hdv quality in editing, lets clear this up NOW

[Ryan CBP]

Ok gents and ladies

SO I've been sat here for like the last hour searching the web about how to get the best out of HDV in post production. A lot of my stuff is viral. I have no problem taking raw HDV off tape and storing it on a hard drive, it cuts out all the conversion crap.

What I'm wondering is what are the best steps to REALLY get the footage as crisp and clear online for viral stuff on you tube and vimeo. I want super crisp and I feel like a couple of my pieces might lack this. Or perhaps its me comparing my camera to higher end models? (I have 2 XHA1's).

Please check out my work and scrutinise, provide tips, whatever. I really just want to improve in all areas so im ready to take some flack off the more experienced. BEAT ME WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE haha.

http://www.vimeo.com/ryancbp

my current workflow is as follows:

1) IMPORT TO FCP7
2) EDIT
3) EXPORT AS A SELF CONTAINED FILE
4) COMPRESS FOR THE WEB IN COMPRESSOR WITH THE FOLLOWING SETTINGS:

File Extension: mov
Estimated size: 2.3 GB/hour of source
Audio Encoder
AAC, Stereo (L R), 44.100 kHz
Video Encoder
Format: QT
Width: 1280
Height: 720
Pixel aspect ratio: Square
Crop: None
Padding: None
Frame rate: (100% of source)
Frame Controls On:
Retiming: (Fast) Nearest Frame
Resize Filter: Linear Filter
Deinterlace Filter: Better (Motion Adaptive)
Adaptive Details: Off
Antialias: 0
Detail Level: 0
Field Output: Progressive
Codec Type: H.264
Multi-pass: On, frame reorder: On
Pixel depth: 24
Spatial quality: 75
Min. Spatial quality: 25
Key frame interval: 30
Temporal quality: 50
Min. temporal quality: 25
Average data rate: 5.12 (Mbps)


Thank you everyone.

 

[Cranky]

If you shoot for the Web only, consider using 25F and NOT deinterlacing. Even with the in-camera resolution drop in progressive mode, the result should look better and cleaner than interlaced footage that is deinterlaced in post. I think that rendering time should be shorter too, because there is no need to deinterlace.

I watched one of your videos, looks fine to me.

 

[Gary Huff]

Do you have any examples of videos whose look you want to achieve?

 

[David Saraceno]

My suggestion is move to an intraframe camera.