What is conforming HDV Video?

[Chris Poisson]

No, it’s because you are using an HDV sequence. Change your settings to 8 bit or ProRes and render once, no more conforming. Conforming has to do with the GOP mpeg format, when you cut it, it is screwed up, so it has to conform.

Have a wonderful day.

[Josh Evans]

Ok thanks.

so when i finish editing my whole timeline, i switch back to HDV for the final render?

[David Smith]

[Chris Poisson] “Conforming has to do with the GOP mpeg format, when you cut it, it is screwed up, so it has to conform.”

I don’t get that message when doing simple cuts in a HDV sequence in FCP 5.1.4.

Regards,
David

[Andrew Kimery]

The “conforming when I just want to render” thing I think is a bug because I’ve worked on multiple machines cutting HDV and sometimes when I hit render FCP will render but other times it will start conforming the video. What I’ve noticed is that hitting “command + R” will result in either a conform or a render depending on the machine. Hitting “option + R” or going up to the menu and selecting Sequence-> Render Only->XYZ will result in the machine rending. As was said before though, changing your sequence to render into ProRes will be faster than having it render in HDV.

As for having to switch back to HDV for the final render before output to tape I’m not sure because I’ve never gone back to HDV tape.

-A

[Josh Evans]

OK,

but then if I export from my ProRes 422 sequence… Is that an HD export? i.e. does that suit the needs of the TV channel I am making the documentary for? If so, why not just use proRes all the time?

[Mike Johnson]

This is not a bug. It just depends on your render settings in FCP. If you go to the Sequence menu, then Render “X”, you will see a number of options. If “Full” has a check mark by it, then that render option will result in conforming. You can turn it off by clicking where the check mark is.

One thing to note about conforming is that it is only really necessary when you perform a Print to Video command. If you want to render in native HDV, turn off the full render options. If you change your render settings to ProRes 422, it will not conform even with the full option selected. Regardless of your render settings, when you print to video using firewire, your sequence will be conformed. This has to do with the nature of how the firewire interface works with the deck.

If you use a capture card/box to create an HDV tape, you do not need to conform. For example, I use a Matrox MXO to view HDV sequences and video. If I have to publish my work to HDV tape, I use the MXO to run component into my deck and do not have to conform anything.

I have found the best way (atleast for me) to work with HDV material is to capture in native HDV and render in ProRes. This allows for me to retain TC info that way I can recapture the media at a later time if needed using batch capture. Capturing in ProRes or AIC, TC is lost and reconnecting media at a later time is a pain.

Hope this helps!

Mike Johnson
Final Cut Pro Editor
Drury Outdoors
http://www.druryoutdoors.com

[Andrew Kimery]

[Mike Johnson] “This is not a bug. It just depends on your render settings in FCP. If you go to the Sequence menu, then Render “X”, you will see a number of options. If “Full” has a check mark by it, then that render option will result in conforming. You can turn it off by clicking where the check mark is. “

I call it a bug for two reasons. First, the behavior is improper (I’m telling FCP to render yet it conforms) and the improper behavior is repeatable, and only appears, under certain conditions. For example, if I select Render/All and have every option checked (Full, Unlimited, Preview, etc.,) it will perform a conform. If I select Render/All and I don’t have every option checked (it doesn’t matter which one(s) are/aren’t checked) it will perform a render. if I select Render Only and choose any option it always results in a render. This is on my 2.66 quad core running 6.0.3 and 10.4.11. On my G4 running 5.1.4 and 10.4.11 my HDV video has always rendered properly no matter what the Sequence->Render options were set at.

-A

[Gino Kalkanoglu]

I have been reading your comments and they are very helpful. Here is my problem. For the first time, I need to prin to video to HDv. Here is what I do. Edit AVCHD on an AIC timeline and create a new sequence of HDV 1080i60 29.97fps sony hdv and copy and paste my footage on there. Computer does not ask to conform anything and I just render it. Then I tried to print it to video using and Sony HVR m25AU deck and nothing gets on it. Deck doe not even picks up the signl because the i link led indicator is not lit. I tried it many times making a hdv qt file and putting it on the sequence and all but no luck. Even it is 1080i60 the time on it shows 29.97fps. I set it ip to 59.94 and tried it nothing happens again. What do you think? I need to check out the full render issue to see if it asks me to conform anything

[Gino Kalkanoglu]

Man, thats great I have been putting out 24Mbps AVHCD to AIC files and shooting it to BetaSP, 10Mbps MPEG 2 Program Str. , iDVD for various channels right now. Come down LA to fish with us.

Mac 3.2Ghz 20TB Macbook pro Pnyrn 2.5 4GB 10TB 2009 LOWA Award 1st place Broadcast Sportsman’s Paradise

[Serge Gagnon]

You’r very help full.
Thank you very mutch

Serge gagnon