Hi I am looking for Opinions on using 1080p in a 720p30 timeline?

[Riceman]

Hi, I am looking for opinions on using 1080p in a 720p30 FCP timeline? The choice for 720p30 is determined by the need for variable frame rate footage. But my interviews and some b-roll would be shot in 1080p30. Here are a few questions I have and as I said opinions are welcome:

• Am I correct in assuming that I will get 20% sharper images in the 1080 footage?
• Is there any problems with using this footage in the 720p timeline? For example do I still get the quality of 1080p even if the output will be 720?
• If I up-convert the final output to 1080 are there any problems with that?

Thanks for your input.

 

[Barry_Green]

I can answer in general, but not in specific for FCP.

1. Yes.
2. Don't know if FCP will give you problems, but you will get most of the 1080p quality from a full 1280x720 timeline. Not 100%, of course, but most of it. The HVX creates an image that's about 1400x810, recorded at 1280x1080.
3. Certainly shouldn't be any problems, but I'll let FCP users answer that.

 

[Noel Evans]

• If I up-convert the final output to 1080 are there any problems with that?

Thanks for your input.

I wouldnt do a straight up conversion just through increasing the frame size in a timeline. Whats your final output?

Id be inclined to put all the 1080 into a 720 and output 720, thats without going the expensive upres route.

 

[Riceman]

Barry, Thanks for your response. This is very helpful. It seems to me like if there will be any 720p footage in the timeline then the timeline needs to be 720p. Unless of course it is up-converted to 1080p first. Nice to know that most of the quality will remain intact. I will have to see if the ratio of 720p30(variable frame rate) footage outweighs the 1080p30 footage and choose the higher ratio as the timeline format. My hunch is the 720p30 will be a smaller amount, so will probably plan to up-convert to 1080 for the final edit.

Noel, Thanks too...this is what we are planning to do:

I wouldnt do a straight up conversion just through increasing the frame size in a timeline. Whats your final output?

Id be inclined to put all the 1080 into a 720 and output 720, thats without going the expensive upres route.

My final output will be a wide range. So we want to plan for everything.

- DVD (easy enough)
- Broadcast, which will require a 1080i format for the desired networks.
- this will also be displayed on the big screen, locally, so we will have to see what the requirements are with that system, I don't have much experience with this but I assume we can get away with projecting it directly from a local hard drive, via some kind of computer run projector.
- We will be submitting this to some film festivals too, I think they require DVD for submission, and not sure what they use for final projection, assuming the work is accepted.

So we are planning any up-conversion through a Kona 3 card or similar to what ever media the network desires. DVD will be converted to MPEG2 from the timeline.