DVCPRO HD vs. TARGA Cine YUV

Hi there,

Im up and running now in FCPHD and CineWave 4.6 and getting ready to start my next 1080i HD documentary. Im wondering if I should consider using my CineWave card to capture, edit and finish a program in the DVCPRO HD codec instead of the TARGA Cine YUV codec that I have always used in the past.

In my system I see a new CineWave installed preset called "DVCPROHD - 1080i60" which I assume means the new DV100 codec...

A couple of the advantages that I can see in going with the DVCPROHD codec are that the media files would be smaller (it looks like a data rate of 13.9MB/sec vs 118.8MB/sec) and the ability to have some more real time transitions, effects, etc...

However, when I playback the newly captured DVCPROHD footage I believe that it doesnt look as good as that captured with the CineWave codec. It looks slightly blurry, and ever so soft, in comparison, while it is playing. As soon as I stop playback, however, the footage instantly becomes a little bit crisper as long as it is parked on a frame and not playing. This definately doesnt happen with my TARGA Cine YUV footage.

Is this a normal product of the DVCPROHD codec...?...in which case I wouldnt choose to use it to on-line my finished project because it doesnt quite look as good as TARGA Ccine YUV.

Are there any other considerations I should be aware of in deciding how and when to use the DVCPROHD codec vs. the Cinewave one?

Thanks in advance for any info.


Sterling Noren
Writer Editor Producer
Bennett-Watt HD Productions

DVCPro HD codec subsamples 1080i to 1280 horizontal pixels (vs 1920). This isn't as bad as one might think, as the HDCam format itself subsamples to something around 13-1400, and the cameras themselves are not that much better.

In 720p, DVCPro HD subsamples to 920 (vs 1280). As we've seen, it still looks pretty darn good.

[Ron] "Hey Walter, not to be nosey, but I noticed you moved Pipe Pro into your G5! How's that working out for you? Comparisons to Cinewave? "

Hey Ron! I'm just in the starting phases of testing the unit for a Creative Cow review. I've actually had it here since before NAB, but the production schedule here was such that I could not move the card into the machine. With all the problems I had with my G5 due to the Software Update my colleague performed while I was in Vegas, I'm at a point where the entire G5 has been stripped back down to nothing and I'm rebuilding it slowly. So this was a perfect time to pull out the CineWave and test the PipePro.

I've only run it for a day but the initial impressions are that Final Cut Pro is very very snappy with the PipePro. Everything just runs faster and now I know why Marco always raves about the Aurora codecs. I'm just running 8bit at the moment while I wait for my UL4D to come back from ATTO and it's just gorgeous.

Can't really give you any comparisons yet as I have not used it enough, but PipePro is not really designed to compete against CineWave, more towards Decklink and Io. CineWave is still the real-time king, but the PipePro looks like it will work very nicely in a CineWave shop as a complementary workstation or even a feeder station to capture footage for later edit on a CineWave.

Give me a few weeks and you'll see a full review of the unit here on the Cow.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Owner/Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
http://www.biscardicreative.com

G4 DP 1.25 w/FCP 4.1.1 & CineWave 4.5
G5 DP 2.0 w/FCP 4.5 & Aurora PipePro

[Ron] "Any rumors or true-mors about Pinnacle moving forward? New hardware? New competition for BM, AJA and Aurora?"

Not a peep that I've heard. All I know is that there is a new CEO at Pinnacle so we'll have to wait and see how CineWave fits into the business plan. The Targa Cine Engine is a heckuva product as we're still able to use it 3 years later and it does more.

Proabably what you want to consider is moving the Cine Engine into your older machine to take advantage of all the RT from CineWave and put one of the newer cards into your new system which will take advantage of the RT from the G5.



Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Owner/Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
http://www.biscardicreative.com

G4 DP 1.25 w/FCP 4.1.1 & CineWave 4.5
G5 DP 2.0 w/FCP 4.5 & Aurora PipePro

[Ron] "The show I'm working on just got picked up and re-signed for 13 more episodes!"

Congratulations!!!!! That's Awesome!!!! Yeah, moving into a new facility is a load of fun! Woo hooooo! Nothing like tearing down everything you own and then resetting it all up in a new place. I'm glad we're pretty much done with that now.



Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Owner/Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
http://www.biscardicreative.com

G4 DP 1.25 w/FCP 4.1.1 & CineWave 4.5
G5 DP 2.0 w/FCP 4.5 & Aurora PipePro

Make sure you have RT Extreme set up as "full quality".

Bart

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Bart Harrison
MPA - The HD Suite

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