[Simone]

David Roth Weiss

Your short answer really helped me.
I am sorry to go back to my questions (see my previous post) but I stil feel I need to understand it better. I’m meeting the client in 2 days and would like to be more prepared (I continue doing my own research but still really need help and advice).

1. What method should be used to up-convert SD footage for the purposes of editing only (as you said “without paying attention to the image quality”) – re-scaling in FCP? Full screen or with side bars? Can I re-scale, export and import it (to avoid rendering during editing)?

2. What will be the method to up-convert it after the editing is done? Will I need the original SD tapes? Will it involve buying additional hardware/software? Going to a specialized facility?

3. Is it too late to do the up-conversion now because the SD tootage is already in the computer? It would’ve been so much better to edit with good-looking images, is it really too late?

Many thanks in advance for your knowledge and time and please forgive my ignorace – I’ll learn with time (and some help :).

[Simone]

This helps tremendously.

Without asking you to go into it in detail, I’d just like to know the method I’ll probably use to up-convert SD footage after the editing so I can propose it to the client. I feel awkward just telling them “Don’t worry, it looks bad now but I’ll figure out a way to make it look better later” 🙂

How would I also go about up-converting the SD footage for editing purposes: by simply re-scaling it to match the HDV dimensions? Should I then re-scale it until the picture reaches horizontal marges (and leave black sidebars on the left and on the right), or go further and fill up the entire screen (but then I would need to re-position the picture and leave out upper or lower parts). Will either of these methods have an influence on the up-converting later on? Or am I completely on the wrong path for the temporary up-converting SD?

Once again, many many thanks.

[Simone]

Thank you for all your answers.
About the project: it will be a 52 minutes documentary for a DVD edition and maybe for cable TV. The HDV footage has already been captured with an HDV 1080i60 codec (it was done before I got on this project) and the SD – with the DV codec. What are my options now?
1. If I choose to edit in HDV, do I have to convert it to another codec to avoid GOPs (I’m just learning about all this)? If yes, is this conversion done by FCP or by another application? And secondly how will I convert the SD tootage? Sorry but I haven’t found all the answers by reading other threads.
2. If I choose to edit in SD 16/9, how do I convert HD footage (by simply dropping it to an SD 16/9 T-L, rendering, exporting and importing it, or is there a better way to downconvert it?) And can I, at the end, go back to HDV?

I greatly appreciate your help.

G5 Dual processor, FCP 5, no external capture card, no HDTV, 500 Giga raid disque, 2 250 Giga Lacie discs, 45 hours of HDV+SD footage in PAL and NTSC (plus more footage being shot in HDV50i – to complicated the story even more)

[Simone]

Many thanks for the advice. Will the Nattress converted material (from PAL to NTSC) work with an HD timeline setting? I’m only talking about the frame rate issue for the moment, not the frame size.
Thanks again.