DVCPro 50 Question

A

Alex 3D

Active member
I'm in between upgrading all our Macs to Tiger and Final Cut Studio 5. In the mean time, we really wanted to start shooting with our HVX using the new FireStore to get the Pro50 output.

Since most of the edit Macs are still on Panther and Final Cut 4.5 and can't use the clips I download from the FS-100, I open the clips in QuickTime and export as DVCPro50 and it works in the older Final Cut. Problem is, the new files are 640x480 and slightly squashed. The clips APPEAR identical side-by-side. Question is, what's am I really missing and is there a better way to covert until I upgrade everthing?

Also, that P2 Viewer app looks like it's only a PC app. What about Mac users? Thanks.
 
Currently doing the same thing as you (except in PC mode / PremPro2 / FS100)Moving my workflow from DV to DVCPro50 and 720p.

A thing I discovered (and it was unexpected ) is that DVCPro50 clips have a PAR of 1.455 . Probably everyone knew that except me ! MAy explain your slightly squashed question.

I am working through the ramifications of that (if any). I use PremPro 2 and tested the HVX in DVCPro50 rec mode (Normal, Squeeze and letterbox)

All are PAR 1.455 and look different in the NLE. Normal is good and strangely makes the lens look "widest" covering a wider horizontal view. Squeeze is Stretched horizontally. Letter box the same with frame bars.

I tried the same files in a "Wide ' Preset Project but that is not the correct way and everything gets stretched and squashed.
 
Alex 3D said:
Also, that P2 Viewer app looks like it's only a PC app. What about Mac users? Thanks.
Click to expand...

A few options.

1) run BootCamp on an Intel Mac and use P2 Viewer
2) get P2 Log or HD Log from Imagine Software, it does everything P2 Viewer does and a whole lot more
3) upgrade to FCP 5.1.2 which, while I guess it's not technically a P2 Viewer, apparently it does a whole lot of stuff to the point where you may not necessarily need P2 Viewer.
 
Barry_Green said:
3) upgrade to FCP 5.1.2 which, while I guess it's not technically a P2 Viewer, apparently it does a whole lot of stuff to the point where you may not necessarily need P2 Viewer.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more....the import P2 integration of FCP 5.1.2 is VERY well done!
 
Indeed FCP 5.1.2 has got a p2 viewer built into P2 import window.
Very nice and easy to use :)
 
Alex 3D said:
Since most of the edit Macs are still on Panther and Final Cut 4.5 and can't use the clips I download from the FS-100, I open the clips in QuickTime and export as DVCPro50 and it works in the older Final Cut. Problem is, the new files are 640x480 and slightly squashed. Thanks.
Click to expand...

You definitely have something out of whack in your setups. DVCPRO50 is 720X480. Not even possible to be something else. So, if you are not seeing this, you need to go back and take another look at your setups. I thought that 4.5 would support P2 just not DVCPRO HD, but I may be mistaken.

Best,

Jan
 
Jan_Crittenden said:
You definitely have something out of whack in your setups. DVCPRO50 is 720X480. Not even possible to be something else. So, if you are not seeing this, you need to go back and take another look at your setups. I thought that 4.5 would support P2 just not DVCPRO HD, but I may be mistaken.

Best,

Jan
Click to expand...

Odd...I've saved things in DV50 format in other sizes than 720x480. They seem to read as being 640x480 in my finder and in the quicktime player, but whey I import them into apps like After effects, they show up full size...800x600 for example.

Slightly off topic...how come you can't use Cinema Tools with some codecs to conform to different framerates and stuff? A lot of the time I need to export a file into something like DV50 before I can alter the framerate. I need to do this all the time with stock clips like the ones in Motion to make them 24p.
 
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