Workflow - what would you do?

[jeepsterryan]

I am producing exercise videos for a company. The final delivery format is a proprietary codec created by the client. They use a transcoder that accepts standard analog inputs (unbalanced stere, composit, and component video) and an SD signal. The hardware encodes the signal to their format.

I have never dealt with this before, but they want to put a transcoder in my studio so that once we are done with the projects we can run them through the transcoder for final delivery. Truth is, I really don't know the best way to get a signal out of my computer to the transcoder. The footage we shoot for them is HD. I've done a little reading and this is what I think we'll do unless any of you have a better idea.

Get a Matrox Axio (or possibly RT.x2) card. Edit projects with premiere pro cs3 (the projects contain only a few transitions and the are simple crossfaeds) and play them in real time to the transcoder. Will this work or is there a better solution?

 

[Derrick_SA]

Axio's are brilliant, but expensive, if you don't want to spend that much moola, check out www.blackmagic-design.com, they'll have a more affordable solution.

You could play them and send in realtime, but make sure to hit enter first to render the timeline in Premiere so that it plays back smooth.

I have a Blackmagic Design Decklink HD Extreme card, I would render out to the blackmagic 8-bit or 10-bit codec, then playback that file to the proprietary transcoder

- Derrick