HDCAM to SD for Offline using FCP 6.x
by James Granell
on
Mar 12, 2008 at 5:14:19 pm
Hi Everyone,
A project recently came in requesting us to Pull in SD material (DVCPRO50 requested) for an offline edit. The material was shot using the Sony F900 and the DP said that he shot it at 24p. The Producer rented the Sony J-H3 HDCAM deck and brought it to us with his 64 tape masters.
Our facility has two mirrored editing suites (2.66 and 3.0GHz quad-cores with 4-5GB Ram, 2.5 TB RAID enclosures & Blackmagic Decklink HD Extreme cards)
After setting up the deck, finding the frequency setting of 24PsF compatible with the tape format, we tested bringing in a 10 minute clip using the HD-SDI ports in it's native HD format; and the footage looks amazing.
However, the request was to digitize the footage to the HD for an offline edit, and here is where we run into problems of either no video/audio and/or error messages.
• Blackmagic tech support states that it needs to be 1080i/720p to be down-converted using their cards and does not interface with the 1080PsF 24 EXCEPT for digitizing in the native format.
• Using a MoTu provided by a colleague in our building, we've tested and found that during the Setup and workflow, it Disables ANY SD down conversion options and only allows for the native format when it reads the 1080PsF 24 material.
• Speaking with an engineering rep from the deck's rental company, he said that the deck, even though mentions that it has downconverting capabilities, it MIGHT only be able to downconvert 29.97 PsF and 23.98PsF w/ Pull Down because those are easier formats to convert to, and that the J-H3 is rather limited in it's functionality, and that perhaps a higher-end HDCAM deck might be able to do what we set out to do.
I have read several posts on this forum that have mentioned FCP 6, Blackmagic Decklink cards, HDCAM and the J-H3, however I have not seen a post that has listed them all, or similar to our situation at our facility. If anyone might have any insight, advise and/or suggestions, I would be extremely appreciative and say thank you now, in advance.
Re: HDCAM to SD for Offline using FCP 6.x by Shane Ross on Mar 12, 2008 at 6:32:29 pm
Can the Decklink capture the footage as 720p 23.98 DVCPRO HD? The data rate is on par with DVCPRO 50, and you are still working in an HD realm. This is the typical codec people use when working with HD.
Re: HDCAM to SD for Offline using FCP 6.x by James Granell on Mar 12, 2008 at 7:44:37 pm
Hi Shane,
Thanks for your quick post.
Yes, the Blackmagic card does have a preset and settings for 720p 23.98 DVCPRO HD, however, each time I attempt connecting with that preset, pops and distortions are heard in the audio, and there is no picture. The only reason why we were trying to convert to DV 50, is because it was requested for the offline edit by the editor. Prores 422 was also mentioned, but because of the familiarity with DV 50, that is why it was chosen.
I will pass on the mention for DVCPROHD as another alternative, however, the client might need more HD space, as only 1.5 TB was brought for 65 tapes w/ 50min each.
Also, since my first posting, I just received confirmation that the footage was shot in 23.98PsF and NOT 24PsF. The Deck also allows for both 23.98PsF and 23.98PsF (with Pulldown).
Re: HDCAM to SD for Offline using FCP 6.x by James Granell on Mar 12, 2008 at 10:02:02 pm
Hi Del,
Yes. That is what the Sony Engineer implied to me.
When running a test with the deck running at 23.98 PsF (with Pulldown), also with the guys from Black Magic, we were able to use their "Easy Setup" preset of 'Blackmagic HDTV 1080i 59.94 - 10 bit' and it was able to connect and digitize in the footage with the easy setup settings.
Also, for my own testing, I kept the 23.98 PsF (with Pulldown) on the deck, I changed the System Preferences Decklink Input processing of "1080i HD to SD Anamorphic 16:9" selected. With these settings, I used the Final Cut "Easy Setup" of 'Black Magic NTSC - 10 bit', and again, it was able to interface with the deck and digitize the footage in as 10-bit Uncompressed SD.
So, I would think that the J-H3's settings of 23.98 PsF (with Pulldown) does retro fit the signal into a 59.94i setting.
Now, that being said. If we bring in the footage as 23.98 with Pulldown in an SD codec (as DVCPRO50 was requested by the offline editor), would this setting throw off the offline edit when we go back to the masters in the native 1080PsF 23.98 (without Pulldown) for the online?
I apologize for my naivety, as the person who runs this department is out of the office for two weeks, and this has been a crash course for myself, the IT guy at the offices.
Thank you once again for all your time, help and advise thus far.
Re: HDCAM to SD for Offline using FCP 6.x by Mads Nybo Jørgensen on Mar 12, 2008 at 7:13:19 pm
Hey James.
It would really help if you completed your profile and told us what part of the world you are based in?
I reckon that the problem is that the material is in 24P - any reason for why the DOP didn't shoot 23.98? And how about the audio, how is that being processed? A 3:2 pull-down to NTSC should work for the off-line - but don't trust me, I've never had to do it - yet. So test it first, and see if you can create an accurate edl?
(Next thing you'll properly find is Time-of-day TC running across several days to save stock...)
Good Luck
All the Best
Mads
London, UK
Mac Million Ltd. - HD Production & Editing
Please watch our latest video on Data Protection at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVyv_lTywwc
Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/bigflopproductions
Re: HDCAM to SD for Offline using FCP 6.x by James Granell on Mar 12, 2008 at 10:22:04 pm
Hi Mads,
Thanks for your reply. I am in Upstate NY, USA, (just updated the profile, actually).
Actually, I just confirmed (after painstaking Google searches and research) that even though it was mentioned it was 24P, it was captured on the camera at 23.98 PsF.
That being said, I guess the real question now is if I capture it in that frame rate, or add a pulldown for NTSC in the offline. Since I am not the editor working on the offline, I put a question into the group working on the project to see what they prefer.
However I am certainly open to suggestions.
Thanks once again for your feedback.
Regards,
-James
James G.
Upstate NY, USA
3.0 GHz Quad Mac Pro
4 GB Ram, 1 TB RAID Media Drive
FCP 6.0.2
Blackmagic Decklink HD Extreme
