HD Set up

i am working in an Avid post house and we are now exloring HD set ups.
I want to push towards the FCP route.
What would be a professional HD set up?
Something to know is that we are not producing much HD yet and don't want to invest too much money in a constant evolving world as HD. All we need is a strong/basic HD set up.
Also, do we have to buy and HD deck or could we just upres in a post house?

This article by Mike Curtis will get you started

[www.dv.com]

Michael Horton
-------------------

Dang it Mike...I was just about to post that link myself.

Here, how about the preconfigured systems he offers:

[silverado.cc]


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

Thanks guys.
I have a lot to read now!

That's an informative link but I was surprised to see in the baseline HD system, no MXO (which Shane likes) replacing the expensive monitor bottle, and no use of internal SATA drive bays, which are just as easy to change out as any external RAID box.

I come in at about $9000 baseline, inlcuding a Quad Core tower, 3 GZ, 4GB RAM, two 23" Apple flats, MXO, 500 GB system drive, three 750 GB striped SATAS.

Re storage, this would be ProRes workflow.

Just curious...

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:
Apply a default AUDIO transition with Command-Option-T !

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

Ah! The damned capture card. *Grumble*

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:
Apply a default AUDIO transition with Command-Option-T !

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

Is there any need for an AJA or Decklink card if you only want to monitor HD, not lay it off? I'm looking at the MXO solution and I usually just take a hard drive to a house to get SD/HD dubs made...

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

If you capture via firewire only, then the MXO is a good way to go.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

I don't see any mention of HD decks in the set ups.
How do you guys work without a deck?

What kind of HD Deck?

Michael Horton
-------------------

Who says we work without a deck?

WE RENT. Buying HD Decks is EXPENSIVE. The AJ-1400 DVCPRO HD deck is $25,000. And it goes up from there for HDCAM, XDCAM and HDCAM SR.

RENT.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

Oh, great! So I don't have to buy a deck!!!!! The quotes I got really scared me!
What is your worflow like? You get the HD tapes.... and then how do you bring the media in?
.. and out?

Thanks guys

Still would like to know what HD we are talking about here.

Michael Horton
-------------------

AJ-1400 DVCPRO HD if it is broadcast standard
or the 1700

Like Mike says...PLEASE tell us what format of HD we are talking about here. MANY MANY workflows involved.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

I am getting the understanding that if I decide to purchase a deck, it pretty much has to be either a Sony or Panasonic, meaning that I'll have to shoot everything with the same HD standard or I am screwed.
I now understand why NOT buying a deck is better.
To answer to your question, I want to be flexible and want to be able to edit HDCAM as well as DVC PRO HD

OK....what format are you going to be SHOOTING? Because ONLY the Panasonic 1400 or 1200 will play back DVCPRO HD tapes. There is no Sony model. Sony is HDCAM and XDCAM.

To capture DVCPRO HD, you do NOT need a capture card...it is a firewire capture. And you can master back out to the 1400 no problem. But if you want to monitor your footage, you'll either need to buy that deck and an HD monitor, or an HD capture card and HD Monitor. An if you want to master to another format like HDCAM, then you need a capture card. WHAT capture card depends on how you'll be mastering...what you are required to deliver. I capture DVCPRO HD at 720p 23.98....yet I am required to deliver a 1080p HDCAM master. For that I pretty much need the Kona 3, for it will cross convert 720p to 1080p...no other card does.

And if you want to work with HDCAM , then you need a capture card. There are SO MANY formats of HD it makes the head swim.

RENT decks...do not buy. Unless you will use it on a daily basis on a series or something.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

> I am getting the understanding that if I decide to purchase a deck, it pretty much has to be
> either a Sony or Panasonic, meaning that I'll have to shoot everything with the same HD
> standard or I am screwed.

That's actually not true anymore -- because for example, if you do invest in a Sony HDCam deck, you can still edit material shot on, say, the Panasonic AG-HVX200, because you're dealing with P2 cards -- no decks or tapes at all. The five-card reader is around $2,400 right now, I think, a far cry from the decks.


www.derekmok.com

I want to be able to shoot using HDCAM or DVCPro.

So you guys rent a deck to capture and rent again to output, correct?

Yup.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

The P2 card is a small proportion of the shoot I would do. The idea behind the card is great but the camera specs and storage capacity-price ratio isn't great.
But it is the way of the future, specailly with the new 16Gb card.