[Nancy Kiang]

Hi, Shane –
I need this service, too (convert 29.97p to 23.976p). Could you please suggest a place or software? Since this thread is from a year ago, I suppose new methods may now be available.

I have Compressor 4.1.3. When you say, “Compressor will do an OK job,” what is “OK”? After running through Compressor, can I spot fix bad motion areas with some other software (dv2film, AE, Twixtor, other)?

Thanks for any more tips.

Nancy

[Nancy Kiang]

Thank you, Noah! What a relief. Why was that info so hard to find…

[Nancy Kiang]

Ah, thanks for enlightening me. Glad I don’t have to wrangle with another format!
Thanks.

[Nancy Kiang]

Oh, man, Seth, you’re a genius! What a simple, elegant solution. It’s effectively a weighted moving average filter. Man, am I glad that I shot at 29.97 fps (in a 50 Hz country), so now I might actually achieve ~24p with this fix!

Thanks, Seth!!!

[Nancy Kiang]

Hi, did you ever solve this problem? I’m wondering if it’s possible for a sequence to get corrupted, or just accumulate too many filters that it can’t process them all.
I have two sequences open in the Timeline. One is a copy of the other. The second copy has the added filter to deinterlace all the video, while keeping the text overlays interlaced. I also cleaned up two edits by clipping out 3-4 frames. This second sequence gets the spinning wheel of death for any click on anything. The original sequence runs just fine. Somehow, Final Cut does not seem to like the filters on the second sequence, I am guessing. I did the same think for a trailer that is half the length, and I don’t get the spinning wheel problem there.

I’m trying to adjust the RT settings in User Preferences and the dropdown RT menu in the Timeline. Even just clicking the RT dropdown menu produces the spinning wheel. On the original sequence, the RT dropdown menu selections are:
– Safe RT
– Playback Video Quality – Medium
– Use Playback settings

I’ve closed the second sequence and made a new copy of the first, and re-did the de-interlace filters. The new copy doesn’t get the spinning wheel problem. I’m guessing the spinning wheel problem can be also due to Mac and FinalCut software issues.

[Nancy Kiang]

Hi, did you ever solve this problem? I’m wondering if it’s possible for a sequence to get corrupted, or just accumulate too many filters that it can’t process them all.
I have two sequences open in the Timeline. One is a copy of the other. The second copy has the added filter to deinterlace all the video, while keeping the text overlays interlaced. I also cleaned up two edits by clipping out 3-4 frames. This second sequence gets the spinning wheel of death for any click on anything. The original sequence runs just fine. Somehow, Final Cut does not seem to like the filters on the second sequence, I am guessing. I did the same think for a trailer that is half the length, and I don’t get the spinning wheel problem there.

I’m trying to adjust the RT settings in User Preferences and the dropdown RT menu in the Timeline. Even just clicking the RT dropdown menu produces the spinning wheel. On the original sequence, the RT dropdown menu selections are:
– Safe RT
– Playback Video Quality – Medium
– Use Playback settings

I cannot even get past the spinning wheel on the second sequence to change the RT settings. I think I’m going to try closing that sequence and making a new one and see if the same thing happens again.

[Nancy Kiang]

Hi, did you ever solve this problem? I’m wondering if it’s possible for a sequence to get corrupted, or just accumulate too many filters that is can’t process them all.
I have two sequences open in the Timeline. One is a copy of the other. The second copy has the added filter to deinterlace all the video, while keeping the text overlays interlaced. I also cleaned up two edits by clipping out 3-4 frames. This second sequence gets the spinning wheel of death for any click on anything. The original sequence runs just fine. Somehow, Final Cut does not seem to like the filters on this sequence, I am guessing. I did the same think for a trailer that is half the length, and I don’t get the spinning wheel problem there.

[Nancy Kiang]

Hi, Chris –
May I ask if you found a good solution for your blurry text?
I just ran into the same problem.
I am using a MacBook Pro 10.5.8 with Final Cut HD 4.5 (okay, it’s old, but it’s worked fine for me for years…before all those new codecs).

I imported DVCPro-NTSC 29.97 fps footage, and my sequence is at 720×480 DV/DVCPro-NTSC.

I used the simple Text utility in Final Cut to put in some titles, and the text renders horribly blurry, while the video is perfectly fine.

I exported to a self-contained QuickTime to DVCPro format.
The font I am using is Lucida grande. Helvetica looks just as horrible.

Then, I exported to a self-contained QuickTime to DV-NTSC format. If the file is played in QuickTime, the fonts are sharp, but the aspect ratio format gets stretched wide. If the file is played in iDVD, the fonts are blurry while the aspect ratio is correct.

May I ask what your solution was?

Thanks,
Nancy

[Nancy Kiang]

Thanks, Steven.
Hm, we actually made the mistake of using different lenses between shoots — one was an old lens with warmer tones, the other was a new one that was sharper, cooler. So, maybe it might actually be good not to show clearly the differences between the two.

Okay, it’s a matter of how vain I am now…

Cheers,
Nancy

[Nancy Kiang]

Thanks, everybody, for sharing your insights.
I just need an HD format for screening, since now a lot of festivals are going with HD. I understand an upconvert won’t be as good as a direct telecine to HD from the film. However, the DVCAM and BetaSP versions have already screened at festivals, and people ooh-ed and aah-ed at the color in just those versions (since it was originally film and not video), so I was thinking the simple upconvert would be a fast, cheap solution to get the HD format. Anyway, here’s a trailer, if that helps decide in terms of color quality:
https://www.earthpins.com/Solidarity

Good to know that BetaSP is at least better than DVCAM — I wasn’t sure if BetaSP is vulnerable to more upconvert artifacts than DVCAM. So long as I don’t get jaggies or weird bubbles in an upconvert, maybe it’ll be okay.

Okay, guess I’ll make a decision how much time and money are worth spending.

Thanks, again.