Clip Browser v2.0 is here
- Thread starter Civuck
- Start date
GuyB
Well-known member
Slow to convert to DV
Slow to convert to DV
G'Day, my first post in DVX...
What performance are people getting with SD conversions with V2?
My first test was not that impressive:
Source: SxS card in ExpressCard slot
Destination: eSATA hard drive
Format Source 1080 25p HQ
Output: SD AVI (Type 2)
System: Asus G1Sn laptop (Core 2 T9500 [Dual Core 2.5GHz]), 3GB RAM, Vista Premium
Result:
Source 3min 25sec
Encoding Time: 6min 35sec
Conclusion: Neally twice as long to render as log SD from tape...
I also note this conversion does not appear to be able to take advantage of more than one core.
Encoding to WMV isn't even part of the free package? Isn't Windows Media Encoder free? I'd pay for a SD DVCPro50 export option though for an easy SD 4:2:2 workflow.
Cheers
Guy
Down Under
Slow to convert to DV
G'Day, my first post in DVX...
What performance are people getting with SD conversions with V2?
My first test was not that impressive:
Source: SxS card in ExpressCard slot
Destination: eSATA hard drive
Format Source 1080 25p HQ
Output: SD AVI (Type 2)
System: Asus G1Sn laptop (Core 2 T9500 [Dual Core 2.5GHz]), 3GB RAM, Vista Premium
Result:
Source 3min 25sec
Encoding Time: 6min 35sec
Conclusion: Neally twice as long to render as log SD from tape...
I also note this conversion does not appear to be able to take advantage of more than one core.
Encoding to WMV isn't even part of the free package? Isn't Windows Media Encoder free? I'd pay for a SD DVCPro50 export option though for an easy SD 4:2:2 workflow.
Cheers
Guy
Down Under
PerroneFord
Deals in Lead
Guy,
A couple of things.
1. It's called CLIP BROWSER. Not "Free Transcoder". The purpose of transcoding is for you to be able to drop it into your NLE. Asking a browsing program to do complicated renderings is a bit silly.
2. You want to compare logging SD to doing a full transcode as well as a resize on a 1080 file (about 4 times as much info as SD)? And you're complaining because it took twice real time? I'd GLADLY have something that worked at 2:1. My 1080 renders out of my NLE when I am dropping to 720 are about 6:1 and that is on a brand new machine.
3. Why are you talking about "workflow" in a clip browser? It's entire purpose is to allow you to see your recorded files, assess them, and prepare them for editing in an NLE.
I don't mean to come down on you, but the clip browser software is EXCELLENT as a free tool to do what it was designed to do.
A couple of things.
1. It's called CLIP BROWSER. Not "Free Transcoder". The purpose of transcoding is for you to be able to drop it into your NLE. Asking a browsing program to do complicated renderings is a bit silly.
2. You want to compare logging SD to doing a full transcode as well as a resize on a 1080 file (about 4 times as much info as SD)? And you're complaining because it took twice real time? I'd GLADLY have something that worked at 2:1. My 1080 renders out of my NLE when I am dropping to 720 are about 6:1 and that is on a brand new machine.
3. Why are you talking about "workflow" in a clip browser? It's entire purpose is to allow you to see your recorded files, assess them, and prepare them for editing in an NLE.
I don't mean to come down on you, but the clip browser software is EXCELLENT as a free tool to do what it was designed to do.
GuyB
Well-known member
Perrone,
A couple of things.
1: It is may be free but it is a transcoder, what does it matter what the title bar says? The purpose of the transcoding is I believe because Sony realise that the decision to exlclude basic SD capabilities in XDCAM EX was a massive error and this was the only way to attempt to address this limitation and generate interest from the 95% of shooters who still shoot for a SD delivery. It is not just a browsing tool at all, it is the whole Sony interface into the XDCAM EX workflow including copying, transcoding, stictching, backup and so much more.
2: Downconverting a single stream of HD in RT to DV should not be a problem if coded effectively for any Core 2 processor. The fact a single core can do a bit faster than half real time shows just running two threads working together would make it at least real time. Its not rocket science but I guess if everyone just blows sunshine around then nothing will ever improve (you'll never see better than 6:1 if you just accept it and don't point out that other NLEs are much faster, which they are). The only reason I want to do it with CB is simplicity of workflow, whats wrong with that? I sent a request to Bob Ott many months before V2 was announced requesting a SD downconvert option in CB and look what appears! I am grateful for it but know it can be better. Squeeky wheels get oiled, silent ones get ignored.
3: Because CB is a part of the workflow Sony recommends for XDCAM EX. Do you know of a single other application that can stich a spanned clip into a single MXF file? Also, "prepare them for editing in an NLE" includes converting them to DV when SD DV is only needed. This is the main reason why every Sony HDV cam has in camera RT DV downconvert.... Capture HD and edit SD is a very popular workflow for many.
It may have been my first post in DVX but please don't insult me with such lame responses and even try to assume you have any idea about what my workflow is and what I need.
A couple of things.
1: It is may be free but it is a transcoder, what does it matter what the title bar says? The purpose of the transcoding is I believe because Sony realise that the decision to exlclude basic SD capabilities in XDCAM EX was a massive error and this was the only way to attempt to address this limitation and generate interest from the 95% of shooters who still shoot for a SD delivery. It is not just a browsing tool at all, it is the whole Sony interface into the XDCAM EX workflow including copying, transcoding, stictching, backup and so much more.
2: Downconverting a single stream of HD in RT to DV should not be a problem if coded effectively for any Core 2 processor. The fact a single core can do a bit faster than half real time shows just running two threads working together would make it at least real time. Its not rocket science but I guess if everyone just blows sunshine around then nothing will ever improve (you'll never see better than 6:1 if you just accept it and don't point out that other NLEs are much faster, which they are). The only reason I want to do it with CB is simplicity of workflow, whats wrong with that? I sent a request to Bob Ott many months before V2 was announced requesting a SD downconvert option in CB and look what appears! I am grateful for it but know it can be better. Squeeky wheels get oiled, silent ones get ignored.
3: Because CB is a part of the workflow Sony recommends for XDCAM EX. Do you know of a single other application that can stich a spanned clip into a single MXF file? Also, "prepare them for editing in an NLE" includes converting them to DV when SD DV is only needed. This is the main reason why every Sony HDV cam has in camera RT DV downconvert.... Capture HD and edit SD is a very popular workflow for many.
It may have been my first post in DVX but please don't insult me with such lame responses and even try to assume you have any idea about what my workflow is and what I need.
basspig
Veteran
Yes, thanks for posting this link!
V2 is a MONSTROUS improvement over v1.x. The DV export works nicely, too. Could have used that back when Premiere didn't support XDCam.. now that it's here, there probably won't be much need for it.
The snapshot works great. Now I can grab stills without having to open Premiere.
Thumbnails load up quicker and the whole window just pops on screen when I switch to the application from another. No waiting for things to redraw. Nice export capability, and a very usable preview window.
Runs great on the quad core. But won't launch on the AMD workstation. Generates a "the application failed to initialize" error followed by some hexidecimal numbers.
Overall, a good job, Sony!
V2 is a MONSTROUS improvement over v1.x. The DV export works nicely, too. Could have used that back when Premiere didn't support XDCam.. now that it's here, there probably won't be much need for it.
The snapshot works great. Now I can grab stills without having to open Premiere.
Thumbnails load up quicker and the whole window just pops on screen when I switch to the application from another. No waiting for things to redraw. Nice export capability, and a very usable preview window.
Runs great on the quad core. But won't launch on the AMD workstation. Generates a "the application failed to initialize" error followed by some hexidecimal numbers.
Overall, a good job, Sony!
Stevet
Veteran
I have not tried 2.0 on my main NLE computer, but with my laptop it appears the video scaling is causing scaling artifacts (jaggies) and the image looks softer when compared to using VLC player.
EDIT:
Go to:
Tool>Optons>Display>Resolution.
This was set to auto. When I changed it to Normal the jaggies went away.
Excellent.
EDIT:
Go to:
Tool>Optons>Display>Resolution.
This was set to auto. When I changed it to Normal the jaggies went away.
Excellent.
Last edited:
basspig
Veteran
The default resolution is "automatic". Go to Tools...Options...Display and choose "Normal" and the previews will look great.
Steve Shovlar
DVXuser Sponsor
Does anyone think clip browser would down convert HD footage to SD better than Compressor?
Also there is two SD dv exports. Which one shouold be used? Raw or AVI dv?
I am shooting hd for blu-ray, then downconverting in compressor and sometimes I am not 100% happy I like what I see.
Also I don't seem to be able to import mp4 files into Clip Browser. Just made a short clip and rendered out in Vegas as a mainconcept mp4. In CB I went import, saw the file, but CB said "failed to import clip".
So is it impossible to import other than sxs cards, or only sxs cards?
Also there is two SD dv exports. Which one shouold be used? Raw or AVI dv?
I am shooting hd for blu-ray, then downconverting in compressor and sometimes I am not 100% happy I like what I see.
Also I don't seem to be able to import mp4 files into Clip Browser. Just made a short clip and rendered out in Vegas as a mainconcept mp4. In CB I went import, saw the file, but CB said "failed to import clip".
So is it impossible to import other than sxs cards, or only sxs cards?
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basspig
Veteran
D'oh! What was I thinking? Oh well, it was early morning.. It looked like you were asking the qustion, but my aging eyes missed some words with the tiny print as it appears on this forum.
basspig
Veteran
I tried AVI DV and it works, but some irregularities exist:
Letterbox setting produces output that is horizontally-stretched to something like 2.35:1. Squeeze produces the proper letterbox (as played in Media Player Classic). Crop seems to work okay.
The other oddity is that about once a second, the horizontal resolution drops to about 1/4 and horizontal edges "walk over scan lines". It smooths out and the gets jaggy with a period rhythm. Not sure what's going on there.
These conversions are no longer important to me, as I can do this far better in Premiere anyway.
Still valuable is the still image capture feature, which writes BMP files and does a super job.
The metadata editing capabilities are excellent. Overal browsing and clip viewing is great. File splitting and combining is flexible.
Very pleased!
GuyB
Well-known member
Squeeze appears to be what I believe most would want. The output is anamporphic with the 16:9 flag turned on so most players should re-create the 16:9 aspect ration on display as intended. You might use the others if you are producing for 4:3 SD or 16:9 on something like VHS tape where it was just letterboxed with black bars. An uncommon need for sure but we all have our own requirements. Having said that, the letterbox does, as you say produce an odd effect. It seems to take the full 16:9 inmage and squeeze it down into a letterboxed image rather than shrinking it all down in a linear fasion to fit in a 4:3 display as letterboxed 16:9.
I am not seeing this resolution change/pulse in my test but it could be a particular combination of source format and destination that is causing it. I am going from 1080 25p to PAL squeeze. Are you going from 1080 60i to NTSC?
RAW DV = "RAW DV format"
AVI DV = Type 2 AVI format.
basspig
Veteran
My test was with 30p material that had architectural objects with prominent straight edges in them. It's not noticed with footage of flowers, people, etc. But any straight edge that lies in a horizontal orientation shows up the anomaly like gangbusters.
The aspect ratio setup works differently than my NLE. Very counterintuitive. But alas, it's vestigial at best and I'll probably never need to make DV footage out of XDCam footage.
The aspect ratio setup works differently than my NLE. Very counterintuitive. But alas, it's vestigial at best and I'll probably never need to make DV footage out of XDCam footage.
I wanted to export through Clip Browser, RAW DV, but i see it ouputs 50I. I shot in 1080 25P on my EX 3 and would like to output to SD progressive. Why are all the fields greyed out? Is there a way to export progressive?
My client just want's the files on a harddisk, in 16:9 Anamorphic. So I have to batch resize them, and the clip browser seems like a good way to do that, except for the fact I can't tweak my settings, except for the aspect...
Does anyone know why most of the fields in de DV Raw export are greyed out in the clip browser?
My client just want's the files on a harddisk, in 16:9 Anamorphic. So I have to batch resize them, and the clip browser seems like a good way to do that, except for the fact I can't tweak my settings, except for the aspect...
Does anyone know why most of the fields in de DV Raw export are greyed out in the clip browser?