Mark Spano
Forum Replies Created
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If you have the full file structure from the card, you should be able to use Log and Transfer in FCP to access and convert the footage. I usually use some flavor of Apple ProRes as it holds up better than almost any codec I’ve used. Perhaps Toast is doing something funky to your source media? I’ve never used Toast to do anything except burn discs, so I wouldn’t know.
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I see what you’re talking about. It’s possible that it’s in the source like that. You should take your 59i file and drop it into a 59p sequence in FCP. That way you can step through the fields and see if there is a blended field in there. A blended field would be caused by some processing in the source footage (either bad telecine or some other motion effect). It’s likely that you can’t do anything about it. Have you tried processing other material? I just did a test run on a finished ten second spot and it came out exactly the way it should.
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ALSO – make sure that Compressor interprets your source footage correctly before applying any preset. It often fails. Add source footage and check in the Inspector. Make sure it says “Upper Field First”. If not, change it to that.
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I use Compressor to do this. It’s easy and works without blending, as long as you set the Frame Controls correctly. Look here:
The key is the retiming set to FAST – seemingly the worst option, but for what you want which is simple, you need Compressor to act dumb and just duplicate fields into frames.
If this is what you’ve already tried, then check your source material for blended fields.
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[Scott Smith] “what happens to the progressive scan’s extra lines”
As far as I know, they are stored on disc as is. It’s only on playback that the pulldown is added and it becomes 29.97 interlaced.
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Check the names of everything in the path. If there are any characters other than letters/numbers/underscores, Avid will let you point to the file but not link to it. The whole path: disk name, folder names, file name.
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[Glenn Camhi] “I just give the house the QT file. And the six 5.1 AIFFs, which they can connect to the video from that QT file as well. Right?”
Right.
[Glenn Camhi] “In the General tab of Sequence Settings, does it matter if Discrete Channels, Channel Grouped or Stereo Downmix is selected (for the Lt/Rt)?”
For the Lt/Rt sequence, you should use either Channel Grouped or Stereo Downmix as both will preserve the stereo through to the Quicktime. I am not 100% on whether having Discrete Channels selected will pass stereo through to the QT – it might pass it as Dual Mono, in which case you have to worry about the next place making sure to pan (or set as discrete). FCP is weird when it comes to how it treats incoming audio sometimes. I’d stay stereo (Stereo Downmix) and make sure your pans are set before exporting.
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Assuming you’re talking about the file you’re delivering for tape output…
[Glenn Camhi] “In Final Cut, should I set Audio Outputs in Sequence Settings to Stereo or Dual Mono?”
Stereo is fine. Just make sure when you drop in the Lt/Rt mix to the sequence that it is hard panned left/right. If the mixer gave you separate Lt and Rt files, they will drop into the sequence panned center.
[Glenn Camhi] “And should I export AIFFs?”
I would avoid it. Your export should be the sequence, current settings, audio and video. That way whatever house you’re giving it to to handle the tape layoff doesn’t have to sync – they drop in the Quicktime file and layoff, audio and video locked from the moment it leaves your hands.
[Glenn Camhi] “Assuming so, should I choose Channel Grouped or Stereo Mix under Congif?”
Stereo Mix is fine, so is Channel Grouped, as long as you’re exporting a Quicktime file.
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You’re correct. In venues and on tapes where there is not enough room or capability for discrete surround tracks, use the Lt/Rt provided. The encoding allows for the resulting two-channel matrix to be played on systems with or without decoding. That is one of the beauty points of Pro Logic encoding – playback is possible with or without decoding. If you are supplying a DVD or Blu-Ray, I strongly recommend only using the discrete surround mix, because the players have the downmixing capability by default. If they can use the surround, great, but a decent stereo downmix will come out of the L/R outputs regardless.
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For your first question, I’d say something funky is happening in Toast. I’ve had success authoring Blu-ray with surround tracks straight out of Compressor. I’d try that.
The Lt/Rt mix is matrix encoded surround. It’s taking 5 channels of discrete surround information and coding them into two, using phase manipulation and other processing. Things can get lost here, and it’s generally regarded as an inferior substitute for a discrete surround mix. However, its only use should be for systems without surround playback capability. Are you decoding the signal? If not, it’ll sound like a weird stereo mix with a bunch of things out of phase in the front channels, and nothing out the back.
Most of the time, if I’m authoring for Blu-ray, I dump the Lt/Rt. The player can handle making a decent downconvert of the surround track I author, and because I know it’s inferior, I don’t offer it as an option for people to mistakenly choose on a menu.
For your second question: the order should be L, R, C, LFE, LS, RS. This is what every broadcaster and projectionist is expecting. Any other order is annoying and doesn’t conform with SMPTE standards. Put Lt/Rt (if you need them) on 7/8.