Re: EX1 and Downconverting (let's beat this to death)

[Aaron Cadieux] "We don't have the luxury to capture stuff 'straight from the head',"

Short of shooting in studio or some fairly expensive outboard gear this isn't practical for field work. That's why I only mention it as an "ideal."

Right now Final Cut Pro (Mac) and Vegas (Windows) seem to handle direct input from the cards the best. On Windows the Sony Clip Browser wraps MXF and on Mac Sony Transfer Tool wraps MOV.

At this point with Premiere Pro you'd probably need to use a software conversion tool such as Cineform or MainConcept. Some have used ffmpeg.

You'll also need to consider how much graphic/compositing you're going to be doing. If it's significant you might want to go to a 4:2:2 codec.

Then you need to think about delivery as broadcast for Interlace Standard Def TV, vs DVD which might be abel to handle progressive vs web which is best left progressive, are factors. Then, for SD, you'll want to consider letter box or center cut.

BTW you may even want to consider editing the HD material in an SD timeline if you're only delivering SD. That'll give you lots of flexibility to do "fake" dolly or tracking shots as well as shot reposition.

If you're going back to a tape deck with SDI ins, they you should consider an SDI out card which may also help with monitoring too while you edit. It might actually be more affordable to simply save your edit master in a file format and take to a post/dub house that can play that back out to a deck. It may be cheaper than buying or renting deck and buying a card.

I just want to present the dizzying array of options available.

For me, the only broadcast work I do is local TV spots. I don't use tape at all. I take final master file and encode to MPEG2 Program Stream and distribute that. I understand some broadcaster might be (or soon be) accepting Program or Transport stream in certain syndication situations. BTW if you're doing VNR (Video News Releases) you can also do that without ever going to tape (again MPEG2 Program or Transport Stream).

One of the things I like about the EX1 (for me) is that between local cable spots and possibly VNRs I may be completely tape free.

I present all this because it can really impact your decision how and when to convert the file to SD and what you're going to do with that SD file.

Right now I'd suggest the following without knowing more details about your situation:
Import from card. Convert to something Premiere can work with in software using Cineform or MainConcept, ffmpeg (or maybe someone can make another suggestion). Edit in SD if you're absolutely sure you're only delivering in SD for broadcast to give you shot movement flexibility. Output to a deck with SDI in using a good SDI card (which one I'm not sure yet maybe Matrox?) or look at the possibility of MPEG2 Program/Transport Stream delivery and you don't have to worry about the deck.