Can you capture 1920 x 1080 from the XHa1 outputs ? Some guys in this forum say this is possible, but I don´t believe it. Any success doing this ?

If you look at the A1's user manual it clearly shows that 1440x1080 is the max out of the camera, even using the component out. Only the G1 has 1920x1080 out of the SDI.

Now that being said, I routinely dump the a1's .m2t output onto a 1920x1080 timeline and it looks great.

What aspect ratio do you use for that ? or you just strech the video to fit the frame ?

Marcel, do you use FCP?

If so, what is your easy setup?

Thanks!
M

Sorry, I'm a PC user so no FCP. I use SpeedEdit from Newtek, or Vegas 8, or Premier Pro, etc.

What I do is set up my timeline as 1920x1080 progressive 1:1 pixel (square pixel), 16x9 aspect. Then I just drop my HDV which I typically shoot in 24f on the timeline. When I render it out, I render it as either 1920x1080 or 1280x720. The only exception is when I shoot for 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

1440x1080 is not square pixel, so changing the timeline to square pixel causes it to look correctly at 1920x1080.

Hi Marcel, thanks for the reply. :)

Sorry, I'm a PC user so no FCP. I use SpeedEdit from Newtek, or Vegas 8, or Premier Pro, etc.

What I do is set up my timeline as 1920x1080 progressive 1:1 pixel (square pixel), 16x9 aspect. Then I just drop my HDV which I typically shoot in 24f on the timeline. When I render it out, I render it as either 1920x1080 or 1280x720. The only exception is when I shoot for 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

1440x1080 is not square pixel, so changing the timeline to square pixel causes it to look correctly at 1920x1080.

Ooooh, interesting!

I too use a PC (at home), so this is helpful.

Would your technique work with HDV 60i footage?

Typically, with that workflow, what is your target output?

I have never output progressive footage to DVD or back to tape... How does that work? I mean, do you then have to convert back to interlaced footage?

Thanks Marcel! :)

Cheers,
Micky

(Hope I am not hi-jacking thread.)

Well, I never output anything interlaced. I always either shoot it progressive or deinterlace it when I render it out.

Yes it does work with 60i footage, although I've only done that once with HD 60i and that was in SpeedEdit. I haven't tried it in other NLE's so you'll have to experiment.

Also, when I output to DVD, it is also progressive. As a matter of fact, I just finished taking my dad's footage that he shot in Europe last month on a JVC SD mini DV camcorder that was shot in interlace, converted it to progressive and dumped it to DVD. It looks very good. What you don't get are those funny interlace motion artifacts.

The majority of the stuff ends up as 1280x720p or 1280x540p cineform aspect ratio. But I try to store any footage that I think I might use in the future as 1920x1080p.

Marcel, thanks for sharing all of that info! Very very interesting.

Makes me wish my Sony HDR-FX7 shot progressive.

At work, we have a couple of A1's, but I have yet to shoot in anything other than HDV 60i. :(

Again, thanks for tips.

Btw, do you have any good links that cover some of the concepts you have mentioned?

A billion thanks!
Cheers,
Micky

No, I don't know of any links. When I first got the A1 and SpeedEdit, I posted a question asking anyone for a good workflow in SE using the A1. I never got anything substantial so I just started experimenting. Eventually I came up with the workflow I described above. I'm sure it's nothing new, but it took me a while to get it figured out.

If you want to see some footage that was shot at 60i but edited in a progressive timeline and output at 1280x536, you can see it here:

http://exposureroom.com/members/mvansomeren.aspx/assets/e340c09f55b14e40b1f23b13748e8f66/

This was originally shot at 60i and edited on a 1920x1080p timeline. I rendered a Cineform aspect ratio version for this site.

Hi Marcel...

One question. How does Speededit compares to Premiere por cs3 ? any advantages when working with progressive video from the XH A1 ?

Well, I'm not sure that there are advantages specific to progressive video. I just find SE very well suited to working with HDV from the A1 in realtime. It uses a combination of timeline and storyboard editing which makes even complicated edits pretty quick.

There are things that PP CS3 can do that SE can't in the current version like 5.1 surround sound. But then there are many things that SE does better than PP CS3 in my opinion. SE is currently my favorite NLE. Unfortunately, Newtek doesn't offer a trial version so it's tough to get a feel for the application unless you're lucky enough to have a dealer nearby or a friend that has it. But you can check out the info and an online demo at www.Newtek.com/speededit

No, I don't know of any links. When I first got the A1 and SpeedEdit, I posted a question asking anyone for a good workflow in SE using the A1. I never got anything substantial so I just started experimenting. Eventually I came up with the workflow I described above. I'm sure it's nothing new, but it took me a while to get it figured out.

Ah, interesting... SpeedEdit sounds like a good app to check out. PPCS3 is not my fav... I really wish I had FCP on my PC.

If you want to see some footage that was shot at 60i but edited in a progressive timeline and output at 1280x536, you can see it here:

http://exposureroom.com/members/mvansomeren.aspx/assets/e340c09f55b14e40b1f23b13748e8f66/

This was originally shot at 60i and edited on a 1920x1080p timeline. I rendered a Cineform aspect ratio version for this site.

Oh, wow, excellent work!

I really like the mood of the whole piece. The exposure/colors are very soothing to the eye. Looks like an amazing place!

Just out of curiosity, why Cineform aspect ratio (1280x536)? Is that in the same aspect ratio as 1920x1080? Do you do that for DVD, or just to have footage that is a little easier to work with (i.e. non HDV footage?)

Hehe, one of these days I will just take the plunge, and shoot a vid at 24p.

Thanks Marcel!!! I really appreciate your time.

Excellent video!

Cheers,
Micky

Just out of curiosity, why Cineform aspect ratio (1280x536)? Is that in the same aspect ratio as 1920x1080? Do you do that for DVD, or just to have footage that is a little easier to work with (i.e. non HDV footage?)


Sorry, I mistyped....I meant to say Cinemascope, not Cineform. I really should of made the Video 1280x540 but that was my first attempt at that aspect ratio. The Cinemascope aspect ratio which is 2.35:1 is used in some of the films you would see in the theaters. I just happen to like that look. In the A1, you can set up guides to help you frame for that aspect ratio.

I'm a little confused now. I can accept that the G1 has a port which outputs at a higher resolution but does that mean it has more pixels? If not, do both the A&G1 record 1920 to tape? If so, would an HD tape deck be able to retrieve the higher HD resolution?

TIA
Ian
http://www.festivalpreviews.com

No, niether the A1 or the G1 can record 1920x1080 to tape, they both record 1440x1080. That is the HDV standard. The G1 can output uncompressed 1920x1080 only through the SDI connection which means you are teathered to a PC or some highspeed storage device.

HDV (1440x1080) uses rectangular pixels so even though the horizontal resolution is less than 1920x1080 (which uses square pixels) it still displays with the proper 16x9 aspect ratio.

So what I'm doing is setting up a 1920x1080 square pixel timeline and dropping in the 1440x1080 rectangular pixel clip. I then output it as a 1920x1080 square pixel file. Again, I've only done this in SpeedEdit and it works very well. Your results may vary with other NLEs. Give it a try and see what happens.

thanks for the explanation. So presumably the extra 480 pixels that the G1 outputs are created by interpolating the 1440 pixels to produce 1920. The values of every 3 horizontal physical pixels are used to create 4 virtual pixels. Is that it?

Presumably that's the same as what happens when you import your 1440 HD into a 1920 timeline, the interpolation being done in the pc/mac.

Thanks

Ian
http://www.festivalpreviews.com

Not exactly. My understanding, and I might not have this exactly correct, is that the A1 and G1 actually produces 1920x1080 signal using a pixel shifting method. The actual pixel count on the 3 sensors isn't as important since they are analog and when converted to digital, it works out to 1920x1080. The signal is then either compressed and resized to 1440x1080 for recording to tape, output through firewire or component, or it remains untouched for output through the SDI connector on the G1.

However, I think you're on the right track with what happens on the timeline.

Sorry, I mistyped....I meant to say Cinemascope, not Cineform. I really should of made the Video 1280x540 but that was my first attempt at that aspect ratio. The Cinemascope aspect ratio which is 2.35:1 is used in some of the films you would see in the theaters. I just happen to like that look. In the A1, you can set up guides to help you frame for that aspect ratio.

Oooh, very cool! I will look into Cinemascope. Sounds like a great format. :)

Thanks a billion Marcel!!!!

Cheers,
Micky

So what I'm doing is setting up a 1920x1080 square pixel timeline and dropping in the 1440x1080 rectangular pixel clip. I then output it as a 1920x1080 square pixel file. Again, I've only done this in SpeedEdit and it works very well. Your results may vary with other NLEs. Give it a try and see what happens.

I have done (kinda) similar things with After Effects... But this was for a web banner:

Create 800px X 250px (or whatever dimension) square pixel project, and drop-in my 1440x1080i footage... after de-interlacing, it worked pretty well.

I am excited to give your technique a go in FCStudio. :)

Cool. Let us know how it works out!

-M

Cool. Let us know how it works out!

-M

For sure! I will give it a go on Friday.

Thanks again Marcel!!!! You rock! :)

Micky