720/24pn and DVX24p on same timeline

J

Jim Anderson

Well-known member
I still am having many issues with up-converting or down-converting HVX 720/24pn footage with DVX100A 4x3 24p footage. I actually tried physically shooting my 23 HD cinema display with the DVX and had better results than many other digital compression methods where soft fuzzy images appear after the conversion. I have heard After Effects can do a good job but I am trying to avoid an additional outlay of $900.00 for that unless there are no other options. My client wants a SD 16 x 9 DVD of the mixed footage and I have been reading these forums endlessly but there doesn't seem to be a good answer so far. All the HVX footage was shot with the 4 x 3 guides on the viewfinder so in the end, I may have to down-rez to 4x3 if that's the only way for clear images. Any help with this would be appreciated. (BTW the footage is being cut on the newest Avid that comes with Sorenson Squeeze.) :happy:
 
Ok, here's what I'd do. First, since you're going out to SD DVD anyway, downconvert your HD to SD. If you HAVE to upconvert SD to HD, in FCP there's a good plug-in by Red Giant called Instand HD that is a filter that uprezes SD to HD in your Timeline quite well.

Compressor, when used properly, will up and down convert pretty well.

I often use Studio Artits's "SuperSizer" function to up rez from SD to HD size.

Personally, I do everything I can to avoide uprezing SD to HD, it will just never look as good, no matter what. If I'm going out to SD DVD, I work in an SD Sequence and let FCP downrez the HD to the Sequence. Works pretty well for me.
 
Thanks, but I am still trying to find the right workflow with Avid and Squeeze. I have read some threads where compressor has done a great job with the conversions. FCP has been the first to support MXF so now it makes sense that they are ahead of the game with the conversion tools as well. Alot of the HD footage I shot was double rolled from the composite out from the HVX into a Sony PD-100A anticipating the difficulties mixing HD with SD but it squeezed the image to 4 x 3. I may find that it's easier to un-squeeze that and cut it totally SD 4 x 3 and save the original MXF 720/24pn files for archives and possible film-out (if I get the funding) and deal with the up-converting of the 4x3 DVX cutaways then when there are more options. :undecided
 
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