Perfect Image

WhiteWood

WhiteWood

Carbonite Member
Ok, Ok OK! I've been shooting with the DVX for about a year now and I've BEEN knew about this website but I never came. Now...I finally come...with questions

Being on this site and browsing Y! and Google, I see all kinds of great footage shot with this camera and then I look at my camera like "Am I shooting with the same f*ck*ng camera?!"

I've been searching the site for issue resolutions, but all of the problem these users have are SO specific they never address MY problems.

My problem: I want the DVX 'PROS' to give me the TOP TEN WAYS to a PERFECT IMAGE.

My MAIN issues:
What's the perfect way to import into Premiere/FinalCut pro? Firewire, Rip to Quicktime...what?
What format is the BEST quality format to import AND export in?
What's the best WAY to export films?
What's the BEST audio format?
Best Color Correction advice?

Stuff like THAT...all I want is a great quality...without the "file size" advice....Large File Size aside. THANX IN ADVANCE
 
BEST IMPORT?

Import into at least a G4 with FCP via the DVXs firewire jack. Go to File-Log and Capture- then click on the Capture settings tap and choose the Firewire NTSC setting.

BEST QUALITY EXPORT?

Uncompressed. Do not use a codec, for video nor for audio. Remember though that uncompressed video takes approx 1.6 GB per minute. 5-minute video will take 8 GB. Try streaming that.

COLOR CORRECTION:

Do not color correct your video. This will degrade the "quality" of your video. You probably will not notice it but technically you will be reducing the quality because any post manipulation to DV will reduce its "quality" (in technical means) as compared to its quality when recorded. Do all your color work in camera before shooting via grey cards/WB or the DVX scene file settings.

So capture video NTSC DV via FCP- edit it, then EXPORT uncompressed 720x480 QT or AVI with uncompressed audio. The size will be so large you cant watch it on the web, and dont try to go back to tape because you will need to lay it back via another codec. And dont try DVD unless your video is less then 5 minutes AND you have a dual layer burner or blue ray.

So to stay perfect with absolutely no loss in quality stay uncompressed, but remember no web, no DVD, no tape and no CC. You can watch it on your mac/PC but thats it. Since file size is no issue for you- this is how to keep your DV PERFECT from capture on. :)

p.s. Im not a DVX pro, just a sarcastic bastard :)
 
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White,

I'm a still photographer and in the still digital forums alot of people ask the same question: "Why cant my camera take as good of pictures as the [same] cameras that are on here?"

The answer is that it isnt the camera. It's the photographer. Sure, in cam settings can make a difference in some things, but take a camera with default settings and give it to a guy who doesnt know what he's doing and then give it to an experienced pro, the difference will be night and day every time.

To get better pictures, concentrate on these 4 things:

1. Most important. LIGHTING.
2. Exposure.
3. Composition
4. Subject

While #4 helps an image, it's mostly the first 3, because if you give the experienced pro the same subject, he'll shoot it better.

It's not your DV to comp capture, and it's not your post-processing, although those can and will degrade an image. It's the image that you initially shot that is off.

-GageFX
 
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what gage wrote is ture. Before any of the technical stuff, you have to have a good image. Its like my pastor said when I came dressed up for Sunday school

"you can't polish a turd"
 
Edweirdo said:
BEST IMPORT?

Import into at least a G4 with FCP via the DVXs firewire jack. Go to File-Log and Capture- then click on the Capture settings tap and choose the Firewire NTSC setting.

BEST QUALITY EXPORT?

Uncompressed. Do not use a codec, for video nor for audio. Remember though that uncompressed video takes approx 1.6 GB per minute. 5-minute video will take 8 GB. Try streaming that.

COLOR CORRECTION:

Do not color correct your video. This will degrade the "quality" of your video. You probably will not notice it but technically you will be reducing the quality because any post manipulation to DV will reduce its "quality" (in technical means) as compared to its quality when recorded. Do all your color work in camera before shooting via grey cards/WB or the DVX scene file settings.

So capture video NTSC DV via FCP- edit it, then EXPORT uncompressed 720x480 QT or AVI with uncompressed audio. The size will be so large you cant watch it on the web, and dont try to go back to tape because you will need to lay it back via another codec. And dont try DVD unless your video is less then 5 minutes AND you have a dual layer burner or blue ray.

So to stay perfect with absolutely no loss in quality stay uncompressed, but remember no web, no DVD, no tape and no CC. You can watch it on your mac/PC but thats it. Since file size is no issue for you- this is how to keep your DV PERFECT from capture on. :)

p.s. Im not a DVX pro, just a sarcastic bastard :)
Click to expand...

Ok, I got you. But NOW I want to know how to get the best quality for internet and for exporting back onto DV so I can burn to DVD. (I don't know why they have options to create files so large that they can't be exported anywhere.) Thanks by the way. And what about Audio?
 
GageFX said:
White,

I'm a still photographer and in the still digital forums alot of people ask the same question: "Why cant my camera take as good of pictures as the [same] cameras that are on here?"

The answer is that it isnt the camera. It's the photographer. Sure, in cam settings can make a difference in some things, but take a camera with default settings and give it to a guy who doesnt know what he's doing and then give it to an experienced pro, the difference will be night and day every time.

To get better pictures, concentrate on these 4 things:

1. Most important. LIGHTING.
2. Exposure.
3. Composition
4. Subject

While #4 helps an image, it's mostly the first 3, because if you give the experienced pro the same subject, he'll shoot it better.

It's not your DV to comp capture, and it's not your post-processing, although those can and will degrade an image. It's the image that you initially shot that is off.

-GageFX
Click to expand...

TOTALLY understood. But it's once I upload it to the computer that everything f*cks up. It looks NOTHING how it looks on cam. I'm working on a Gateway made last year, and Premiere Pro. And I upload my videos to MySpace and YouTube and to DVD to show others, But they don't take me as serious as I'd like when My cam is shooting like a family reunion cam. It's not my cam settings..I spend ALOT of time working on that.​
 
Ah. Okay. In that case, I dont know. I capture to Vegas with a cheapo PV-GS35 cam and it all looks good to me. I dont know if other apps affect the quality in capturing. I did just get a new computer (Nothing great, fancy or expensive, just new.) dedicated just to capturing and editing and it's faster and no dropped frames, but there are no quality differences. As for the compression for YouTube and others, I've never seen any compressed vids on there that look any good, but I'm sure someone on here kows some good settings.

Sorry I'm not more help.

-GageFX
 
Are you editing 24p or 60i ? If it is 24p, For DVD export as a DVD MPEG 2 Generic NTSC. Choose the frame rate of 23.967 and then the 3:2 pulldown to re-interlace your footage. Choose a quality of 9 and see hoe it turns out.
 
GageFX said:
Ah. Okay. In that case, I dont know. I capture to Vegas with a cheapo PV-GS35 cam and it all looks good to me. I dont know if other apps affect the quality in capturing. I did just get a new computer (Nothing great, fancy or expensive, just new.) dedicated just to capturing and editing and it's faster and no dropped frames, but there are no quality differences. As for the compression for YouTube and others, I've never seen any compressed vids on there that look any good, but I'm sure someone on here kows some good settings.

Sorry I'm not more help.

-GageFX
Click to expand...

yeah, YouTube has the WORST compression. But they have to do that. Do you have any IDEA how many vids they get per MINUTE?? Go to the new vids page and press refresh every minute and you won't even see the same video on that page.

But anyways, My computer's somewhat new. I just KNOW that my videos aren't comming out clear because of some settings I choose either in my Import or Export...And I don't know premiere enough to fix it
 
msconce said:
Are you editing 24p or 60i ? If it is 24p, For DVD export as a DVD MPEG 2 Generic NTSC. Choose the frame rate of 23.967 and then the 3:2 pulldown to re-interlace your footage. Choose a quality of 9 and see hoe it turns out.
Click to expand...

OK, I don't have a DVD burner on my comp, I just export onto my FireWire then pug the cam into my DVD burner on my TV and record. Is there any quality loss in this transfer?​
 
Yeah, there is quality loss from the cam to DVD as you are now recording from an analog video signal. There is none (should be none) from the comp back to cam.

-GageFX
 
webdog said:
are you going analog to yout tv/dvd recorder?
Click to expand...

I export to my cam from the comp. plug the red, white and yellow cables into my DVD recorder on my TV, play and hit record. Finalize the DVD when it's all done. Where @ in that process and I lossing the most quality?​
 
Edweirdo said:
COLOR CORRECTION:

Do not color correct your video. This will degrade the "quality" of your video. You probably will not notice it but technically you will be reducing the quality because any post manipulation to DV will reduce its "quality" (in technical means) as compared to its quality when recorded. Do all your color work in camera before shooting via grey cards/WB or the DVX scene file settings.
Click to expand...

I completely disagree with this... in fact, I shoot my footage extremely flat... and I get my looks in post... I don't degrade the image, because it has so much information since I shot it flatter than most...
 
Sure thats your workflow and if it works for you great- but if you havent allready, listen to the audio commentary for November. DP Nancy Schreiber used the DVX and talks in detail about how DV handles color. She echos what 99% of cameramen and women feel about "adjusting it in post". Avoid it and do your color in camera with w/b and filters BEFORE the codec gets to it.

When you say you don't degrade the image, technicaly you are in the context of WhiteWoods perfect video scenario. It just isnt noticeable if not pushed too far on flat footage.

We all want the flexibility of not being locked to a particualr look given by a filter or scene file setting, sure. So we are willing to give up a fraction of resolution to make tweaks in post. But if you are not willing to budge on the resolution and want to keep it as close to the original footage (from the camera), avoid any post processing and just use straight cuts.
 
Head over to the cafe... and look for the thread for my film Smuggler's Ransom, and you can see some stills from my CC'd footage.
 
Brandon Rice said:
I completely disagree with this... in fact, I shoot my footage extremely flat... and I get my looks in post... I don't degrade the image, because it has so much information since I shot it flatter than most...
Click to expand...

But I did brighten some dark footage and brought up the saturation a little and it came out light, ugly and GRAINY! So is it HOPELESS for dark footage? I read somewhere that for dark scenes, just shoot at duski, day for night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxuLfOB3PEo
 
Ogrus said:
Brandon Rice has over 5000 posts!
I think i will listen to his advice and cc!
Click to expand...

lol, I said the same thing. But then the other half of me thought, maybe he's just a guy who got DVX happy during the purchase, found this site, and went post-crazy.​
 
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