HD-SDI output to SDI DigiBeta

[fiercecurry]

Would it be possible to connect a Digibeta deck to the Canon via the SDI connections, while shooting in HD mode?

And if so, would the Digibeta deck downconvert the HD image to a 720x486 SD image that is letterboxed as its recording?

Basically I am wondering how the Canon's uncompressed HD image would translate to an uncompressed SD image.

[Luis Caffesse]

Why not put the XLH1 in SD mode and connect to the digibeta deck?
Then there is no need to downconvert anything.

[fiercecurry]

Would it be widescreen? or 4:3 if i shot in SD mode?

[Luis Caffesse]

You will have the ability to shoot widescreen SD on the XLH1, but as I mentioned SD is always going to be recorded to a 4:3 frame, so your image will appear squeezed on tape.

HD is 16:9 by definition. But, as far as I know, you won't gain much of anything by shooting HD and downconverting the image to a DigiBeta deck.

It would seem to me that your best bet would be to shoot 16:9 SD and run it out of the SDI output to a digibeta deck for the best SD quality you can get on an affordable tape media.

[fiercecurry]

Great thanks.

I was also wondering if there actually would be some advantage of recording in uncompressed HD and than downconverting to SD. I shot on a Varicam and than downconverted to SD on Digibeta, and it looks amazing. Better than footage originated in SD, like a Digibeta camera or DVCPRO 50.

[Luis Caffesse]

Other that "futureproofing" your footage for possible HD distribution sometime later, I don't see any advantage if you're talking about shooting on camera's with comparable chips size and lens quality (which obviously in this case would be the same chips and lens).

In fact, and this is just a guess, I think you'd be better off working with a 2/3" SD camera than shooting with a 1/3" HD camera and downconverting. I'm only saying that based on tests that others have done, I do not have the real world head-to-head testing experience myself.

I can tell you that I've shot with the Varicam, as well as with the SDX900.
Once downconverted, not one person has been able to spot which commercial was shot with which camera.

[fiercecurry]

Interesting points.

Does the SDX have a SDI output?

[Luis Caffesse]

It's an option.

Here are the specs on the SDX900 (http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=68651&catGroupId=14616&surfModel=AJ-SDX900&displayTab=F)

[robroysyd]

We do a lot of downconversion of footage from the Z1 to digibeta by playing it out using the decks downconvert and then going through the SD Connect back upto 4.2.2, out SDI into DB deck. Result despite the DV compression in the middle looks pretty impressive.
Conversion using Vegas to go from HDV to 4.2.2 looks even better due to smart resampling, depending on a number of factors it's hard to pick the difference between this footage and something from a DB camera at 20 times the price. Certainly once you reach the limits of the 1/3" chips the DB cameras blow the Z1 out of the water but for the money the Z1 and now I guess the Canon can turn in some pretty good looking SD.

[Luis Caffesse]

Walter has a good article on his site about SD shooting versus downconverted HD:
You might want to check it out.

http://www.film-and-video.com/sdhd.html