Kepping good HD quality from beginning to end.

[Yveworth]

Hello Everyone, I have a question about something that i never really understood.

Okay so I have a lot of footage I've shot... All on the HVX and all 1080 and 24p (some of the slow motion stuff is 720 and 24pn as it has to be this way to get SM).... anyway...

I'm editing some of the stuff... Importing to final cut... and I'm eventually going to want to display everything on a very large 1080 television.

I'm wondering how to go about keeping all my footage the very best HD quality from beginning to end. From the moment i import into Final Cut till I display this stuff on the HD screen...

I know that Final Cut pro converts all my footage to quicktime files when I import it.... Does this step right here hurt my video quality at all? Is there something to remedy this?

Also... I usually just drop my clip into the timeline and FInal Cut asks if i'd like to change my project settings to match the clip settings and I say yes, figuring this is best.... is it???

I've been told in the past that all HD really means is the 1080 resolution... well that may be true but all i care about is keeping this thing good "HD quality" right up until i display it.

Finally, What's the best way to display it? We're displaying this on a large hd plasma screen in my university's RECREATION CENTER... should I burn an HD DVD and tell the school they need a BlueRay? Will my macbook pro (purchased in the last 6 months) have the ability to burn an HD dvd or blueray? (i have a superdrive).... or should i tell the school to set up a computer and run a video file I've rendered? (they'll probably only have some old pc without that great of a graphics card?)

Just looking for suggestions on the proper way to go. The quality of our footage looks awesome right now but from past experience... somewhere in the process from RAW footage to Final DVD quality gets lost. We know we're probably doing something wrong.

Thanks for your help.

[Niko18042]

you could always ask the school if you can get a projector and you can just plug in your macbook pro.

[Yveworth]

yea but

A) projector's quality usually stinks.

B) i can't just give up my laptop for the 3 months or so this video will be playing. (this isn't just a one time screening)

[Noel Evans]

I know that Final Cut pro converts all my footage to quicktime files when I import it.... Does this step right here hurt my video quality at all? Is there something to remedy this?



The file is a QT file, but a QT file is just the wrapping - inside is the DVCProHD footage just as you shot it. There is no degradation at all.




Also... I usually just drop my clip into the timeline and FInal Cut asks if i'd like to change my project settings to match the clip settings and I say yes, figuring this is best.... is it???


Thats because your sequence settings are incorrect, but hitting yes on the pop up resolves this so your OK.



I've been told in the past that all HD really means is the 1080 resolution... well that may be true but all i care about is keeping this thing good "HD quality" right up until i display it.

Well broadcast HD starts at 720.



Finally, What's the best way to display it? We're displaying this on a large hd plasma screen in my university's RECREATION CENTER... should I burn an HD DVD and tell the school they need a BlueRay? Will my macbook pro (purchased in the last 6 months) have the ability to burn an HD dvd or blueray? (i have a superdrive).... or should i tell the school to set up a computer and run a video file I've rendered? (they'll probably only have some old pc without that great of a graphics card?)



Few questions here....

No they dont need to buy a blu ray player and no your macbook pro cant burn a blu ray or HD DVD.

Your output will look great exported using compressor (using best quality 90 mins setting) to a SD DVD. Very nice.

And if you want to stay in true HD, you can get a DVI to HDMI cable, and plug DVI end into macbook pro (may need MINI DVI adapter), then the other HDMI end into plasma (assuming it has HDMI). And then watch in HD. Just saw your note on the macbook pro and time the vid will run, go SD DVD.

[agcohn]

The quicktime files that FCP creates when it imports the HVX200 should default as the DVCPRO HD codec, and that should be the highest quality possible. That is, afterall, the codec the camera is using to record the footage.

You are setting up your sequences correctly by matching the sequence settings to the 1080/24p footage.

In order to export at the highest quality possible for your footage, you should choose Export to "Quicktime Movie" (not "Using Quicktime Conversion") and choose Current Settings and Make Movie Self Contained. Do not choose "Recompress all frames."


The highest possible method of projection will be playing that resulting HD Quicktime file off of a computer connected to the screen.

You will not be able to burn an HD-DVD or Blu-ray disc using your Superdrive. If you need Blu-ray, you will need to get a Blu-ray burner and encoding software, or find somebody who all ready has a burner and encoding software.

I would try burning a regular DVD and see what that looks like, because the expense to make the Blu-ray will probably not be worth it.

[David Saraceno]

DVD SP 4.1.x will author HD DVDs that are playable on Toshiba HD DVD set tops.

You can even encode to h.264 and use red laser dye DVD5 and DVD9 blanks.

Been doing it for two years with our HVX/HPX.

Blu ray (not blue ray) support is provided in encore and toast.

[agcohn]

DVD SP 4.1.x will author HD DVDs that are playable on Toshiba HD DVD set tops.

You can even encode to h.264 and use red laser dye DVD5 and DVD9 blanks.

Been doing it for two years with our HVX/HPX.

Blu ray (not blue ray) support is provided in encore and toast.
A DVD5 / DVD9 that's been encoded as HD in DVD SP will play on an HD-DVD player? I was under the impression that it would only play in the Mac DVD Player.