A question for the Barry(s) of this world

K

Kandinsky

Active member
My question is of a very precise technical concern. I am interested in using the DVX-100A in my next project, but I am wondering what format would be the best for projection in theaters.

Since my original source is on Mini-DV, I assumed at first that if I was outputting my stuff on Mini-DV for projection that the result would be the same as any other format. But the thing is that I am working ALOT on the colors and the overall look of the image digitally and I believe that some of the elements I add, once I'm on my computer, might be better off for the output on Beta SP or Beta Digital which is known to have less compression (especially for colors). I also noticed more sharpness on Beta Digital with a Mini-DV source...was I hallucinating?

The question is...if my source is on Mini-DV, but with very intense and deep color corrections (including color "adding" which wasn't there in the original capture), which digital projection format would be best for me and what are the specific differences between them? I am talking about Mini-DV, Beta SP and Beta Digital.

Thank you very much!
 
DigiBeta, if you can. It's a 10-bit codec. But to take advantage of it you'll have to be editing in an uncompressed timeline, and outputting through SDI.

BetaSP won't do a thing for you, it's no better than DV (as a FORMAT). But DigiBeta is a full 10 bits, and it's 4:2:2, so any post modifications you do to the footage will hold up *much* better on final output than they would on DV.
 
Thank you Barry. It is a truly great chance to be able to ask you questions like these and get answers I can trust so quickly. I just need to say that I really appreciate your help.

If I understand correctly, I would need to capture my stuff as usual with the pulldown removal in NTSC - DV - 23.98, then use those clips on an uncompressed timeline with similar specs for the whole editing/color correction process. Is it going to require twice as much space and computing power to work that way?

When I'm done, what I usually do is export the result in a single video file, which would now be uncompressed NTSC - 23.98 standard resolution video, and bring that to a local Technicolor post-production house to get that on DigiBeta (anamorphic). I am assuming they are using SDI (a technical spec I must confess I am not familiar with).

That way I'd get the most out of my DV 24pa source?
 
If you're working with Vegas or EDIUS or PP CS3, you don't capture any differently, they all know how to automatically strip out pulldown. Not sure about FCP.

As for the timeline -- again, I don't know how FCP works. Vegas 8 works in an uncompressed 32-bit timeline, and I'm pretty sure EDIUS does as well. All color work is done uncompressed, and there's no quantizing down to 8 bits unless you re-render. So no additional space is necessary.

Yes, rendering out an uncompressed 10-bit file and having them port that through SDI to DigiBeta should retain all the uncompressed 10-bit color-correction goodness you've been doing in your editor.
 
That's good. Since I am a FCP user, I believe the only timeline I can select to work on is Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2. That should do. Thanks Barry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top