P2 Importing

Hi there Gang-

Below is the situation as described by my colleague, Michael Glass, who is importing these P2 files for me to cut with:


""We're importing P2 footage using the IMPORT>Panasonic P2 tool in FCP 5.1.2.
This footage was shot at 24P and it's importing as 24P, so all appears fine.

Nonetheless, there is a discrepancy. FCP reports that the codec it's using is DVCPRO HD 720p60 and it reports the VidRate at 23.98.

Does anyone at LAFCPUG know how/why the compressor's "frame rate" (p60) is different than the video's frame rate?

The footage plays fine in a DVCPRO HD 720p60 / 23.98 timeline. In a 720p60 / 59.94 timeline it requires rendering (and then plays a tad bit stuttery).


What is puzzling is why the codec is named 720p60 if it's handling 720p24 footage...""

So is everything kosher, and it's just an unsatisfactory naming convention, or is ther esome hidden future dilemma we need to be aware of???

Thanks so much,

Marla
marla@ted.com
mitchnickpictures@yahoo.com

And here's an afterthought:

""It seems to me the Import Panasonic P2 auto-detects the frame rate and the compressor. I guess "option" isn't the most articulate description. More specifically, FCP has two different logging/format fields for codec & frame rate.

Like we can have DV PAL footage, DV NTSC footage, DV 23.98 footage, DV 23.98 advanced footage, but it's all using the DV compressor.
Why they would name a codec 720p60 when it can enc/dec 23.98 footage is what concerns me. is it just a confusing label? Or is there something mysterious about P2 footage? Or something wrong in the way we're importing?

spooky!""

Additional info from moi: this is what it says in the panasonic P2 Importer:

Format: 720pN24

Compressor: DVCPro HD 720p60

Shooting Rate: 24

Thanks!

Marla

The DVCPRO HD Compressor type is 720p60. This is because the original format is shot on tape, using the Varicam. The tape runs thru the Varicam at 59.94 fps, and it shoots 740p, thus 720p60. And while it does shoot 24p and 30p, it encodes them on a tape running at 59.94, and adds a FLAG to the footage that FCP recognizes, and it removes the additional frames when it captures. So if the camera was set to 720p24, then it shoot 24 over 60 (24 frames on a 60 frame tape) and removed the additional frames when it was captured, to get it to 23.98.

Now, the HVX when it shoots 24PN, doesn't shoot 59.94, but rather 24 real frames per second running at 23.98. BUT THE COMPRESSOR IS STILL THE SAME...720p60. That just the name of the DVCPRO HD compressor, that's all. The footage you shot is 23.98 and will work in a 23.98 timeline without rendering.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Thanks Shane - What the heck does the "N" stand for, anyway?

And, just to be sure I get it, in the case of using HVX200 footage, NOT Varicam, is the P2 compressor actually treating the 24p as straight 24p? In other words the pulling out of the additional frames does NOT actually occur, as they ain't there?

Thanks,

Marla, a little less confused, in New York...

Re: P2 Importing? /Autodetecting the frame rate/Help clarify please!
Posted by: Marla Mitchnick (IP Logged)
Date: February 12, 2007 01:18PM

Thanks Shane - What the heck does the "N" stand for, anyway?

And, just to be sure I get it, in the case of using HVX200 footage, NOT Varicam, is the P2 compressor actually treating the 24p as straight 24p? In other words the pulling out of the additional frames does NOT actually occur, as they ain't there?

Thanks,

Marla, a little less confused, in New York...

N stands for "native," meaning that it is shooting 24 NATIVE frames per second, not 24 over 60. If you don't choose the 24PN mode, then you would be recording 24p, which is 24 over 60...and takes up a lot of space on the cards.

If you shoot 24PN, and import into FCP, you get 24 real frames per second running at 23.98...no pulldown to remove, no additional frames.

I think you need to start reading by blog...from the beginning.

www.lfhd.net


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Great-we will all read it, we have a team of 3 and this is good news,

Thanks so much Shane,

Marla

I own and operate the HVX-200.
95% if the things I shoot is in pn mode.
This pn also allows you to do the fast and slowmo rates.

I strongly recommend shooting everything in pn mode unless you have to go to 1080i for some reason.

The Barry Green handbook is very helpful in explaining all of this, its worth checking out an even buying if you have to.

Good luck.