[Robin Rudy]

Rafael, I have posted this to the Panasonic forum as it specifically relates to AVCHD footage. Sorry for double posts. Thanks again.

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 6.0

[Robin Rudy]

Hi Noah,

Rafael was of great help to me in FCP forum but I think this question may be best for you as it is re the AVCHD footage I’m dealing with. And my question relates somewhat to the above inquiry.

Questions:

1. is Natress really the only best way to go when conforming AVCHD PAL 25fps to 23.98/29.97- final will be SD DVD. Or is there a way to conform PAL 25fps using slow pal method? My tests show me it is problematic. Green Flashing and Stuttering.
2. what is best– editing in 25p or 23.98 at the outset (conform before or after?)

I have 181 AVCHD Converted in CipWrap clips to conform from 25 to 23.98
130 7D clips to conform from 25 and 50 to 23.98.
Compressor took 1 hour to conform one clip.

I am thinking it would make the most sense to just work in 25fps as Rafael suggested and to conform wen the edit is finished….?

So, Before moving forward with a 25fps TL, I did a test following the SLOW PAL method of converting PAl to NTSC according to this link to see what I was getting myself into:

https://www.macworld.com/article/49306/2006/02/marchcreate.html

and encountered a BIG problem–

Green Flashes not on 7d clip but on the AVCHD clip that was run through Clip Wrap. The ref QT exported out of fcp looked good— I saw the green flashes/stuttering AFTER I conformed in Cinema Tools.

Workflow:

a) Converted AVCHD clip in Clip Wrap to Pro Res HQ., is 25fps. and Yes, the audio was checked Convert Audio to LPCM.

b) converted 7D clip in mpegstreamclip from h264 to Pro Res HQ, is 25 fps
c) brought both clips that are 1920 x 1880 into TL with these settings
1920 x 1080 HDTV 1080i
pixel aspect ratio: square
editing timebase 25
QT video settings/ compressor – Apple Pro Res HQ
d) exported ref movie from TL, 7d clip first, avchd converted clip 2nd..
e) brought into cinema tools, one click to conform to 23.98
f) when playing back the QT in Quicktime player, 7d clip is perfect, but when it goes into the AVCHD converted clip, on one test I saw Green Frames/Flashing and then the other test yeiled a flashing of the 7D clip (like stuttering) where the avchd clip was on the TL…do you understand what I saw?

I should note that when I remove the 7D clip from the TL and simply try to conform the AVCHD converted clip as a ref mov and then bring into cinema tools to conform to 23.98, there is no green flashes and it conforms perfectly. However in this edit I will have both 7d and AVCHD clips on one TL.

so, Noah, wouldn’t it make most sense just to buy the Natress and get on with my life? Dealing with conforming AVCHD footage in Cinema Tools/Compressor etc (going the Slow Pal way) is fine when exported alone on a timeline, but when it is sharing the tl with 7d footage there are problems.

Thank you for any help.
RR

I have footage shot on 7d at 50 and 25 fps.
Compression is h.264 before mpeg streamclip
1280 x 720

I have footage shot on Panasonic HMC 151 at 25fps
Compression after ClipWrap is Apple Pro Res HQ
1920 x 1080

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 6.0

[Robin Rudy]

Greetings,

I should note that when I remove the 7D clip from the TL and simply try to conform the AVCHD converted clip as a ref mov and then bring into cinema tools to conform to 23.98, there is no green flashes and it conforms perfectly. However obviously in this edit I will have both 7d and AVCHD clips on one TL.

Thanks for any help, RR

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 6.0

[Robin Rudy]

Hi Rafael!

You saved me with the Compressor fix, it is working again, **thank you**. Computer and some programs a little slower after running the program but that is the least of the worries.

Need help with 25fps TL test, please see below. Green Flashing and Stuttering.

Now, I have 181 AVCHD Converted in CipWrap clips to conform from 25 to 23.98 and 130 7D clips to conform from 25 and 50 to 23.98.

Compressor took 1 hour to conform one clip.
If going the conform before edit approach, should I use Nattress to conform?
Considering all of the sound issues I have read about on the internets and Cow, is it most logical to deal with conforming the clips to 23.98 since my goal is an SD dvd before editing?

But NOW I am thinking it would make the most sense to just work in 25fps as you suggested and to conform wen the edit is finished….

So, Before moving forward with a 25fps TL, I did a test following the SLOW PAL method of converting PAl to NTSC according to this link to see what I was getting myself into:

https://www.macworld.com/article/49306/2006/02/marchcreate.html

and encountered a BIG problem. Green Flashes not on 7d clip but on the AVCHD clip that was run through Clip Wrap. Please help. Why would this happen.

Workflow:

a) Converted AVCHD clip in Clip Wrap to Pro Res HQ., is 25fps. and Yes, the audio was checked Convert Audio to LPCM.

b) converted 7D clip in mpegstreamclip from h264 to Pro Res HQ, is 25 fps
c) brought both clips that are 1920 x 1880 into TL with these settings
1920 x 1080 HDTV 1080i
pixel aspect ratio: square
editing timebase 25
QT video settings/ compressor – Apple Pro Res HQ
d) exported ref movie from TL, 7d clip first, avchd converted clip 2nd..
e) brought into cinema tools, one click to conform to 23.98
f) when playing back the QT in Quicktime player, 7d clip is perfect, but when it goes into the AVCHD converted clip, on one test I saw Green Frames/Flashing and then the other test yeiled a flashing of the 7D clip (like stuttering) where the avchd clip was on the TL…do you understand what I saw?

Thank you for any help.
RR

I have footage shot on 7d at 50 and 25 fps.
Compression is h.264
1280 x 720

I have footage shot on Panasonic HMC 151 at 25fps
Compression after ClipWrap is Apple Pro Res HQ
1920 x 1080

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 6.0

[Robin Rudy]

Thanks, Rafael, esp how to work with the 50p.

Regarding the conversion….My compressor is not working, looks like Cow does not have an Apple Compressor forum? I was to post on the Panasonic DVX100-HMC150 but maybe you can help here regarding the conversion. Kind thanks.

1. Is it possible for me to execute the conversion from 25p to 23.98 without Compressor solely using Cinema Tools as I read here:
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1036008#1036730

2. Or is Nattress the best option if Compressor is not working. as I’ve read here: https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/933952

3. Current pal to ntsc workflow:

a. run AVCHD footage through ClipWrap to generate a file in Pro Res HQ b. convert it to 23.98 in Cinemal tools

all was fine with video but then there was no audio. I’m thinking of using the orig. 25p audio and bringing this into soundtrack pro and stretching it (is this correct?), but wouldn’t Compressor just take care of all of this?

Thanks for your help, as this is new terrain for me.

RR

Does this workflow sound corre

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 6.0

[Robin Rudy]

Hi Rafael,

Thanks for your answer, you have answered some of my questions in the past, and is much appreciated.

I read here that when working with 25p footage that will go on a DVD that is in the us, 29.97, that the footage should be converted to 23.98 in cinema tools before beginning any editing work. Is this correct?

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1036008#1036730

Or in your comment, I understand that you mean I should edit in a 25 p TL and then deal with converting the full edit to be viewed on a DVD in the US when the edit is done. Problem is my compressor is not working. 🙁

Thanks for the h.264 comment for the 7D footage, in this case how do I deal with using this 7D footage as it is clear when bringing into into the TL that rendering is required. Would converting it in Mpegstreamclip to Apple DVCPro HD 1080p25 be the best workaround?

Any help is appreciated.

Best,
RR

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 6.0

[Robin Rudy]

Hi John–

Much appreciated.

RE your note:
Ask for a new file in an edit codec: DV, DVCPro50, ProRes (probably the best choice), etc. Also, the audio should be uncompressed 48kHz sample rate.

What do you think about asking for a self contained movie, in your experience is this the best mster QT to deliver to a client at the end of the job:

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1024243#1043352

Thanks,
RR

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 5.1

[Robin Rudy]

Hello,

This thread has been VERY helpful.

So, if you could please confirm: delivering a “SELF-CONTAINED” movie out of FCP via Export>>Quicktime Movie using current settings is the Best Way and Really Only Way to deliver a Master QT to a client?

I was taught and worked with folks who noted that it is best to also deliver an 8 bit uncompressed QT but I see that David Ross Weiss also noted in another post that:

…Exporting a DV timeline as 8-bit uncompressed will not improve your video quality. It will however keep your text and graphics from suffering DV compression. Your video will never get any better by uprezing, it will just get bigger or the file size will get bigger, period.

Thanks very much for double clarifying,
RR

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 5.1

[Robin Rudy]

Thanks very much!

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 5.1

[Robin Rudy]

Thanks,

RE: What is the original camera pixel aspect & frame rate?

The original mp4 has these specs:

format: h.264 decoder 1280 X720
FPS 30
Data rate 10.37
normal size: 1280 x 720
current size: 1280 x 720 (actual)

Then I”m using mpeg streamclip to convert to QT to bring into FCP.

Rafael, thanks for telling me to use Progressive.

I’m sorry but I am not sure I understand your answer.

Considering the above specs, should I use HDV 720p30 in mpeg streamclip? If not, what should I use? and then should I use square pixels in the sequence settings since I am dealing with HD footage? I’m wondering if my workflow is correct. I’m testing one clip before I do all of them and I”m excited about getting going on the edit.

Kind thanks,
RR

MacBook Pro / Intel Core 2 Duo / 2.2 GHz /
2 GB memory / 800 MHz / FCP 5.1