Besides Red codec, how about Avid's DNxHD?

[Greg Voevodsky]

I understand that Avid's DNxHD codec is available for free without license. Would it be possible for RED to offer that codec along with their own (at least until AVID supports the Red Codec natively) IKEGAMI'S EDITCAM X10 already records to DNxHD, Avid's high quality codec. They are saying it can only do 145mbit.

I assume Red is working with Avid, Apple, and Adobe on making the red codec available for native editing as soon as possible. However, it took over a year for AVID and APPLE to do HDV natively- so I am a bit worried. That's why shooting in Avid's DNxHD codec offers a good crossover. My question is, if we shoot in RED Codec now, would we have to digitize or transcode it into Avid's Codec to edit? Could we digitize our footage into uncompressed to edit or HDcam or other current codecs?

 

[MikeCurtis]

SORT OF free - for personal doodling, yes. For commercial deployment, no, is my understanding, AFAIK, IANAL.

If, for some reason, there isn't a codec supported by a given NLE, it is likely that you could transcode it to an appropriate AVI or QT codec as needed (including DNxHD), or if the camera is handy digitize over HD-SDI to any HD codec the system natively supports. Of course, if you've shot "off rate" that creates additional challenges as well.

-mike

 

[WesVasher]

It's probably a good idea for Red to have their own codec so they can have control of it. They've stated their desires to make sure it works on everything and hired brainpower to make it happen so hopefully it will work out well.

Of course you can always transcode to another codec of your own choice I assume.