Going all the way to HD

I need to improve the quality of my deliverables, fast! My client uses digital signage system with huge plasma screens. Of course, my meager DV Cam footage looks downright horrible on those and even I think it is way below the acceptable standards. It?s HD ?way or highway for me?

What are my real options here? Camera-wise I can go all the way up to Sony f900 but the money just isn?t there for some posh Avid Nitris sessions. I need to online with my existing setup: FCP, Mac Quad G5, 16GB RAM, 2x300 GB internal Sata, FW800 1.5TB Raid.

What is the best quality level achievable with my current system? If I shoot it with F900 what would be a workable intermediate codec to transfer the stuff into? ProRez, Blackmagic, DVCProHD?

How about new formats like XDCam HD?? Am I able to get cinema-like images without the dull color-space of DVCam and HDV? And finally, am I stuck in a Final Cut render que for the rest of my life if I dear to sidestep from the ?preferred? DVCam standard?

Any suggestions?

Why not take a look at the HVX-200 from Panasonic? It has DVCPro-25 (MiniDV). DVCPro-50(DigiBeta) and DVCPro-100 (DVCPROHD) in one camera. And it ain't 4:2:0 - It's 4:2:2,but yes still compressed to go over Firewire.

All the Sony stuff is 4:2:0 (MPEG-2)

For an F900 you would need a BIGGGGG RAID with Fiberchannel speeds and a capture card and possibly an HD Deck.

The HVX-200 or the HPX-500 does this with P2 cards and downloads to a MacBook Pro for ingest.

Dude, with your system specs you should be able to handle HD, at least DVCPro HD (which is what the HVX200 shoots). If you start dealing with Uncompressed HD off of tapes you'll need the gear that Foley mentions. You still need to worry about monitoring of course, but the Matrox MXO and a second LCD monitor will get you a decent monitoring setup without having to invest in a capture card.

Quote
nicknasty
And finally, am I stuck in a Final Cut render que for the rest of my life if I dear to sidestep from the ?preferred? DVCam standard?

Who ever said DVCam was "preferred?" It's the default setting, sure. But it's by no means the best format or the most prevalent. There's all flavors of video out there man...

JK

_______________________________________
SCQT! Self-contained QuickTime ? pass it on!

(Trying to keep this FCP/post related thread)

>Why not take a look at the HVX-200 from Panasonic?

I have a "semi-sweet" rental deal lined up for F900. I believe I should try to shoot as high quality footage as possible and this camera delivers! I can transfer it to something a bit more manageable later at the post house.

So? What?s the preferred transfer format? I need to be able to work with the material but don?t want to destroy it completely with compression.


John K Wrote:
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> Who ever said DVCam was "preferred?" It's the
> default setting, sure. But it's by no means the
> best format or the most prevalent.

My whole production will grind to a halt if rendering takes hours instead of minutes. It seems like FCP diggs DVCam and 8bit and can crunch them away rather smoothly. I don?t want to feed it with something too excotic

FWIW - Let it be known that ALL HD cameras - (where tape is concerned), compress the video on the tape; be it Sony, JVC or Panasonic. The new Pana way of transporting the compressed content is what the HVX200 uses. No tape - just files in a hard drive like fashion.

The reason you need a capture card for the analog type of Sony HD is to allow the capture from tape to uncompress the compressed footage (which requires a massive RAID system)

The Pana just transports the compressed footages to FCP, which then uncompresses them via a codec (while in FCP)

The only REAL way to get a BETTER footage is to go for better lenses and bigger CCD's in camera.

Most features/TV/commercials shooting with the big HD Cams are transfering to DVCam for editing or DVCPRO HD. Flip a coin.

Michael Horton
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DVCAM still rocks in many quarters. And not all Sony cameras do MPEG-2 only. My little pro AiU does MiniDV, DVCAM and HDV. I sometimes shoot HDV and live downconvert to SD DVCAM-- a slightly richer look.

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:
Invoke your Favorites bin with Command-6 !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Nick-

What are the specs on the signs? I have seen some huge signs that are pretty low resolution, just designed to be view from a LONG distance. Before you invest in a camera and perhaps decks and edit system upgrades you may want to do some tests. It would be a shame to sink all that cash and find out that resolution beyond 720 x 480 was a waste.

-V

Check out the new Sony PMW-EX1 that should hit the market in about 4 weeks. I am impressed with everything except the cost of the SxS cards. The camera shoots in true HD only and is priced at about 7,000. The cards cost $500 for 50 minutes, or $900 for 70 minutes. Pricey cards but no tape and affordable camera. The review is favorable as the quality rivals some of the bigger Sony's HD cameras at $15k.

Check out the review at DV User magazine at [www.dvuser.co.uk]

Let me know if this is the answer you have been waiting for.

Rob Wise

There are some legit dealers selling the EX1 for $6500.

A Sept Sandisk release said $500 for 8GB card and $900 for 16GB.
You'll get two 8GB cards, one with camera and 2nd when you register camera online.
8GB card holds 25min at 35mbps and 35min at 25mbps.
Double that for 16GB (50 or 70 min per card).

Given that Sony's Under $8000 is about $6700 at B&H (and some dealers are lower) I suspect the card prices will be lower than the Sandisk presrelease price.

You'll be able to offload to your MacBookPro directly (Express/34 port).
They'll be a card to USB device for about $250 if needed.
8GB cards might fit nicely on DL-DVD so you can hand your client the master video after the shoot. Sony will distribute a free viewer (which you can burn on to the disc for the client).
Certainly one might back up to Blu-ray.
Sony will have an XDCAM HD burner by NAB for about $2500 street. It's USB to burner external drive.

Free EX1 viewing software for Mac and PC seems to have just gone up on Sony UK site.

[www.sonybiz.net]