HD to SD in post/export

[robotx21]

If on this camera, I shot in HD and edit in HD, can I export straight back to DV for SD distribution? OR do I need to render out my HD footage in the computer to SD format first, THEN export to DV camera? Thanks

[Barry_Green]

I believe the workflow would be to render SD MPEG-2 DVD-compliant files right from your editing program, so you would render the footage to SD and make DVDs from there. There's not really any point in going down to DV, because nobody distributes on DV.

[robotx21]

Good point Barry. Would the new apple HD codec be one of choice then?

[Barry_Green]

I don't have any experience with the Apple platforms, I'll have to defer to the mac experts among us to answer that for you.

[mthornton]

This is as simple as HD work flow in FCP5 then use compressor to do the down convert from HD to SD.

But if your target is DV or DVD that are not H264 then why acquired footage and edit in HD?

Just use it in DV mode to start and DV editing then DVD output.

Why do HD if you don't ever planned to do Distro in HD?

Mthornton

[robotx21]

I'm a visual effects kind of guy. So for visual effects shots, I would want to used the higher quality 4:2:2 sampling. And especially if I am making background plates, I'd want to shoot in HD.

[PKraft]

Good point, Robo.
Experience shows that SD video properly downscaled from HD looks as crisp as top-notch SD footage taken with top SD gear. With the added benefit that you may later, in a more HD minded world, take your "HD stock footage" and use it in HD projects w/o up rezzing which gives ugly artifacts. If you edit on a Mac with FCP 5, the necessary codec is automatically installed with the app. The codec is a joint effort of Pana and Apple and should meet corresponding expectations. BTW, if you have FCP 4 at hand, there is a no-charges download at Apple's website to update to FCP HD which includes the DVCProHD 1080i/60 codec.

Downrez on your Mac. I have done it on my Mac (FCP HD > DV) and the result looks beautiful. Using DVD SP 4, you will be able to position HD clips in the timeline and that HD video will be downrezzed automatically upon MPEG2 or H.264 encoding. SD/H.264 looks outstanding. Really love it.

If necessary, you may even convert from QT to WMV on your Mac using Flip4Mac.
So all options are available.

Hope this helps*.

*Jan, is that phrase copyrighted?