Shooting HDV--Output SD

[Terence]

I am a DVX 100a user and love the camera. Im not crazy however, about its limited color space, and often cringe at the tiny arifacting occuring on my interview subjects.
Ive begun considering renting a higher end camera to shoot interview sequences. I use the DVX, because I shoot almost exclusively in 24p (love that film look).
Ive considered trying a vari-cam or beta (and running the footage through Magic Bullet Suite). But I've been intrigued with the new HDV cameras. My main question is,
if the HD footage is output to SD, will the resolution and clarity still be better than footage shot on, say, my DVX100a? Thanks!

 

[Shaw]

It is theoretically possible.

The new HVX will have 4:2:2 standard definition with very mild compression if you are interested in going that route (DVCpro50). That will get you the best SD around short of going fully uncomrpessed with a reel-stream type modification.

 

[The Machinist]

A varicam to shoot interviews sounds like a bit of overkill (Beta should suffice for now unless you want to insist on HD) however if you got the cash and want the quality then go right ahead.

As for HD output to SD. I recently worked with the CineAlta and the SD compression for DVD still looked amazing. As has been said before in other discussions there's just more to work with.

Also not that you specifically said it but the HVX is not HDV (anyone know how many times this has been said in the past few months?). There is a world of difference between HDV and DVCPro HD. As has been stated before and before that and before that on tons of other discussions in this forum.

Sorry if you already knew that but one may infer you did not from your post.

 

[khmuse]

This thread is listed as "Shooting HDV -- Output SD". This is either misleading or inaccurate (the later being likely) as the HVX (this thread is in the HVX news section) is not a HDV camera, it is a SD / HD camera.

For your application, you might want to shoot in the HVX's DVCPro 50 mode.

 

[Terence]

Thanks for the advice--and yes-my mistake, I didn't look closley enoigh at the thread title.

 

[alpi69]

yes, either shoot DVCPro50 or downconvert from DVCProHD.

to your question: I have seen a HDCam presentation where they shot HDCAM and DigiBeta next to each other then upconverted and downconverted both respecively. The HDCam material came out cleaner and with more detail in SD mode then the DigiBeta was. the lens simply picks up more and the downconversion is better (but it still loses a bit of its HD brilliance of course). if the HVX200 will have the HD "pop" will be answered soon. if it does.....it will be the way to go for SD also.

 

[parkerhqj]

What if you simply record to the minidv tape in the camera. How would that be different from the DVX100a - or b? Are the optics and processing the same to tape?

 

[Alex Leith]

What if you simply record to the minidv tape in the camera. How would that be different from the DVX100a - or b? Are the optics and processing the same to tape?

Presumably the optics are better - the lens is designed to resolve HD.

I believe the DSP is a higher bit rate than the DVX100 - which should lead to a better picture.

And the CCDs are capable of resolving HD - so the image is likely to be sharper, especially in 16:9 mode.

I would have expected the light latitude to be slightly worse (higher density of pixels)... but we don't actually know that, and I'm hopeful the sensitivity is pretty comperable.

Hope these speculations help... :shocked:

 

[alexszo]

hello, does anybody has a footage sample to look at, where a hd signal was converted to sd? so I'm looking for a sd footage, that was once hd...
thanks alex

 

[izoneguy]

I am a DVX 100a user and love the camera. Im not crazy however, about its limited color space, and often cringe at the tiny arifacting occuring on my interview subjects.
if the HD footage is output to SD, will the resolution and clarity still be better than footage shot on, say, my DVX100a? Thanks!

Terence, how are you editing?? I went to the DVX100 three years ago. I came from shooting BetaSP. The interviews I have done with the DVX are far better than I was getting from my BetaSP set-up.
I shoot 30p as most of the material I shoot ends up on the web or DVD. Try shooting 30p and go direct firewire capture. You might be introducing artifacts if you are using an analog capture method.