Which codec/format for HD projection from hardisk?

dear community!

I shot a commercial with the HVX200 in DVCproHD 720p mode and edited it in final cut.
now my customer wants to present it at a show with a video beamer. I'm in touch with the company that will work the beamer - and I thought it would be best to play my movie straight from harddisk. the thing is that they only have a windows pc - a fast one, but still - it doesn't have final cut and thus it doesn't have the DVCproHD codec (as far as I know you can't get that free for the QuickTime player?).
does anyone have any suggestions in which format (.mov, .avi, wmv, etc.) and in which codec I could export the movie so that they have the best possible quality? what about simply using "none" at the compressor export settings? or what about installing on both machines and using the blackmagic 4:2:2 8bit codec - that is free isn't it?

thanks a lot for help!!

philipp

this is insane. You shot in HD, you edited on a MAC in FCP with DVCProHD. Take your MAC (even if it is a MAC Book Pro), and send it thru a Matrox MXO. This will take the DVI port on the back of the MAC, and provide an analog Y Pb Pr signal for the projector input, so you can see your wonderful movie in full HD, from YOUR hard drive on YOUR MAC. If you can't afford to buy a Matrox MXO, rent one.

Where is your movie right now ? Is it on a MAC, is it YOUR Mac ?


Bob Zelin

Philipp,

You really missed the point on this one. I will pull a Bob "open your ears" Don't take offense :) these are only things to look at to keep you out of trouble.

The codec, even though it is free does not guarantee you anything. Especially on hardware that isn't yours or that you work on all the time....

Again, this is what is important.

First, is the computer you are playing it from fast enough? DVCproHD is forgiving in what is needed for thruput, the blackmagic codec may not be and you may need more than what the computer can do. There are plenty of free speed tests out there, do this first.

Second, since you want to use a free codec, consider what this is going to play out thru on the PC. Do they have a blackmagic card? or another? and are they compatible with the codec you wish to use?

Depending on what version of the codec you render your project out into, it will sometimes not be compatible on the other end. especially Mac to PC with some of these.....triple check this one, with the manufacturer.

The DVD was only to see if the presentation was acceptable to use a highly compressed format, if you find you have to go that route. Again, due to thruput of the hardware or hardware itself you may have to go to a less desirable compressed codec. After you determine it is or isn't then you have an idea and can base the combination of the compression ratio and the PCs thruput to make an educated decision on what you can use vs what you want to use.

Just saying you want to use a free BM codec without knowing anything about the hardware this is going to playout on is suicide or at least a few grey hairs in the process.

If you have a PC with 250+mbs second sustained thruput and an SDI board, then you are pretty much open to what you can use BUT I bet you are not going to find this to be the case.

My feeling is people who do this for a living need to stand firm and do what is right, rather than hack things together just because Joe has a computer. If your making money off this, and want to do this correctly then do so, please.....

If your clients computer isn't acceptable, then haul yours over or rent something that is acceptable for the presentation (yes, even if you have to go to tape). See how much time that will save you AND you get what you wanted in the first place :)

I hope that helps you a bit more, and welcome to the world of HD.

Cheers,
Ramona

Rave- Making uncompressed HD easy

I think most of us see what is going on here, on the HI END HD forum of Creative Cow. This gentlemen simply wants to take his file (on CD or DVD, or firewire drive), and transfer it to the hotels or conference room's PC, spend zero money, and have it play off of some horrible projector that is provided by the hotel or conference center.

Most of us that are involved in HI END CORPORATE EVENTS know that large corporations spend tens of thousands of dollars for doing these types of presentations. Most of these kinds of jobs, done for drug companies, restaurant chains, etc. will spend more money that what we normally see on a professional video production.

This is not one of those jobs. I remember making a visit to LMG in Orlando, who does corporate presentation. After doing my song and dance about how wonderful I am, and how I know all about this and that, they responded "we make more money renting the projector than the entire AVID".

So once again, this is not one of those types of hi end jobs. This gentlemen wants to take his HD file, and without spending one red cent, transfer the file onto some unknown PC whose VGA port it plugged into the hotels projector. This is how this presentation will be done, and this gentlemen can only hope that it will play back. There is no budget for any outside hardware - otherwise, then could simply rent a MAC or Maxtrox, or scan converter (like Communication Specialties, YEM, RGB Spectrum, Folsom, etc.). But NOOOOOOO, they are not going to do this - it costs $200 to rent a scan converter. They will just take the file (hand carried on a drive or CD), transfer it onto the conference center PC (who knows what it is - it won't be a HP xw8600 I assure you) - and hope it plays. No one here has any intention of renting a DoReMi, GVG Turbo, RAVE, or anything else. It would be cheaper to rent a Mac laptop and a Maxtrox MXO and be done with it.

WELL, all I can say is GOOD LUCK BUDDY !

Bob Zelin

[Philipp Stary] "now my customer wants to present it at a show with a video beamer."

What's a video beamer? And where can I get one? Will it beam my video directly into the brains of my clients? That would sure save on delivery costs...

;)