Is there a way I can take my miniDV footage and take it from a 4:1:1 color space and make it a 4:2:2 color space in FCP? I know it won't add any color but I've heard that it you are able to bump it up some that when doing compositing and color correction that it does help to preserve the color that already exists.

You can bump it up if you take an RGB out from a deck like a DSR 45 through a Kona 2 or Kona 3 card. We do this often and does seem to preserve the integrity of the image for compositing. If you do this through FCP software, you have to enlarge the image which will give you an overall softening effect (not good).

what do you mean by take an RGB out. I'm assuming that you are talking about the output tools on the Kona cards, but then are you saying to take the footage I've captured, do a output to tape to the deck?

I Think Evan means the component out from a Sony DSR 45 deck trough a component in card like a Blackmagic or Kona. Only worthwhile if you capture it in a uncompressed format by the way, and planning of doing a lot of effects/colour correction.

hmm.. I guess I'm not understanding. What I'm trying to do is get my miniDV footage in 4:2:2 format by an upconvert of some sort so that when I do my color correction and composites, I get better results. My deliverable is DVD so I'm not sure what outputting using the Kona or BM cards will do for that.

Evan's pointed out in his post that you can do that via software (FCP for example). Just drag and drop your footage/edit in a 4:2:2 uncompressed timeline and do your grading/colouring and stuff. According to his (Evan's) post as well it's not the best way to do that (I don't know because I never had the need to do it), the hardware way is.

Try the 4:1:1 color smoothing filter.

Or Nattress' G nicer plug-in. www.nattress.com
http://www.lafcpug.org/Tutorials/basic_chroma_sample.html has some pictures that give you an idea to the difference.

The 4:1:1 Color Smoothing filter is a good place to start. A good way to see what it does is to capture smpte bars from your camera. Pull up the vector scope and set it to show the viewer. Drop the color smoother onto the clip of the bars in the viewer and you will see the vector scope react to the filter.


-gb-