Alan Okey
5
COW Coins
2
DaVinci Coins
Forum Replies Created
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My recommendations:
– If you’re primarily doing simple cuts-only editing without a lot of effects or filters, the extra $1400 for faster CPUs might be better put toward other things like a proper broadcast monitor.
– DO NOT use more than one graphics card. Not only is it completely unnecessary, but it provides no performance benefit and will cause some FCS apps to not work. Instead, configure the system with a single ATI Radeon HD 4870. The 4870 is essential for decent performance in Color.
– DO NOT buy the Apple RAID card. It’s overpriced and underperforming compared to competing products. If you don’t have a need or the budget for a good external RAID-5 array from a reputable manufacturer like CalDigit, Dulce Systems or Maxx Digital, consider adding 3 additional internal drives to your Mac Pro, creating a software RAID 0 and dedicating it to video storage. Make sure to back up your footage, as RAID 0 provides a speed boost but no fault tolerance – if one drive in a RAID 0 volume fails, you lose everything. Dedicate one of the four internal drives as the system drive (OS and applications) and NEVER store video on your system drive.
– Bump the RAM up to 12GB. Choose a RAM configuration of 6 DIMMs (leaving two slots empty), as this is the optimal configuration for the Nehalem Mac Pros.
– Bump the system drive up to 1TB.
– Consider purchasing the AJA Kona LHi for video output to a proper broadcast monitor.
– Budget for a proper broadcast monitor like an FSI:
https://www.flandersscientific.com/index/Broadcast_Monitors
If accurate color rendition is important to you, and I’m sure it is, DO NOT use your computer monitor to judge color.
A proper broadcast monitor is one area where you absolutely cannot cut corners if accurate color rendition is required. If you don’t use a proper monitor, you’ll have no idea what your finished product will look like once it’s output to DVD or sent to broadcast. It’s also impossible to view interlaced material properly on a computer monitor.
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For about a year I’ve been using Paragon NTFS for Mac, which does the same thing:
https://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/
Still, it’s good to have several options from which to choose. Thanks for the link.
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[Rafael Amador] “I would make a test first with the Re-timing filter in “Better”. “
Rafael is correct, I forgot to change the setting in the screen capture. “Better” produces good results with a significant decrease in processing time.
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[William Carr] “–Someone told me to do this with those clips: 29.97—>60P—->23.98. Make sense? “
It is completely unnecessary to first go to 60p. Simply go directly from 1080i 29.97 to 720p24 in Compressor using the settings detailed below.
[William Carr] “–I think Nattress Standards Conversion might help me? (I don’t see this specific rate conversion listed in features)
“You don’t need it in this instance.
[William Carr] “Does anyone have a down-rate method with decent results in the comfort of their own studio? “
See below.
Use the following settings in Compressor for high quality 1080i/29.97 to 720p24 conversions:
1. Choose the following encoding preset:
Apple > Formats > QuickTime > Apple ProRes 422
2. In the Inspector tab, click on the Encoder button, then click on the Video: Settings button
3. In the Compression Settings window, choose ProRes 422 (not HQ) and change the frame rate to custom – 23.976
4. Click on the Frame Controls button and make sure your settings match the image below.
5. Click on the Geometry button and make sure your settings match those in the image below.
The results should be very good using this method.
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How are you monitoring your video? If you are not using an external broadcast monitor and you shot interlaced (not progressive) footage, it’s likely that you are seeing interlacing on your computer display, which won’t be displayed properly the way it would be on a broadcast monitor.
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[walter biscardi] “That’s true of all HD cameras. But are you going to carry about an external recorder on all your field shoots?”
That’s just what many people do with the nanoFlash, which barely adds any size or weight to the camera. It’s not as if you need to lug around a disk array.
I’m simply pointing out that you aren’t stuck with only what the camera manufacturers provide. By using an external recorder, you can put together an ideal system in which you can choose the best camera features (image sensor and processing) without compromising on recording quality.
It really all depends on your shooting style. Obviously, run-and-gun ENG guys are going to be less comfortable with external recording devices than DPs who are used to matte boxes, follow focus systems and all sorts of other stuff hanging off of the camera.
Horses for courses.
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Walter,
I agree with you AVC-Intra being a superior codec to XDCAM EX, but I’ll have to disagree about Panasonic cameras always being better. I’m also not a fan of DVCPRO HD’s thin raster compression scheme, although I do appreciate that it is 4:2:2.
For general use, I prefer the EX1 over the HVX-200 or HVX-200A, despite DVCPPRO HD being the better codec. The EX1 resolves more detail than the HVX-200, and I prefer its true manual focus mode, which is lacking on the 200. For a greenscreen shoot, I’d use the HDSDI out and record ProRes 422 direct to disk vs. using the SxS cards.
When a friend of mine was in the market for a camera in the EX1/HVX-200 price range, we tested both cameras extensively and determined that the EX1 was the overall winner for his needs. We preferred its sharper image, manual focus lens, better low-light performance and greater codec efficiency (memory capacity vs. recording time). He doesn’t shoot the type of footage that would tend to bring out the deficiencies in the XDCAM EX codec (fast motion, etc.), so the EX1 was the best choice in his particular case.
Stepping up to the next level in price, I agree that Panasonic has the overall advantage. I just wanted to offer an alternative opinion.
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Phil,
I would encourage you to also seek out opinions from the Sony and Panasonic forums on the Cow. It’s difficult to make blanket statements about both cameras that apply to every situation. Additionally, there is a big difference between the quality of the image the cameras are capable of producing when sending the signal out via HDSDI vs. using the onboard solid state recording system.
The XDCAM EX codec is full-raster long-GOP 4:2:0 @ 35Mbps. It’s significantly better than HDV, but technically inferior to AVC-Intra. The camera itself is a different matter. The EX series cameras are capable of producing stunning images – their image sensors are full-raster 1080p, and have stunning detail and clarity. If the onboard XDCAM EX compression to the SxS cards is not of sufficient quality, you can achieve better results using a nanoFlash or other 4:2:2 recording method via the EX3’s HDSDI output.
If you’re not familiar with it already, I would highly recommend that you check out Philip Bloom’s website. He is a DP who has extensive experience with many different cameras, and has created some very compelling imagery using the EX1 and EX3 combined with Letus 35mm adapters.
https://philipbloom.co.uk/reviews/cool-camera-review/
Good luck.
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What kind of HD video do you need to edit? You may have to settle for a used Intel iMac with Final Cut Express, provided that Final Cut Express can edit the kind of HD that you need to work with.
A budget of $700 for both hardware and software is severely limiting your options. If I were you, I’d try to find some more money or wait until I could save enough to make a worthwhile purchase. Don’t throw your money away on something that won’t do what you need it to do.
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Don’t do it. PowerPC is a dead architecture, and even a new Mac Mini will toast an old G5 dual 2GHz.