Re: uncompressed? by Mike Schell on Oct 6, 2006 at 4:04:33 pm
Hi Mark-
I would not recommend this video stream for keying. The HD-Connect SI does HDV to HD-SDI conversion using an MPEG2 HD decoder. So this stream has been previously compressed.
The best solution will come form the new Sony V1U / FX7 camcorder with a live shot out the HDMI port to our HD-Connect MI box (coming in November). We've tested this box with the consumer HC3 camera and the video looks superb. This video stream has never been compressed (1920x1080i 4:2:2).
Re: uncompressed? by Michael Slowe on Oct 11, 2006 at 10:42:27 am
Mike, does this mean that even though I am converting HDV through your HD-Connect LE into 8bit uncompressed HD for editing within Media 100 HD the material is still MPEG 2? I appreciate that the camera original material was MPEG 2 and presumably the converted media would not be as good as if it had never been compressed. Is this what you are saying?
Re: uncompressed? by Mike Schell on Oct 11, 2006 at 1:53:09 pm
Hi Michael-
The HD-Connect LE converts compressed MPEG2 to Uncompressed HD/SD-SDI. Since your Media 100 is setup to capture in uncompressed 8-bit HD, it is definitly stored in this uncompressed format (on your hard drives). Some users do re-compress the incoming HD-SDI stream using the DVCProHD CODEC, in this case the original HDV material is stored in this compressed format.
On the HD-Connect MI, which does HDMI to HD-SDI, you can perform a "live capture" of the HDMI output from one of the new Sony cameras (V1 or FX7) and get HD-SDI video which has never been compressed by any CODEC. This of course yields the absolute best quality video at the expensive of complicating the capture setup (you have to bring your computer to the shoot).
I should have my HDMI technical paper finished in the next few days. Hopefully it will clear up some of the confusion around this subject.
Re: uncompressed? by Tim Kolb on Oct 20, 2006 at 8:23:09 pm
I think what Mike is telling you is that when people refer to "uncompressed" it usually means "never compressed". Taking HDV and converting it to uncompressed just means that you've completely "de-compressed" or "decoded" it from its compressed state. However, what was lost when it was originally compressed is still gone.
Overall, I've keyed HDV and DVCProHD and the stuff can be keyed...but of course, "never-compressed" video coming straight out of the camera is cleaner.
Nothing is impossible...some things are more of a pain in the neck, but nothing is impossible.
Re: uncompressed? by Daniel Weber on Oct 27, 2006 at 6:35:09 pm
You could also use the analog component output of the Z1 since it is not compressed. You would then have to run into a device that could convert the signal to HDSDI. I think that AJA makes a box that does this. It also imbeddes the audio and timecode in the HDSDI signal.
Re: uncompressed? by Mike Schell on Oct 27, 2006 at 6:55:13 pm
Hi Daniel-
AJA does make a component to HD-SDI converter with audio input, but the audio input is balanced, so you'll need a another converter to go from the unbalanced RCA output from the Z1. I don't see any way to embed the time-code with this setup.
The whole setup of capturing never compressed video becomes significantly easier (and lower cost) with HDMI, which is becoming more and more common.
Re: uncompressed? by Daniel Weber on Oct 27, 2006 at 7:02:30 pm
Michael,
I was going off of memory regarding the AJA device. Sorry for the mistake regarding timecode. I was under the impression that it did TC as well.
HDMI may be a good thing in the future, but right now there is only one camera that uses it and I wouldn't even start to call it professional.
Now as far as decks go, the Sony HVRM25U does HDMI out, but that doesn't help if you want to use an uncompressed signal from the camera.
No one has even shot with a final production unit of the V1 yet, so we will have to see how it works. I am getting concerned that camera chips keep getting smaller and smaller, but that is not a topic for this forum.
Glad that you guys are able to made a convertor that turn HDMI into an HDSDI signal.
Re: uncompressed? by Michael Slowe on Oct 28, 2006 at 10:16:28 am
Daniel, I have the HD-Connect product and it is wonderful. I am using it to go firewire from the HVR M10 Sony HDV deck into Media 100 HD and editing in uncompressed 8Bit. I get the camera timecode and digital audio for the edit system. I know that the original camera footage has been compressed and the debate of course is how to get never previously compressed footage into an HD edit.
Mike, a question, currently Media 100 HD only takes in via SDI, although firewire (for SD?) will be available in the new version 11.5, even when I upgrade to that I still can't take in never compressed video can I? Not with the Z1 and the HVR M10 deck? There is component out from both the deck and camera but maybe the new Sony HDV deck, M25(?) has HDMI out but that won't go into Media 100 I imagine.
