PP/CS4 export to Cineform AVI for SD-DVD?

[Dave Nuttall]

I'm a relative noob to digital video.

I have good HDV imported to Vista-64 using NeoHD (circa 1GB/min of raw tape)
I edit in CS4/PP and all looks fine on the time-line.

Several posts on DVINFO.NET imply (or I understand them to imply) that anyone should be able to export from CS4/PP in a loss-less format which I understand is probably Cineform HD avi.

Of all the export options in AME, I don't seem to be able to combine the Cineform codec to produce a lossless output file.

I'd be grateful to receive insight or better yet, whatever steps are best practice once a project is ready to dump to Std DVD out of CS4/PP and have as close to the master AVI quality as practical.

TIA.
Dave Nuttall
San Antonio, TX

[Matt Vanecek]

Assuming you are using the PHD 4 beta and are a Cineform customer: I've gone into AME, and selected Windows AVI as the output format, and selected Cineform HD as the codec. The size should be 1440x1080, with aspect ratio set to 1.333... Progressive or Upper Field (I think it's upper--I always do progressive). Then export away.

After you get the Cineform AVI, then you'd bring the AVI into your MPEG-2 encoder and resize to 720x480, and select the same options you'd normally select.

It's kindof pointless to export to a lossless codec like HuffYuv if you're just going to DVD with no in-between editing, though. If you're taking the video into After Effects or other application for more editing, then either Cineform (for HD) or perhaps Huffyuv (for lossless SD--doesn't work so well at HD resolution) would make sense.

Thanks,
Matt

[Dave Nuttall]

Originally Posted by Matt Vanecek

Assuming you are using the PHD 4 beta and are a Cineform customer: I've gone into AME, and selected Windows AVI as the output format, and selected Cineform HD as the codec. The size should be 1440x1080, with aspect ratio set to 1.333... Progressive or Upper Field (I think it's upper--I always do progressive). Then export away.

Indeed, the AVI result is EXCELLENT! Great tip (for me at least!)

Originally Posted by Matt Vanecek

After you get the Cineform AVI, then you'd bring the AVI into your MPEG-2 encoder and resize to 720x480, and select the same options you'd normally select.

Do you use CS4 Encore or some other software to get to SD-DVD?

I see a lot of chatter about TMPGenc, but since I have Cineform NeoHD and CS4, it seemed a little "over the top" to spend more $$$ unless there is "visible value" to be experienced!

Thanks Matt!

Dave

[Edwin Baldwin]

Have you read CineForm Insider: Mastering 24p DVDs from HD using Premiere Pro.
Works great.

[Dave Nuttall]

Originally Posted by Edwin Baldwin

Have you read CineForm Insider: Mastering 24p DVDs from HD using Premiere Pro.
Works great.

I had read that but didn't connect the "24p" part of the equation!

However, much progress has been made which I'll document below in this thread.

Thanks, Edwin.

[Dave Nuttall]

So far this journey feels like a book I read as a preteen, the venerable Christian allegory by John Bunyan: A Pilgrim's Progress. Your mileage will likely vary, so I'll get to the point!

At the top of this thread I begged for help. Answers and experimentation have allowed me to reach a new level of success, although I'm not sure if it is "video nirvana" just yet.

Until today, my end-product DVDs had a "thin milky-gray film" when the DVD is played back. The AVI exported from Adobe Media Exporter (AME) was reasonably good, but the end product just didn't cut it.

By accident, I discovered (I THINK) that it was my excessive use of Cineform CODEC settings. Because when I de-select all but the two "generic" options, the DVDs are nearly as clean as the originally captured AVI via HDLink in Cineform format.

What follows are my AME settings:
Edit CS4/PP to timeline
Adobe Media Exporter set as:
- Format: MS AVI
- Preset: Custom
- Comments: Custom (or whatever!)
- Checked (check-boxes) Export Video & Audio = YES/Checked
--- Summary:
1440 X 1080, 29.97fps, Upper, Quality 100
48000Hz, Stereo, 16 bit
- Video: Cineform HD Codec V.4.6.0
CODEC Settings: (This seems to be CRITICAL but I don't know WHY!)
- NO check boxes checked
- Encoding quality drop list: Higher HD
- Audio: Automatic
- Basic settings:
Quality: 100
Width: 1440
Height: 1080
Frame Rate: 29.97
Field Type: Upper First
Aspect: HD Anamorphic 1080 -> pixel ratio: 1:1.333
Render Max depth: 32 bit
- Advanced settings:
NOTHING checked.


The OUTCOME as shown when AVI is reimported into CS4/PP

Type: AVI Movie
File Size: 19.0 GB
Image Size: 1440 x 1080
Pixel Depth: 32
Frame Rate: 29.97
Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 16 bit - Stereo
Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Stereo
Total Duration: 00;20;48;19
Average Data Rate: 15.6 MB / second
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.3333

Processing the export is quite good (I think), around 70 sec (or less) for each running minute. So the sample above takes around 21min to export. My box is I7 (920) w/6GB of RAM and 3 non-raid drives, 10K Raptor for boot/software, a pair of 1TB 7200RPM drives, projects on 1, output on the other. Vista 64-bit, of course.

Anyway, I'm beginning to feel like some of my Social Security checks have been invested wisely in the I7, Cineform and CS4! And I LOVE my XH-A1s.

Hopefully someone will have comments/advice. So far I've learned that if you ask/post and are somewhat persistent, sooner or later many of the pieces will fit together. I love "eureka moments".

Best regards to all.
Dave Nuttall
San Antonio, TX