Mark Spano
Forum Replies Created
-
[Kazuma Yoshimoto] “Also, is it possible to convert/rewrite DigiBeta tape to lets say BetaCAM SP and still have good sound quality?”
Yes, but there will be some signal degradation in both video and audio as you are going to a lower resolution format. It is usually acceptable but not a preferred archival method as it once was. The best way is to use component video for your analog video connection and balanced audio.
[Kazuma Yoshimoto] “Does BetaCAM SP have 4 channs?”
Yes, but channels 3 and 4 can only be recorded with the video signal, as they are frequency modulated over the video carrier. In other words, you can only record those channels in crash or assemble recording. You can not insert them later. And I believe you might only be able to use those channels on pro recording BetaSP VTRs.
-
[Darrell Boeck] “But, the specifications from the network (PBS) say to deliver interlaced. Are the specifications out of date? Would it be wise to be shooting interlaced?”
The specs are not out of date. Most stations air either 1080/59.94i or 720/59.94p. This is not a problem to shoot progressive and edit progressive and then deliver interlaced, provided you have a video card that can add pulldown on output. AJA Kona 3 is one. It can be set to receive the 24p signal from FCP and add in the fields in a 2:3 cadence so that on output it puts out 1080/59.94i.
Your other option if you still want to shoot progressive is to capture that material as 59.94i – adding pulldown on capture. This can be done with the capture card or sometimes with a setting on the playback machine.
-
[Kazuma Yoshimoto] “I’d like to ask if it’s possible to play DVD using 4 audio channels?”
If the DVD has AC3 encoded audio track, this can contain from 1 to 5.1 channels of audio.
[Kazuma Yoshimoto] “Can I do this with just a standard DVD player or do I need a specific one?”
Every DVD video player can play the AC3 track. Not all can decode AC3 into analog audio. Most DVD players will spit out the AC3 stream via optical or coaxial stream.
[Kazuma Yoshimoto] “What leads etc. would I need?”
If you have a DVD player with AC3 decoder built in (also known as Dolby Digital decoder), it will have six separate analog outputs, usually on RCA jacks at the rear of the unit. These correspond to the channels of audio encoded on your DVD. Just connect a standard unbalanced RCA-ended audio cable to each channel and connect them to whatever destination you require.
If you have a DVD player with no AC3 decoder, it will have an optical or coaxial output. You will need an AC3 decoder (built in to most consumer “home theater” receivers) to play this signal.
-
[Brent Dunn] “I wonder if the new ProRes codecs are any smaller on file size?”
Check it:
Got from here:
https://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/apple-prores.html
More flavors = nice.
-
All that sounds fine but I would probably go with ProRes as your output. Under video output setting, choose export : Quicktime Movie… it’ll allow you any codec you have installed on your system. This will make it easier when you’re importing later into FCP. Try some different settings if you like as well – the great thing about JES is that it’s so quick you can afford to try different outputs and compare.
-
After doing a bunch more testing with deinterlacing and straight standards conversion (25->29.97) I have found the following results:
-Not deinterlacing before conforming looks great but can sometimes exhibit field order errors when looking at faster motion material (or an SD downconvert)
-Deinterlacing before conforming looks great and can be done very efficiently with JES. Since you’re going to 24p anyway, I think this is a step that should be done no matter what. Compressor’s deinterlacer is great too, but factor in lots of time.
-Straight conversion from 25->29.97 using Compressor looks best when the process is chained. Deinterlace as one transcode, then chain into Retiming as a separate transcode. Super smooth, keeps the video look. I have noticed however some minor artifacting on graphics at full white. Must investigate further. FYI, this process took my 2×2.66GHz Dual Core about 4.5 HOURS to do a :90 clip (with quickcluster enabled).
I assume that none of these software processes comes close to true hardware conversion. In a pinch, I’ll take JES’s deinterlacing and Compressor’s retiming.
-
Best deinterlacer with the least time consumption is JES:
Does a great job and takes so much less time than Compressor.
-
OK, if I am going with an idea that the timing doesn’t matter and want to go the conform route, do I have to deinterlace the 50i original first to get to 25p? It seems when I’m looking at the conformed and pulldown-added 29.97fps of this (1080/59.94i on a broadcast monitor) it looks fantastic except for some faster motion shots where it starts to look jumpy (kind of like field-order reversal error). I originally made a copy of my 50i capture and conformed straight from that in Cinema Tools to 23.976 – what did I miss with the process of conforming the 50 fields -> 23.976 frames?
-
-
You need a longterm equivalent loudness meter. Hardware unit would be Dolby’s LM100. Software (freeware) that I’ve used is AudioLEQ. Drop an audio file into it and it will measure long term average loudness. Very useful IMO.
https://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/audio/audioleak.html