HMC150 Working with FCP and DVD Studio Pro

F

Forever_Fossilized

Member
Hi All,
Recently testing out settings on the HMC, as wedding season is coming up, and this is our first season with the 150s. I have read all over, contradicting workflow ideas, which format to shoot in, and so forth, and can't really come up with a solid answer, other than it is a personal preference.

However, I recently did a test shooting in 1080p, transcoded in FCP to Apple Pro Res and did a short edit, exported to compressor using DVD Best Quality Settings....so far no major change from SD workflow other than the fact that I'm in HD now.

Then I went to play the DVD, and first I played it on a PS3. Looked Spectacular! Then, I played it on an SD good old-fashioned tube television/dvd player, looked pretty normal, as far as SD goes. Then I played it on a normal DVD player on our HD TV, and it looked horrible, ridden with interlacing issues. I noticed on my DVD Studio Pro project, the DVD was set to 480i, but I saw no way to change it to progressive, and upon reading it seems like I can't unless I have shot in 24p.

My question is what advice anyone has to offer as to shooting or DVD authoring workflow that would make my best end result DVD? Most people that I know have HD TVs, but have not graduated to Blu-Ray players yet, which is why this worries me, because that is when the DVD looked the worst. I wanted to shoot 1080p because eventually we will be hopefully authoring BluRays, but for now our destination is a Standard DVD. So I will shoot/work in whatever format is best for that end result. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
 
Larry Jordan Webinar 35

Larry Jordan Webinar 35

Forever_Fossilized said:
Hi All,
Recently testing out settings on the HMC, as wedding season is coming up, and this is our first season with the 150s. I have read all over, contradicting workflow ideas, which format to shoot in, and so forth, and can't really come up with a solid answer, other than it is a personal preference.

However, I recently did a test shooting in 1080p, transcoded in FCP to Apple Pro Res and did a short edit, exported to compressor using DVD Best Quality Settings....so far no major change from SD workflow other than the fact that I'm in HD now.

Then I went to play the DVD, and first I played it on a PS3. Looked Spectacular! Then, I played it on an SD good old-fashioned tube television/dvd player, looked pretty normal, as far as SD goes. Then I played it on a normal DVD player on our HD TV, and it looked horrible, ridden with interlacing issues. I noticed on my DVD Studio Pro project, the DVD was set to 480i, but I saw no way to change it to progressive, and upon reading it seems like I can't unless I have shot in 24p.

My question is what advice anyone has to offer as to shooting or DVD authoring workflow that would make my best end result DVD? Most people that I know have HD TVs, but have not graduated to Blu-Ray players yet, which is why this worries me, because that is when the DVD looked the worst. I wanted to shoot 1080p because eventually we will be hopefully authoring BluRays, but for now our destination is a Standard DVD. So I will shoot/work in whatever format is best for that end result. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Click to expand...

Hi Forever_Fossilized,

If you are not familiar wtih larryjordan.biz, he has some great Webinars for around $30. One is specifically on this topic:
http://www.larryjordan.biz/app_bin/...ucts_id=217&osCsid=b80ki2seijf9583u6bfocbhqt0

Here is a link to the free 6-minute intro:
http://www.larryjordan.biz/zebinars/Web35_Demo.mov

Larry's tutorial are super professional and have been very, very helpful for me.

Dean
 
If the intended output was DVD (which was usual) we shot in 720p instead of 1080p. There seemed to be fewer noise & aliasing issues over all plus it gave more options in terms of slo-mo.
 
Exact said:
If the intended output was DVD (which was usual) we shot in 720p instead of 1080p. There seemed to be fewer noise & aliasing issues over all plus it gave more options in terms of slo-mo.
Click to expand...

Thank you both...I will definitely check out that webinar. As for shooting in 720p, I have been considering it, but I guess I am not completely on top of understanding how the 60p works...do I edit in a 30p timeline, or a 59.94? And I have also heard conflicting advice on converting to 24fps, to do it or not....It gets so confusing to me because I've read that from 720p I can create a 24p dvd, which as I understand most dvd's will correct with the proper 3:2 pulldown, which would be great, because the thought of the word "interlace" makes me choke...but I guess I don't understand how I get to that step?
 
I don't do weddings, it is a special type of work I admire very much. That being said I thought I might offer a suggestion. Perhaps you might offer your clients the option of an inexpensive USB drive with your edit on it in H264. So many media players,HDTV units etc support MPEG 4 at 1080p or Blu-Ray in a plug and play fashion. I know you have to deliver a DVD for "Aunt Clara" and others but seems to me that your next wedding season with HMC150 will produce such wonderful images that I can't help suggesting this and if you are already gonna do it ... my bad.
Cheers and have a great season!
Brian
 
BrianMurphy said:
I don't do weddings, it is a special type of work I admire very much. That being said I thought I might offer a suggestion. Perhaps you might offer your clients the option of an inexpensive USB drive with your edit on it in H264. So many media players,HDTV units etc support MPEG 4 at 1080p or Blu-Ray in a plug and play fashion. I know you have to deliver a DVD for "Aunt Clara" and others but seems to me that your next wedding season with HMC150 will produce such wonderful images that I can't help suggesting this and if you are already gonna do it ... my bad.
Cheers and have a great season!
Brian
Click to expand...

Thanks! Actually that is something we were considering adding to our "Ultimate" package, a High-Quality, HD quicktime on a USB drive --which, I might add, could be a great advertising/marketing device :-) Win-win for everyone! A client recently requested a digital copy, which seems so natural to me, but clients where we are aren't really up to that point yet, most are satisfied with DVDs...but it's in our future.
 
Forever_Fossilized said:
I wanted to shoot 1080p because eventually we will be hopefully authoring BluRays
Click to expand...

Take note that Blu-ray can't hold 1080p/30. At 1080 resolution, you can only do 30i or 24p. The former gives a video look, the latter a film look. Use whichever is appropriate for the package. But avoid 30p if Blu-ray is the target.
 
there is also the issue of the new HD TV's auto tuning themselves for best color. I too find that my Sony TV trashes my 150 footage that looks fine on everything else. I assume it's a color balance issue and I will also check out Larry's fine tutorial, to see if I'm missing something.

My Sony TV, boosts the highlights so everything is too hot. I'm finding that I'm producing two sets of DVDs, one that says, PLAY ON COMPUTER and the other says PLAY ON TV DVD

It's possible to make one for both, but it raises it's own issues, and makes grading more important if everything isn't perfect, whic it never is.
 
Last edited:
Jim Simon said:
Take note that Blu-ray can't hold 1080p/30. At 1080 resolution, you can only do 30i or 24p. The former gives a video look, the latter a film look. Use whichever is appropriate for the package. But avoid 30p if Blu-ray is the target.
Click to expand...


I was leaning towards shooting in 720/60p, because we use some slow motion and I like the smooth slow-mo you get...but I'm confused about the work flow. Does this mean I import / transcode everything into final cut at 720/60p and then just drop it on to a 24p timeline to edit....then use cinema tools to conform only the shots that I want in slow motion?? Or do I edit on a 60p timeline..how does this work?! It is all so very confusing to me.

Also, using this method, if I end up editing in 24p, is that something that would then be Blu-Ray compatible?? And would I be able to make a 24p dvd in StudioPro from this footage?
 
gday fossile

i have had the same problem it annoyed the crap out of me, but the work around i found is to convert it to sd before you drop it into DSP. I drop it in compressor as a 8 bit uncompressed file and then drop that file into DSP problem resolved, i found that one in creative cow.

dunno whether its correct but as a great man once said works for me !

cheers

james
 
Blueray is sooooo last year.

;)

Seriously it seems to me to be a failing format. The only people I know with a BR player never use it! If anything they use the players USB input for downloaded video and watch Netflix. New release HD movies are generally available VOD from their cable/phone company.
 
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