Converting EX3 1080i60 to 1080i50 - is this the best way?

Hi everything - this is sort of a follow on question from a post I wrote a while ago ...

Firstly a more specific question: I always thought it was better to down convert frame rates ie 29.97 to 25 is better than the other way ... but I just read the opposite. Can someone confirm which is the better way to convert? (aside from broadcast requirements etc etc)

So anyways - I do need to convert some of my ex3 1080i60 footage to 1080i50. This is the method I'm using in Compressor:
Duplicate the existing XDCAM HD 1080i50 preset
In Video settings:
-change the Compression Type to XDCAM EX 1080i50 (35Mb/s)
-set the frame rate to 25fps
-set keyframing to Automatic
-untick Frame Reordering
Don't change the audio settings
Set Frame Controls to On
Set Rate Conversion to Better or Best
Apply this preset to all the clips you want converted to 25fps

Could someone advise if this is a good way to do it? or can they suggest a better way?
Thanks again for the help

This may or may not be useful, but depending on the nature of the project you're doing, you will get better quality using Cinema Tools to change the framerate from 60 to 50.

This slight "over-cranking" gives the impression of subtle slow motion. This means the footage will play slower but there will be no generational loss, no frame-blending and none of the other side-effects of true frame rate conversion.

I use this a lot when editing things like music videos, because with these kind of edits it doesn't matter if the performance is slower and there's no sync audio.

NickScale

Mac Pro 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
6 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
OSX 10.6.4, FCP 7.0.2

Not sure about tweaking frame re-ordering or keyframing. I don't think that comes into play though.

The better option is to select a ProRes 1080i50 preset and turn on frame controls and set retiming to "best".



www.strypesinpost.com

Rule of thumb: Never convert anything to XDCAM or any other GOP format. Only convert from GOP formats to I-frame formats.

Of course, in the real world it's not really possible to comply with that rule always, but that's why it's a rule of thumb instead of a law of the universe.

>in the real world it's not really possible to comply with that rule always

Other than the client specifically demanding for it to be converted to a GOP format, or needing a GOP format for delivery (and in most of these cases, it still makes sense to convert to ProRes as an intermediate codec), what other reasons is there to a GOP format?



www.strypesinpost.com

Oh, you know. It's always something. "I've got sixteen hours of XDCAM A-roll and ten seconds of Motion JPEG stock footage and this job has to be done by 3 p.m.," that kind of thing. It's always something.