressed coded as opposed to the ProRes codec which is a render hog. Even with our octo core MacPro with 8GB of RAM something like a simple color correction requires a render before outputting in ProRes.

Michael Alberts
Ambidextrous Productions, Inc.
http://www.ambidextrous.net

[Cmc]

Thank you so much Michael – I really appreciate the quick response!

Have a good day,
Chris

[Michael Sacci]

Are you starting to edit or are you just printing to tape from an existing timeline. If your project is done you have not be gaining anything by converting codecs at the end. So lets say your timeline is DVCProHD everything is done rendered ready to go, I would just do an edit to tape with that codec, nothing is going to be gained by converting to Uncompressed or ProRes at that point.

[Cmc]

I won’t be getting the tapes until Friday so I have some choice (I have the space and the raid to handle uncompressed but only if I get it in and out fast and furious like). Therefore it is good to know that I have the option of using DVCProHD – I wasn’t sure if I would have problems in edit to tape using that codec with the HDW-500.
Thank you so much for clarifying all of this for me!

[Michael Sacci]

Don’t think you are follow me, I’m not saying edit with DVCProHD if the project is not started.

Mastering, to me at least, is just the last stage of the process and not the process. So if you question is what codec should I edit with at the start of the project, is different than asking about printing a master from an existing timeline.

[Cmc]

For the first part of this project I only have a day to get the footage in and back out to tape so
my plan is to go in uncompressed and make client masters from that. But I need to be able to hold onto the project for a while so I will archive in DVCPRoHD, knowing now that if it is needed, I can go straight to tape from that timeline. I hope this sounds reasonable!!!

I was asking about mastering specifically because I wasn’t sure what codecs the HDCAM deck would accept from Final Cut Pro (and the Kona LHe).

[Mark Raudonis]

[cMc] “I wasn’t sure what codecs the HDCAM deck would accept from Final Cut Pro (and the Kona LHe). “

The deck doesn’t CARE what codec you use. It sees an HD SDI signal that comes from the Kona card.

So, you can use Pro r es, DVCPRO HD, uncompressed 8 bit, 10 bit, or even SD. The HDCAM deck is looking at a video signal, not a “codec”. There are plenty of reasons why you may choose any of the above, but how the deck records is not one of them.

Mark

[Cmc]

Awesome. That was where my confusion lay… so basic that people were likely confused by the question!

Thanks to all for taking the time,
Chris