[Ed Sharp]

Hi Raf,

Yes render is all set to full/dynamic etc – video processing is set to all YUV at high precision.
If I put the canvas to 100% it does indeed look sharper than ‘fit to window’. It is still not ideal, but I guess that means it is at the source (photoshop). The problems with final exports are, well, still a problem.

If I indeed set everything to sq and no dominance (despite using PAL footage) will it go onto to tape ok? Will I have field shifts or anything similar? A de-interlaced graphic with bad aliasing..? I wonder…

The variation between exports is astonishing (I mean, between QT Conversion, Self Contained QT etc – I even get tv lines appearing through my cross fades/dip to blacks… but not all of the time…!)

Oh dear.

[Ed Sharp]

Hi there Arnie. I agree with you 100%. Although that is not possible in the next couple of weeks. I fully intend to do that and have looked at (and used in the past with no complaints) the aja boxes.

I should point out I have had nothing rejected so far (in over 3 months using this workflow) – but the variation in my exports is freaking me out. And anyway, they wouldn’t reject if a graphic was a little soft I reckon.
So yeah, my exports from QT reference, QT self contained, and QT Conversion look completely different, which in turn look completely different to the browser/canvas in fcp itself. So which do I use to export my final QT that I then send to the facilites house… get my drift? It is just the pixel ratio thing that does my head in…

I guess there are too many variables to figure it out through chat like this… but all ideas are still welcome.

I do work with some HD footage and it is absolutely painless because it is all sq and no dominance already – no stress…

[Ed Sharp]

Thanks for that – I have tried doing it and well, it still looks ordinary in fcp. Was your suggested solution for optimum results on a broadcast monitor?

I just find it weird/annoying that when I set the sequence to sq pixels/no field dominance, everything looks great. Will there be any field issues if I export it as such? Probably…

[Ed Sharp]

Hey guys,

Sorry I am still having some troubles with my compressor downconversion/standards conversion.

I am working with material digitised at 1080i 24 fps – from this I have 2 purposes, one edit finishing on Bluray and the other as SD tv spots.

So I just lay off to HDCAM at native 24fps, then usually go through alchemist to finish off the job. However, the cost of this for the tv spots are not really warranted… therefore I am looking for a way to convert these 1080i 24fps to 25PAL whilst retaining the 10seconds that they need to be (no duration change…)

I think it is the time shift that is really messing with my head – the results from compressor have been quite ordinary so far.

Help would be appreciated.

Regards,
Tom.