Why Does V1U footage look so bad in Final Cut?

[mookie123]

A Company I am working with just purchased a V1U. We are shooting an industrial and just did the first of several shoots with this camera. We have begun to digitize the footage in final cut and are aware of what we need to do for the work around. Our footage was shot 24p. My question is and this is very basic, why does the footage in the viewer and canvas window look so bad? We have not yet hooked up the deck to an external monitor. We digitized the 24p using the HDV codec and are editing with Final cut 5.0.4. What I want to know is is what I see in the canvas/viewer window just an approximation of the actual footage? I'm very familiar with final cut and standard definition. I have even recently been aquianted with working with p2 footage. That footage looks really great natively on our final cut system. The V1U footage looks really noisy and compressed. Further when we color correct the noise and compression seems to increase. What is the proper work flow with those that are using the V1U to get really good images? Is the noise and compression of HDV just something I have to live with?

m

[magi1500]

If you captured it as HDV and shot 24p, then you are not using the work around properly. you are either cutting at 30 (with pull down added so you get those ugly interlaced freeze frames), or you are dropping 30 fps footage into a 24p sequence (in which case the motion is going to be choppy and god awful).

I know this because there is no way to pull down 24p footage from the V1U if you capture it as HDV. Cinema tools doesn't work on anything with temporal compression. The work around involves turning it into something that cinema tools will manipulate, such as AIC on capture.

[dkkendall]

Is there a way to log and capture HDV footage shot in 24p?? I have tried just about everything and the log and capture window keeps saying "Device is not recognized." I have gone through the easy set up and made adjustments in A/V settings. Nothing seems to work. The software just can't communicate with the camera (Sony HVR-V1U). HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP!!!!!! Thanks!

Dave

[magi1500]

You can't use log and capture when capturing as AIC. AIC is the best way to get your 24p footage into the computer so that you can pull it down with cinema tools. So the downside to AIC is no timecode and no log and capture. The upside is beautiful progressive 24p sequences. (All you can do with AIC is capture now over the whole tape).
If you want to log and capture, you must capture as HDV. That means editing 60i, even if you shot 24p. Unless you want to go to the trouble of software converting indiviual clips from HDV into something without temporal compression so that cinema tools can be used to apply reverse telecine.
If you are just asking if it is possible to capture the V1U with log and capture in FCP, the answer is yes, as long as you capture as HDV. I've done it quite a bit.

[orkan]

I don't get it, what sould I do in final cut, if I shot in 24p(progressive) wi the V1 and want to edit it that way? The sequence preset is 25fps(I'm in PAL), I didn't really get into trouble with the footage but I wonder if the picture could be better, I noticed some grain, maybe I can get rid of it.
Thanks in advance!

[magi1500]

see previous thread for my workflow re: shooting 24p on V1U and cutting & finishing 24 in FCP.

[Alex Mora]

Hi everyone...

I shooted some images in 24p in the new V1 camera, i could capture in final cut studio 2 HD without problem, i must masterize in DV beacuse i don't have a HDV deck... How can i do that???

Please Help Me...

[hillj77]

Hi - have a follow up question about your response to "is there a way to log and capture HDV footage shot in 24p?" I recently shot a film using the 108024p mode and not the 108024pSCANA mode, which I'm regretting now. anyway I have already logged all my footage offline and don't really want to capture it as AIC and lose all my logging info. You mentioned there's a way to capture the footage in HDV 60i and then convert the clips from HDV into something without temporal compression so that cinema tools can be used to apply reverse telecine. My question is what should I convert it to and how do I do this. I know this will take more time, but my final project will only be around 15 minutes long so I don't care if it takes time. By doing it this way will the final output be in 24p and not 60i? Sorry if your repeating yourself I'm new to the HDV 24p world. Thanks.

[magi1500]

I haven't tested it yet, but the latest software update to FCP specifically adds 1080p24 support for the V1U.

FCP 6.0.2 adds the following easy setup:
HDV-Apple ProRes 422 1080p24

Presumably, this removes the pull down and transcodes the footage into ProRes.

Perhaps this would allow one to still use log and capture?

[DOSMedia]

I used to shoot 24p with my v1u for a little while.
After a bit i got over it. It was too much of a pain in the ass and was an awful experience.
The v1u looks amazing in 30p, but the HDV 24p is leagues away from where it should be.
Thats my opinion.
Try shooting in 30p and if it still doesnt look good, then you have a different problem.

[Geco]

I have the oposite experience. I work with Sony Vegas 8.0d Pro, I capture direct in 1080 24pA with pulldown removed and editing in 24p HDV project; looks great, work perfect and all the time in 24p, never go to 60i or 30p, just use the right software. Long ago I tryed with other NLE but was a pain in the.... I never got what I'm looking for, but with Sony Vegas the communication with the camcorder is easy and the capture is direct in 24p. http://www.gecoproducciones.cl