Nathan Tinsley
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I currently work in XDCAMex which is almost identical to XDCAMHD and I have a KonaLHe. So here is my SOP.
Use log and transfer to get your clips into a bin.
Make a new sequence.
Drop your first clip into the sequence and click YES to auto conform the sequences settings to the clip.
Go to sequence settings and make sure that in the render control tab under CODEC you choose Apple Prores 422.
That means that your renders will be in the more robust Prores format.
Then go to the FINALCUT menu line, then down to AUDIO-VIDEO settings and click. In the dialog box under video playback choose: AJAKONA LH 1080i 29.97 8 bit (1920×1080) Make sure that the audio playback says AJAKonaLH.
You pick 8 bits as opposed to 10 bits because XDCAMHD is only 8 bits to begin with!
How is your monitor hooked up?
Nate
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I suppose it’s possible that the monitor does NOT understand SMPTE. It is by no means a professional monitor. The Hi5 has no USB port so there’s no real setup. I wish there was! The only DIP switches on the inside are for DVI and audio. Also I used a Kaleido SOLO SDI-HDMI device that is on loan and I was able to get the blacks to look reasonable by selecting something called EXPANDED in the video levels menu. The EXPANDED option displayed white values at 0-255 instead of 16-235 which was the default option. 16-235 is SMPTE though, right? I also played around in the monitor’s menus to see if I could affect the gamma to no avail.
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As promised here are the sequence settings.
Nothing out of the ordinary. Pretty standard Sony EX cam sequence with 1920×1080 frame size.
But I digress. I believe I really have solved the issue here but I won’t know for certain until the end of the day. I’ve used the method I described before about ONLY selecting the COMPRESSOR NATIVE option for size. This will take the frame size from the sequence itself and the end result looks good and reports only one single frame size of 1920×1080 in MEDIAinfo. In the past I had chosen the 1920×1080 16:9 option in the size dialog box and that definitely is wrong at this point. Don’t THINK for it, let IT think for YOU!
Finally in this case we needed to deliver SD versions of the same spots but in order to make my export method work we had to do this:
1. Create a new sequence.
2. Go to the sequence settings.
3. Load up the DV NTSC 48Khz preset. (this gives us 720×480 native frame size)
4. Make sure to clear your ins and outs on the HD sequence.
5. Drag your HD sequence INTO the new SD sequence.
6. IMPORTANT!!!! DO NOT let the SD sequence auto conform to your HD sequence. When FCP asks you if you want to change the sequence settings to match the clip settings JUST SAY NO!!!
7. Park your edit needle in the middle of the sequence to confirm if the spot is letter boxed. If you don’t want it letterboxed now is your chance to change the size.
8. Render if you wish to see the end result.
9. Go to FILE-EXPORT-USING QUICKTIME CONVERSION and make sure that you choose COMPRESSOR NATIVE for the size. Thats it!I will post results from cable vision as soon as I have info.
PS: If you don’t have this program already now would be a good time to get it!
https://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en
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Will do but it will have to be Monday as the Mac is at the office!
Nate
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Ok I’ve done a few tests. All of the following export methods from FCP7 create the 1888×1062 issue.
EXPORT-Quicktime Movie (right from the sequence)
SEND TO – Compressor with the following presets
1. H.264
2. ProRes422What is interesting is that if one uses the EXPORT-Using Quicktime Conversion but selects the “COMPRESSOR NATIVE” setting for the size the problem does NOT occur. See this pic how to select this:
And see this pic for the MEDIAinfo screen on this file:
Incidentally if you pick HD 1920×1080 in the Quicktime Size Settings box the problem comes back. Wow! Now that’s nuts.
I will submit these to cablevision and see if they pass!
Nate
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Just to followup here what it looks like to me is that you are experiencing interlacing issues. Typically when you compose in motion you are operating in a non-interlaced or progressive environment. Most laptops are progressive so you don’t see artifacts there. The problem occurs when you move platforms, like to a television, which is interlaced. That’s why your TV’s “mode” had to be changed. But the bottom line is your motion graphic, which moves very fast, may still have those artifacts you mentioned on other interlaced TVs. What may help is making sure that you check mark the FIELD RENDER in your render options, upper right corner of your viewer. This of course assumes that your destination for this product is ultimately for an interlaced TV. If it’s progressive then you may have solved your problem already.
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Hallelujah! It cleared up when I set the sequence render settings to BEST! Nice and smooth and non-aliased! Thanks so much for the tip, Jeff. Incidentally I am looking at this on an external monitor using a Kona LHe. It looks goon in both the external monitor now AND the canvas! Just to be thorough I started just by turning off field render in the motion project but that had no effect. It was the BEST setting that did it in FCP’s sequence settings/render control. I even when back to NORMAL and the issue came back so it’s definite. Thank you Gentlemen ALL! Hooray for the COW! Pass it on!
Nate
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Hi Mark, That’s the article I read previously and mentioned. It’s good info but I still think there’s an issue. Sorry about the pics. Here they are!
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I couldn’t agree with Noah more. In fact I’m considering the same thing myself. I am a devoted DVX100 user but it’s just time to let SD go. I really want to get my hands on the HMC150 and see if it feels the same. Is there anyone else out there who has made the DVX100 to HMC150 switch? Noah? Does it handle the same, perform well in low light etc?
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Well I’ve just finished up four 30 minute shows in HDV I couldn’t disagree more. It’ s NOT like DV25 on a Pentium D. I’ve had stability issues like crazy ESPECIALLY when rendering time lapses. Multiple crashes and lost projects. And I’m using an inexpensive Quad Core 2.6 Ghz and CS4 with 3 gigs ram. Now to be fair this edit system belongs to my client and I’m not allowed to tweak the system the way I would prefer. For instance it’s running Windows XP instead of Vista, it has virus software on it and it’s connected to the net! Ugh! I’ve also had horrible luck going back to tape. I had several time code breaks and one spot where the stream simply stops coming off the tape for about 1 second. Unnaceptable. I delivered the shows in MPEG2 1920x1080i to a local TV station for air on ther OMNEON server and they hit the air in HD. Pretty cool actually if you think about the fact that a local HD show was produced without seeing an expensive tape deck!
I am dissapointed to hear that the processing takes place after capture. I worry about that bogging down but maybe it’s OK. I guess I just want to have my cake and eat it too.. for cheap! =) Thanks for the info!