Am I shooting 30p or Not?

D

dvInsight

Well-known member
Based on some searching and gut check, I think I already know my answer.

I shoot to P2 100% of the time with my own HVX and have had no problems in the last 18 months. But, a buddy of mine has a Mac based studio and has wanted to start shooting HD direct to disc and asked if I could help out (He has done SD to disk for years).

"No Problem."

I shouldn't have said that.

So open Final Cut 6.02 and use the easy setup for 1080/60i and start capturing using the uncontrolled device setting. Footage looks good, no problems, no dropped frames, everyone is happy.

But, we start talking and I mention to him the joys of the progressive format and I think that I can do an easy A/B test of 1080i/24PA vs 1080i/30p (He makes educational DVDS and web content so progressive makes sense). I open the easy setup for each and make sure that the camera's recording setup is set to match. Well the importing appears to go just fine, but when I drop the either captured clip into the appropriate timeline I get the message asking me if I want to change the timelines settings to match the clips. In essence the clips seem to be coming in 29.97 as fields instead of progressive.

I read a post by Noah earlier, that seeamed to indicate that all that comes out the firewire port live is 59.94, that I assume is 1080i since i did not have any problems capturing at that setting to begin with.

Can anyone shed some light on this.

He will never want to shoot to the P2 cards in the studio, the direct to FCP workflow has been great except for this progressive issue.

Thanks
 
NoahK said:
Nothing is wrong- FCP treats 30p as 29.97.

Noah
Click to expand...

Noah,

Thanks for responding, my confusion comes in because when I create a 30P sequence field dominance should be none, right? If so when I drop my captured footage in the sequence it asks to change the sequence to match the clip.

So the sequence, which is generated by easy setup looks like this:
Frame size: 1280X1080
Pixel Aspect Ratio: HD (1290X1080)
Field Dominance: None
Editing Time Base: 29.97
QuickTime Video Settings Compressor: DVC HD 1080p30

Once I import the clip that was captured via uncontrolled device over firewire (camera setup for 1080i/30p) my sequence settings change to this if I agree that the clip and sequence should match:

Frame size: 1280X1080
Pixel Aspect Ratio: HD (1290X1080)
Field Dominance: Upper (Odd)
Editing Time Base: 29.97
QuickTime Video Settings Compressor: DVC HD 1080i60

So I am thinking something is not quite right. I would think that it should maintain the Field Dominance setting of None and not change the compressor.

Again, I think it is from my lack of understanding as to exactly what is coming down firewire. I know that I can't grab native frames that way, and I know that I have no problems bringing in 1080i60 and 480i60. It is the progressive stuff and 24Pa over firewire that I am curious about.

Any additional thoughts would be great.

Thanks,

Rob
 
Ok, I think I know the answer. I took a P2 card to my buddies studio and shot 1080i30p and imported it. It is 30P no fields. The same setting on the camera direct into the computer over firewire gives me fields.

So unless I am missing something, the only thing that you can get over firewire is 1080i/60i and 480i/60i.

Anyone know any different? This is only when importing a live shot over firewire.

Thanks
 
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