HD workflow?

rugbyrne

rugbyrne

Member
1st time caller. Two days from purchasing HVX200. My question's about HD workflow: can I downconvert within the camera to mini-dv (retaining timecode), capture and edit within FCP in SD, and then take a finished edit and marry to the original DVCPro HD footage? I want to make 5-6 minute HD movies, but only have a 17'' MBPRo with firewire drives...so I'm thinking HD editing is out of the question.
 
HD editing is possible with the Powerbook you have. Slow but possible. DVCPRO HD is not that intense in terms of data rate. You would not need to create an SD/DV downconvert. In fact this would take a lot more time and processing power to accomplish than simply editing HD on your gear. Just make sure you have a reasonably new version of Final Cut Pro and plenty of hard drive space.

Noah
 
What you have works fine. I can edit DVCPRO HD on my Powerbook G4 using firewire 800 drives. Zero issues.

Do not mess with downconverting....not that you can do what you ask anyway. You cannot capture the tapes, then import the footage at full res and have FCP just link to that footage. FCPs media management is not all that hot...it looks at reel name, timecode, and duration. If the duration is different (and it will be) then it won't reconnect.
 
well I have the most recent version of FCP offered within the Studio 2. I've about 1TB of Firewire 800 drives and about the same in firewire 400. I was planning on using only the 800 drives with this most recent version of FCP. Also, I was planning on picking up a Firestore 100/160 as it seems more economical and I'd like to be able to service both indie filmmakers and maybe some event production. I'm looking at the new FS-5 right now. I guess my concern with editing HD would be how slow my computer could do it and if I'd have to constantly re-render timelines after the slightest of transition / filters. Then it seemed like editing in SD and up-converting with the final edit would be a solution. I'm assuming from your email that this is possible? Thanks for the response by the way--I really love this site!
 
Do not mess with downconverting....not that you can do what you ask anyway. You cannot capture the tapes, then import the footage at full res and have FCP just link to that footage. FCPs media management is not all that hot...it looks at reel name, timecode, and duration. If the duration is different (and it will be) then it won't reconnect.

ok. I wasn't thinking about capturing at full res, though. I thought I might be able to downconvert within camera, capture this down-ressed / SD version into FCP, edit and marry that final edited version to the DVCPro footage within camera. But I guess once you've downconverted to mini-dv you're losing the timecode / link to mini-files that you would need for the precise upres?
 
I do fine with my laptop and FW800 drive. many transitions are real time...only funky ones require render, and the renders aren't bad. Add filters and rendering can be a bear. But the MBPs are better at this...Intel processors and all.

> "I thought I might be able to downconvert within camera, capture this down-ressed / SD version into FCP, edit and marry that final edited version to the DVCPro footage within camera."

You can't. You can either capture full res or dub to tape. ANd I don't even know if the tape dub will have matching code. But no, this will not work. FCP relies a lot on DURATION to ID clips, and those won't match.

I have been cutting DVCPRO HD at full res for 3 years now. The workflow is slick. Offlining is completely unnecessary.
 
thanks so much for all your help. Now I just need to put that camera to work so I can afford a faster computer!
 
I've come across a work flow through trial and error that is producing very nice SD results for DVD output though FCP 6.0. I recently shot a documentary in 1080p @ 30fps using the Cine D setting on the HVX200. I brought the files into FCP in their native format and did all my editing in that HD format. I then used FCP Compressor to convert to Mpeg2 at a CBR of 8MBS. The output is not only gorgeous, it looks like it was shot on film. Very nice results are coming out for DVDs being used in SD format. I have been able to use this workflow on both my MacBook Pro as well as my Mac Pro Intel desk top.
 
Lighthouse said:
I've come across a work flow through trial and error that is producing very nice SD results for DVD output though FCP 6.0. I recently shot a documentary in 1080p @ 30fps using the Cine D setting on the HVX200. I brought the files into FCP in their native format and did all my editing in that HD format. I then used FCP Compressor to convert to Mpeg2 at a CBR of 8MBS. The output is not only gorgeous, it looks like it was shot on film. Very nice results are coming out for DVDs being used in SD format. I have been able to use this workflow on both my MacBook Pro as well as my Mac Pro Intel desk top.
Click to expand...

Yup- that's pretty much how we do our DVDs.

Noah
 
FWIW, I edited DVCProHD 720/24p on a Macbook using a USB2 drive for media.

Wouldn't do it long term, but the codec is so efficient.
 
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