CineForm capture settings

[Kamran Sekha]

Hello Everyone,

This is my second post and thread. My goal is to produce two DVD's (one in NTSC format and the other in PAL format), both in 16:9 widescreen format.

The footage was taken from my Sony HDV 1080i camcorder.

In future I also want to produce a BluRay movie from the same footage.

Please let me know if the following are the most advisable capture settings for capture using CineForm Prospect HD. I have listed the settings as they appear in the CineForm Prospect HD capture preferences box:


Capture Options:

- Convert to CineForm Intermediate an keep MPEG2-TS file (*.m2t)


Destination File Format for Capture and Conversion:

- AVI


CineForm Encoder Options:

- Film Scan 2 (should I opt for High instead, provided I do not suffer from any noticeable quality loss?)

- Frame Format = INTERLACED

- Enable Smart Rendering is OFF (unchecked)


Frame Rate Change (Advanced):

- Remove 3-2 pulldown is OFF (unchecked)

- Remove dupplicate frames is OFF (unchecked)

- Rate change = No change

- Maintain audio pitch is ON (checked)


Pre-Compression Filters (Advanced)

- M2 lens adapter mode is OFF (unchecked)

- De-interlace 1080i and DV sources is OFF (unchecked)

- Re-size video = None

- Keep source aspect ratio is ON (checked)


Scene Detection (HDV)

- Split Files on Scene changes is OFF (unchecked)


Thank you so much for your help.

Regards,

Kamran

[David Newman]

Always have scene detection on and there is no point in keeping the M2T data (you have the HDV tape for that.) Filmscan2 is overkill. Try to be more concise with your posts -- no point in listing all the settings you are not using and with line spaces in between.

[Kamran Sekha]

Originally Posted by David Newman

......Try to be more concise with your posts -- no point in listing all the settings you are not using and with line spaces in between.

I promise I will do that from now on.

[Kamran Sekha]

Originally Posted by David Newman

Always have scene detection on and there is no point in keeping the M2T data (you have the HDV tape for that.) Filmscan2 is overkill. Try to be more concise with your posts -- no point in listing all the settings you are not using and with line spaces in between.

So, otherwise the settings are OK?

[David Newman]

All state again
* Use scene detection.
* Capture AVI only
* Use High or Filmscan 1.

If you source is 1080i50/60 then the interlaced option is fine.

However, as you are trying to produce PAL and NTSC DVD from the same production, I would shoot or convert to 24p or 25p as they convert and look much better on standard definition outputs. If you camera is 50i, select deinterlace to get 25p -- if your camera is 60i, select deinterlace and 3-2 pulldown removal to get 24p.

[Kamran Sekha]

David,

I am sorry to bother you again, but I will try not to disturb you once I finalize my first home made movie.

Your advice seems great, especially from someone who is virtually CineForm himself, but I am a little confused as I have had a different opinion after I submitted a ticket to CineForm support. Perhaps I have misunderstood things.

As mentioned earlier, my goal is to achieve a quality DVD in each of NTSC and PAL formats.

You state the following:

“However, as you are trying to produce PAL and NTSC DVD from the same production, I would shoot or convert to 24p or 25p as they convert and look much better on standard definition outputs. If you camera is 50i, select deinterlace to get 25p -- if your camera is 60i, select deinterlace and 3-2 pulldown removal to get 24p.”


CineForm technical support has provided me the following suggestion:

“Hi Kamran,

First I'd like to ask why you deinterlaced during capture. This will reduce quality right from the start. If you shot 60i you should not deinterlace. Just capture it as it was shot and choose the corresponding premiere project setting.

Then when you're done editing export to a CineForm HD AVI File at 1920 x 1080 just like you said that you did.

Then take that exported CineForm HD AVI file and use HDLink to convert it to an NTSC 16x9 CineForm AVI file (just select NTSC 16x9 in the Resize drop-down menu in the HDLink Prefs window).

That will create an avi file that you can load into your DVD authoring software. Let your DVD authoring software handle converting it to mpeg.

Try that and let me know if it helps.”


Finally, I would very much appreciate the step-by-step workflow in converting 1080i footage to standard DVD using CineForm. I cannot find this anywhere on either the CineForm website or this forum.
Regarding this, perhaps you or your colleagues can read my third and final thread and advise me as appropriate.


Many thanks,

Kamran

[David Newman]

Support was advising you on the best way to take 60i HD then output 60i SD (NTSC,) that workflow will not get you a PAL output. That always assume you want 60i -- good for sports and reality TV, not so much for dramatic productions. Only 24p or 25p masters can be easily taken to PAL or NTSC SD outputs. 1080i deinterlaced still has more vertical resolution than you SD targets, so the quality is not dropped for that output, so anyone with a progressive TV (90+% of new TVs) will benefit for a progressive DVD encoding.

[Chris Barcellos]

Originally Posted by David Newman

All state again
* Use scene detection.
* Capture AVI only
* Use High or Filmscan 1.

if your camera is 60i, select deinterlace and 3-2 pulldown removal to get 24p.

David:

A point of clarification for me. Are you indicating that if I shoot in 1080 60i, and choose to shoot 60i ( like on my FX1 without using their "fake" 24 Cineframe,) that I will be able to get clean 24p-- like those other 24p conversion application ? (Magic Bullet or others ?) I ve wondered about that, and even played with it a bit, but haven't really confirmed it.

Right now I have the HV20 and FX1, and will try some comparisons, but I am just wondering if we get a similar feel, in your opinion.

[David Newman]

The HV20 will give true 24p, everything derived from 60i with be an approximation, no matter who's tool you use.

[Chris Barcellos]

Originally Posted by David Newman

The HV20 will give true 24p, everything derived from 60i with be an approximation, no matter who's tool you use.

Cool. Thats the premise I was going on....