Importing DVX-100B "squeeze" mode-footage into Avid Media Composer... HELP!

S

Siyf-El

New member
I just found out about the "squeeze" mode in my DVX-100B today. I shot some test footage (24p Advanced) capturing with Adobe OnLocation. I created a project in Avid Media Composer (720p/ 23.97) and imported the .avi in with no problem. I read shooting in squeeze mode allows SD cameras to produce decent 16:9 HD (720p) material. When imported the footage is smaller than the screen. The author of the post used the word "scale" and I am wondering does that mean to actually use the editor to resize the footage. If so, what about artifacts resizing causes? Will this be an issue? What export settings do I use? I will probably stay at 30p instead of 24p because while the footage still has the film-like quality the image is a lot cleaner. WIll someone offer some suggestions for me to try out, please? The destinations range from YouTube, our web site, DVD, and hopefully theaters.
 
Hey there.

Squeeze mode on the DVX nice. But I feel I should mention that when your shoot 16x9 on a dvx you are in fact losing some resolution. I have achieved some pretty good results with squeeze and exporting 720p by simply editing as you would normally and exporting it as 720p. You could also try the instant hd plugin, I have heard good things about it. If you are bringing the footage into a 720p timeline you will most definitely need to scale it up to fill the frame unless you want a picture in picture type effect.

http://vimeo.com/2075966

this is some footage I shot a couple years back and simply up rezzed on export. I don't know if that helps you at all.
Oh, my export settings were mpeg2, with a fairly high bitrate and very slight noise reduction.
 
Hey Adam,

Thanks for your comment. I watched the video you posted and that is EXACTLY the look I'm looking for. I will take your advice and let you know what happens.

Thanks.

Siyf-El
 
Hey Adam,

I tried it and my footage did not come out like yours. The shots are good but the final output is very grainy. I shot it in Squeeze mode, imported into a 16:9 SD project, and exported at 1280 x 720p with so many settings in the Avid that I fell asleep in the studio last night. Based on what I've told you can you, or anyone else out there, think of anything that I'm doing wrong?
I'm working on a Dell Inspiron laptop with 4 GB ram, 2GHz Intel Core Duo, not sure about the video card, but I do know it's suspect. I have gotten very good results with this computer so far...
 
It really depends on your export settings. You also need to keep in mind that this footage is 480p, well a little less with squeeze, so watching it on a hih res monitor is going to look grainy and not nearly as good as hd. It also depends on what your settings were when you shot it. Can you post a grab of the footage?
 
Hey Adam.

I went back and looked at all of my settings from shoot to export. Not exactly sure what all of them were, I went and shot a minute or two of 24p squeeze, set up a new 24p, 4:3 project, captured the footage via the Avid capture tool. I exported it at 1280x720p with a custom QuickTime setting which opened some windows I didn't realize were there. The Radio & Television Production & Broadcasting curriculum didn't get that detailed. I'm sure it would have but there were more students there passing time than anything else so our instructor couldn't go too deep without losing that many students. Anyway, I poked around in the menus and tried many of those settings. I found the Holy Grail! I'll post something soon. I operate a recording/media business 40 miles south of Houston, TX, and just got a couple of clients that I have to take care of. Thanks, man. Does anyone know what I can do to get my YouTube videos to not be so dark? YouTube's dynamic range of colors must be really narrow. When there's a LOT of light they look OK. But if there's any darkness everything is getting black-smashed. I used Sorenson's Squeeze and even the setting for YouTube does no good...

Thanks again.
 
I think your problem is the compression youtube applies.... I think it is around 5mbps. It tends to block up the darks real bad. That is very strange that Avid requires you to capture 4:3, with Adobe and Final cut when you shoot squeeze, it is essentially 16:9 footage.
 
Not sure it requires me to. That's what worked. I think I did capture it at 16:9 one time but I probably exported it with an undesirable setting and abandoned it. I guess I've just been misunderstanding what I've read. I thought it goes in at 4:3 and is stretched out to 16:9 during export. Glad it can be done like that... It was strange editing it looking at it squeezed. In the Adobe set about the only ones we use are Ps and Ae. Never used Final Cut. At the station our TV show is aired on some of our colleagues tell me Final Cut makes your footage look better. Have wanted to try it, but I'm not sure I buy into the idea that a program makes things look better just because. Now, if like with Pro Tools where the audio is processed at a higher bit depth within the required hardware therefore making the audio come out sounding better, then that's another story. Maybe I'm wrong, but maybe Final Cut applies a standard bank of plug-ins on the video tracks like Vegas does on its audio tracks. What is it that makes Final Cut better than others? From what my professors tell us former Avid developers created Final Cut...
 
I actually don't really enjoy final cut. I prefer Adobe and have never really gotten the chance to use Avid. Although from what I have heard, Avid is still the gold standard.
 
A rather expensive gold standard at that. We mostly use Photoshop from the Adobe Master Collection. That and After Effects. I'v used Encore on one job, a wedding-man was that a pain in the tailbone. Tried Premiere but I was already in too deep on the Avid and in Vegas for audio (the radio production/ broadcasting curriculum was centered around its audio capabilities) and we also had our clients keeping us busy. I was later put in a position where I had to prove I could learn and then do some basic motion graphics in AE with a four day deadline. I applied for a job with the Houston Rockets... I met the challenge but I didn't get the job, so I've been working in AE more and more. I interned at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and that was one hell of an eye-opener. They keep all of the latest Avid - Pro Tools gear and editing the Stampede TV show on the same floor with that gear and access to the crew changed the way I think about or approach jobs. We had a very nice facility but we were burglarized and the insurance company denied the claim. We were SOL big time and it hasn't been the same since. That's why I'm on a laptop trying to get this squeeze thing down. I will build an up-to-spec box this spring.
 
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