Best format to convert to

M

mhill310

Active member
What is the best free format to convert d90 or d5000 footage to? I know h264 is good for a final solution but what's best for a workable format? I use a mix of FCE an Pp but I'd like rouse mostly PP. This is on a mac ofcourse.
 
We need more information to make any suggestions. Is this for editing or for output?

Codecs are many and varied and there is no "best" codec.

In general edit in the same codec you shot in, to reduce the number of conversions you have to go through.
 
I appreciate the help, but I dont know what more info I can provide. I said what programs (FCE and PP), I said that I know about h.264 being the best for output and I asked what is good for a workable format. What more would you like me to provide?
 
Well I mean - are you asking what format to edit with? Or what format to export to?

You should edit the raw camera files, then export to whatever you want. H.264 is one good choice. Output codec is largely determined by what you're delivering to (DVD, web, etc.) DVD needs MPEG2, H.264 is good for web...
 
I have just read and heard that most people think the video compression that comes out of the camera is horrible. I though most converted to prores but I dont have access to that so I was wondering what an alternative was.
 
FCE = AIC codec

Or you can use:

Uncompressed
DNxHD
AJA's excellent (and free) codec (8 or 10 bit)
Jpeg2000
MJpeg
PNG

Along with probably a dozen others. There is no "best" codec. They all have advantages and disadvantages and unless you know what it is you're looking for, it's hard to offer advice on what to use.

If I were on a Mac, and couldn't use ProRes, I'd be editing with either DNxHD or Aja's codecs, and then outputting to whatever format I needed to finish with. But if I was doing visual effects, I'd be working uncompressed. If my system was slow or I was working on a laptop, I might choose something else.

There are many factors that go into choosing an editing codec.
 
"I have just read and heard that most people think the video compression that comes out of the camera is horrible."

It's pretty bad. But you can't improve it simply by converting it to another format. So you might as well just leave it - unless you want to edit in another format for some other reason.
 
what are you talking about? sure you can, just go to uncompressed 5k and you will get better results than the red. until the red people figure out that they can convert to 6k of course, but i've read that with the new apple firmware update fcp will be able to convert 720p mjpeg to 16k in 32-bit float. now that's something. soon we won't even need a camera anymore.
 
Two things that have worked very well for me - costs aside...

Log and Transfer in Final Cut, bringing the MJpeg in as ProRes has beautiful results.

Using the Elegato Turbo h.264, transcoding to the 720p HD setting, also yielded great results.

Both methods seem to produce footage that looks better than the raw MJPEG off the cam. Probably due to a bunch of weird pixel/ratio mumbo jumbo.
 
i would be very careful if i used any method that changed my footage at all, even if i though it "looked better". you always want to start with the original in post, if there's been "pixel mumbo jumbo" or gamma correction, or even clipping, you're screwed as far as getting the best quality possible.

/matt
 
Very true, Matt... the one caveat I consider here is that the output size of the D90 is actually crushed, so you get improved clarity by resizing the footage to it's native capture size.

There's another post on DVXUser that covers that... the guy even wrote a script for FCP that handles the resize.
 
James H. said:
the output size of the D90 is actually crushed, so you get improved clarity by resizing the footage to it's native capture size
Click to expand...
only if you use a "rescaler" or "stairstep remover". simply scaling the footage to 1280x801 means you lose quality, and it makes it pretty much impossible to remove the stairsteps later. (i'm the guy btw) :-)

/matt
 
Ah ha! I feel silly, but also glad I stumbled into that...

I use your script on everything I shoot for the ATL Falcons - and wouldn't dare use d90 footage without it.

In your debt, man, you're a d90 hero.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top