James Beattie
Forum Replies Created
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Liz, I have had this issue before as well. It has to do with how the Avid exports the Quicktime Reference.
I would recommend against the send to option. Export Quicktime reference to a folder, then squeeze them one at a time. Always drag the video file, and not the audio file. Audio will follow.
This allows you to resend if there is an issue without constantly exporting quicktimes.
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I have been using a program called preference manager recently. It allows you to easily save your preferences when things are going well, then recall them when things aren’t. Or simply trash them.
https://www.digitalrebellion.com/pref_man.htmHope it helps in the future.
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Big questions here, let me dissect a bit and try to help.
First of all, you say you are shooting at 720p24. I would say overall this is not a good idea. Stick with a broadcast standard, with is 1080i or 720p59.94. My preference would be 1080i because it is the most friendly with 30i NTSC.
Let’s take a moment and think about aspect ratio. HD video is 16×9, which is a rectangle. Typical video is 4×3, which is a square. Squeezing your 16×9 footage into a 4×3 picture is called anamorphic. To be displayed properly it either needs to be stretched by your tv set, or you have to add a reformat effect on it. You have to be careful to always consider this when mixing 16×9 and 4×3 material. Something always has to be adjusted.
Under the format tab in the project window, there is our frame size and raster. Frame size is fairly self explanatory. The most important thing to note is that a 1080i59.94 project can mix with 30i ntsc footage. But 720p59.954 will not mix with Ntsc.
Think of raster as similar to aspect, only top and bottom. Formats these days are designated by camera manufacturers, and they are variations. For example, DVCPRO HD at 720p is actually 960×720 instead of 1280×720. What this means is that the Avid has to stretch the 960×720 frame into a 1280×720 when you have the raster set to the 1280×720 mode. In other words the Avid has to work harder to translate it. This steals real time resources, so Avid made the option to work using it natively. Think of this like anamorphic, only top and bottom.
Exporting same as source should be a functional option. You should choose the 16×9 frame size, so you don’t get squeezed video. When in doubt, choose to export using DNxHD. Using the dv, you could have sync issues, particularly if you are using 24p. Try importing your footage into a 720p29.97 project, then export using dv.
The Matrox Mx02 will not work as a capture device in the Avid. Avid has always had the model of specifically supported devices. Seems binding in some arenas. But if you look at the scenarios Avid works in, a guranteed capture solution, with guranteed computers makes a guaranteed editing system they can make work. Playing with a controlled set of variables makes success easier.
To generate the final output properly, you need to:
Click on your sequence in your bin and choose Clip->Consolidate/Transcode. Transcode your final material to DNX145. Then select your new sequence and Export same as source. Then send your file into sorenson and create an HD quicktime (h.264). then you will be able to playback your footage on a laptop without skipping. Using the DNxHD quicktime will not work you have to convert it. -
Avid is a great system, make sure whatever system you put it on has a powerful NVidia card. The Nvidia FX 1100, and 1300 are great cards, and are just enough to do good editing with effects.
On ebay you will find xw8200 systems, which are great buys in the $500 price range. Great computers, and they are robust. Add your own 1 TB SATA drive (you can only add one after the OS). Again, make sure it has an Nvidia 1300 or higher (higher the number, the better 3500 would be great). Make sure you have 3 GB of Ram. Don’t fall for adding more, windows XP can only use 3.12GB of ram, even if you have 10GB it doesn’t matter.
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Different facilities require different options. Most deliverables today are High Definition either 720p 59.94 or 1080i 59.94. Depends on your channel or facility.
16×9 does not mean high definition however, a lot of tv stations get away with an HD look by shooting their standard definition in 16×9 so it fills the frame of an HD set, nevermind quality.
Think of Anamorphic as 16×9. You have a 16×9 wide rectangle frame, and had a circle in the middle of the screen. If you took that 16×9 footage, and played it back on a good old fasioned square 4×3 tv set, the circle would look like an egg. It would be squeezed from the sides.
The reverse is true. If you take a 4×3 square image, and stretch it to fill a 16×9 rectangle frame, your circle would turn into an oval.
So, if you are trying to make a 16×9 frame look proper in a 4×3 frame, you either have to make the frame letterboxed by adding an effect from the image-resize. Or by cropping off the extra rectangle and make it a square.
Tv stations get this wrong all of the time. When they go back to the archives, and they mix it with high definition or 16×9 footage.
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A + or _ in front of the file makes Avid exclude it from the scan. You can delete that, and it will try to scan it again. Did you ever get your project opened?
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I use a MacBook Pro and love it. Certainly I am giving up the power of a desktop machine, but the portable factor is great.
Whatever you buy, make sure it has firewire. Apple is not putting it on everything anymore.
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Avid has a suite of plugins called the Audio suite plugins. They are under tools. I would recommend using a gate in order to squelch the noise. Or use an equalizer (still in the same options) to drop the highs of the room, and boost the mid range. You will probably never get rid of it all, but you can make it usable.
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I have done it, but Final cut pro and Avid update in different cycles. My recommendation is to install a second drive, copy everything using Carbon Copy Cloner, and install Avid then.
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That serial port on the back of the DX is not really deck control, we were told it was for programming the firmware. On a mac, you must use a keyspan.