Hvx - > Digi Beta?

[Justin Marx]

Ok, I did a search, didn't find much..

Doing a job on wednesday and they want to take the external drive with the copies of the P2 cards and transfer them (downconverted) to DIGI BETA..

We will have a DIGI-BETA deck with us, is there anyway for me with my MAC/CAMERA/DECK to do this on my own without paying a POST HOUSE $250 an hour to do? REMEMBER I need it to loose as little quality as possible for broadcast.. Thank you..


- - Justin

[Barry_Green]

Well, sure you could...

One way would be to use the HVX itself to do the downconverting; just play the clips back and set your video out to downconvert to 480i, and connect to the DigiBeta's component inputs.

Or you could use FCP but you'd need a Kona or DeckLink card to connect to the DigiBeta deck.

I believe Evin Grant was offering a service like this as well.

[Justin Marx]

Well, sure you could...

One way would be to use the HVX itself to do the downconverting; just play the clips back and set your video out to downconvert to 480i, and connect to the DigiBeta's component inputs.

Or you could use FCP but you'd need a Kona or DeckLink card to connect to the DigiBeta deck.

I believe Evin Grant was offering a service like this as well.

Thank you Barry!!
That sounds so EASY! Ok, here's my new question :-)

Is doing it the other way (through FCP) better? or is it the same? Seems easier to do it from the camera, but I want to make sure they get the best downconverted images as possible..

Thanks again!

- - Justin

[Barry_Green]

I would imagine FCP could possibly do a better job, but I haven't compared 'em side by side.

[Jeff Brown]

I just did that at the weekend - FCP out via a decklink HD to digibeta. The decklink has a software downconvert that gives you the option to do either letterbox or anamorphic which is handy.

Picture quality was great. Admittedly that was a final edited version so if you're just dumping rushes you could cut out the FCp process and go straight out of the camera.

Good luck

Jeff

[VaricamLife]

I'm a fan of decklink, but in general I'm not a huge fan of the software downconvert. I find using the decks and hardware downcovert gives me better results. Now how much better is debatable for sure. Just for my own tastes I am not a huge fan of FCP as a downconversion tool unless budgetary demands give you no other option.

cheers.

[Bob Fagan]

Barry...when you downconvert to 480i how is the codec determined?

[Barry_Green]

In-camera? Or in post?

In-camera if you're doing live output there is no codec, it's an analog signal. If you're downconverting to tape then it's DV. In post, you select whatever codec you want.

[Justin Marx]

Guys thanks for all the INFO.. They decided they are not getting the DECK and just wanted me to offload the P2 data into FCP and let the Editor do it..

YAY for me!

But GREAT to know all this!!!

- - Justin