ProRes VS. Standard QT

Please help....

We're mastering our project and trying to find the best codec to use. In the past I would always use an equivelent QuickTime codec to the timeline (DV NTSC timeline to DV NTSC QuickTime) but now Im hearing the best way to output is to use an equivalent ProRes codec. We've tried both versions and the ProRes Codec looks soft compared to the standard Current Settings QuickTime. Also the colors on the ProRes are super flat and washed out. Whats the deal am I doing something wrong with my export???? The file sizes on the ProRes are a third larger but look worse??

One more?
The Colors on the standard Current Settings QuickTime are also flat but not half as bad as the ProRes. How do I keep the colors the same as in the timeline? We did a ton of color correction....

Thanks for any and all input!

same thinking still applies:
use your native codec.

of course the real question is "quo vadis?" or "where are you going"?

otherwise known as "what're your delivery requirements?"


nick

> Also the
> colors on the ProRes are super flat and washed
> out. Whats the deal am I doing something wrong
> with my export????

How are you doing the export? Final Cut is usually quite bad at converting formats. Pro Res was created for roundtrip workflows- smaller than Animation, but doesn't take hits quite as badly as HDV.

To add to Nick's statement, you need to know your delivery specs, as reconverting to a third codec is almost likely to ensure noticeable quality loss.

If you started with DV codec (DVCPRO-NTSC), you should stay there. Digital soure is digital source. "Bumping it up" to a better codec won't give you a better picture...just a bigger file.

It's quite difficult to tell you why your files get "washed out" without seeing your settings. You could be going from RGB to 601 which brings colors down (RGB: 0 Black / 255 White... 601: 16 Black / 235 White). Without a lot more information, I would be guessing.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

> It's quite difficult to tell you why your files
> get "washed out" without seeing your settings. You
> could be going from RGB to 601 which brings colors
> down (RGB: 0 Black / 255 White... 601: 16 Black /
> 235 White). Without a lot more information, I
> would be guessing.


Thanks!! but how do I look at my settings to make sure they match FCP Timeline to QT.

Workflow:
4:3 DV NTSC Timeline
Export to QT
Compress to Mpeg for DVD

export as "Quicktime Movie"

there, the default is that it matches your timeline,
and there is no re-compression going on.

any other method will result in re-compression.


nick

Thanks!!!
What about in my Sequence Settings/Video Processing do we want to use?
-RGB
-Render in 8-bit YUV
-Render all YUV material in high-precisionYUV?????

I guess this depends on your final delivery requirements as stated.

For one client, I recapture DV-- not render-- as Uncompressed 8-bit through Kona 3, and take advantage of the additonal colorspace for adjust color and rescue it in someplaces. A lot of color enhancement can be done in UC 8 that cannot be done in DV 25 without stepping on the image quality. It is actually a known workflow for onlining broadcast-acceptable content from DV25. There was a house in Montreal whose name i cannot recall which specialized in mastering NOVA's from DV25 material shot by David Breashears and others.

Another possibility for you.

Best, as always,
Loren S. Miller
www.neotrondesign.com
Home of KeyGuide Central

I agree with Loren here.

We have several shows that originate on DVCAM25, but all of our finishing is at 8 bit uncompressed. In addition to the better color space mentioned above, the GRFX will benefit tremendously from this workflow. And, there's the pesky little line difference between DV (720 X 480) and NTSC standard of 720 X 486. Those extra six line can be a deal breaker for some delivery requirements.

So... it all comes down to "WHAT ARE YOUR DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS?" Start from there.

Mark