Smooth iMovie/FCP HD HDV Workflow

Heath McKnight · January 28th, 2005, 07:47 PM

How do I do that in QuickTime?

Thanks, Nate!

heath

Nate Weaver · January 28th, 2005, 08:14 PM

It's in the middle of my original, long post. You use Quicktime Player Pro.

Heath McKnight · January 28th, 2005, 08:22 PM

Thanks. Of course, I'm going to have to figure out why every time I install FCP HD, QT Pro isn't in there...

heath

Graeme Nattress · January 28th, 2005, 08:49 PM

Quicktime Pro is just Quicktime with a serial number entered. It's printed on the sheet with the stickers for the FCP serial - just open Quicktime, go to the menu and enter the serial. QT Pro is very, very useful!

Graeme

Heath McKnight · January 28th, 2005, 09:54 PM

Not to sound like a total moron, but I did just that and it's telling me I need to buy it...

heath

Kaku Ito · January 28th, 2005, 10:55 PM

Many many thanks to Frederic to share his finding. Also, thank you Nate for your additional information.

In Japan, Apple Japan started selling the iLife today. I received it yesterday our staff were playing around, so I had to wait untill they finish to do my own.

My findings on top of Frederic and Nate's are as follows:

Decklink HD Pro seems to be trying to display AIC clips on its video out.
When setting the AIC clips and the sequence to 1440x1080 as Nate mentioned, the sequence indicate the clips to be played in realtime with normal amount of realtime features (it seems), and try to playback on DecklinkHD Pro's video out in realtime!! Bit buggy, but Frenderic and I discussed with Grant Petty (CEO of Blackmagic Design) in Tokyo, Grant was saying that could be done, so Blackmagic Design could have been working on it already.

When I compare clips between digitally converted with LumiereHD (m2t->demuxed->converted to 8-bit uncompressed Blackmagic codec) and AIC captured with iMacHD, I can't notice much difference. The brightness and sharpness are little different but that is about it. It is I think workable enough.

Anyway, I will do a lot more testing along with DecklinkHD Pro here, so if I find something else, I will post it and provide the comparison clips as usual.

Kaku Ito · January 29th, 2005, 04:12 AM

Heath, I might have found what is happening with your problem.
When you open a AIC clip captured with iMovieHD by QuickTime Player, are you resizing the clip on your computer window because the file is quite big (opens as 1920 x 1080 pixels), so you are resizing (to just view) it on your computer window first then resizing (to 1440 x 1080) for good by how Nate explained? I found that the clips that I resize to display screws up the relation on "actual" and "displayed" sized for some reason.

So, make sure you open it, don't adjust the displaying size, then resize it. I'm going to swap the display to 30inch from another station to do the resizing work from now on to avoid this problem (so, I don't have to resize for more comfortable workflow).

Dylan Pank · January 29th, 2005, 05:00 AM

Just to add something. I spoke to some Apple representatives at the London VideoForum this week (on the Sony stand!) and they confidently estimated that AIC needed about one GB per minute, compared to DV25 (or native HDV) needing about one GB per four minutes.

Kaku Ito · January 29th, 2005, 07:15 AM

Here's useful little tip when you are resizing the AIC files in QuickTime Player.

You first open the file and display the property, then when you choose the menu to change the size of the file, you can press "shift" key while you are dragging the mouse pointer side way which limits the movement vertically, then when you get the right horizantal size (1440), you can press "command" key addition to the "shift" key, then the vertical size would fall into 1080 pixel. Then you can release the mouse button first, then the keys next.

Does anyone know any application that you can do this resizing process in batch action?

Heath McKnight · January 30th, 2005, 01:07 AM

Okay, I saved my clips as QT movies 1440x1080 and set my settings in the sequence to what's recommended, including the anamorphic flag checked. Sooo...Why am I not getting letterbox? I'm getting pillars (vertical letterboxing) and stretch...

heath

Kaku Ito · January 30th, 2005, 01:08 AM

I'm running into a problem at this point that when two clips are placed on a sequence and a dissolved transition is assigned, then the application stalls and I'm forced to quit the application.

The clips are played fine in the viewer and frames are displayed fine in the canvas from the timeline, but when I try to play it back, it would get stuck.

Anyone experienced the same problem?

Kaku Ito · January 30th, 2005, 01:16 AM

Heath,

I think FCPHD is little buggy in changing the display status sometimes. You should quit the application once and restart the application, set application to the right setting and open the file.

I get the same problem time to time, but by resetting it I get the right aspect.

Frederic Lumiere · January 30th, 2005, 02:37 AM

I highly recommend to cut offline with DV anamorphic or DVCPRO HD and online the 1080i AIC footage in a 1920 X 1080 sequence.

Frederic

Kaku Ito · January 30th, 2005, 06:50 AM

I converted the project using the media manager to Blackmagic jpeg HD offline codec. It took over 4 hours to convert 1 hour and 25 minuites footage. But after doing this, I'm editing offline with normal Blackmagic jpeg offline environment including the realtime output to the video out.
It's been working good for the last one hour or so. I will add my report when I convert the project to the online (AIC) quality.

Heath McKnight · January 30th, 2005, 10:01 AM

Frederic,

What should the settings be then? Esp. The QuickTime compressor thing?

heath

January 28th, 2005, 07:47 PM	#31
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	How do I do that in QuickTime? Thanks, Nate! heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

January 28th, 2005, 08:22 PM	#33
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Thanks. Of course, I'm going to have to figure out why every time I install FCP HD, QT Pro isn't in there... heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

January 28th, 2005, 08:49 PM	#34
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	Quicktime Pro is just Quicktime with a serial number entered. It's printed on the sheet with the stickers for the FCP serial - just open Quicktime, go to the menu and enter the serial. QT Pro is very, very useful! Graeme __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

January 28th, 2005, 09:54 PM	#35
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Not to sound like a total moron, but I did just that and it's telling me I need to buy it... heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

January 29th, 2005, 05:00 AM	#38
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	AIC data rates Just to add something. I spoke to some Apple representatives at the London VideoForum this week (on the Sony stand!) and they confidently estimated that AIC needed about one GB per minute, compared to DV25 (or native HDV) needing about one GB per four minutes.

January 28th, 2005, 08:14 PM	#32
Nate Weaver Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,100	It's in the middle of my original, long post. You use Quicktime Player Pro.

January 28th, 2005, 10:55 PM	#36
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	Many many thanks to Frederic to share his finding. Also, thank you Nate for your additional information. In Japan, Apple Japan started selling the iLife today. I received it yesterday our staff were playing around, so I had to wait untill they finish to do my own. My findings on top of Frederic and Nate's are as follows: Decklink HD Pro seems to be trying to display AIC clips on its video out. When setting the AIC clips and the sequence to 1440x1080 as Nate mentioned, the sequence indicate the clips to be played in realtime with normal amount of realtime features (it seems), and try to playback on DecklinkHD Pro's video out in realtime!! Bit buggy, but Frenderic and I discussed with Grant Petty (CEO of Blackmagic Design) in Tokyo, Grant was saying that could be done, so Blackmagic Design could have been working on it already. When I compare clips between digitally converted with LumiereHD (m2t->demuxed->converted to 8-bit uncompressed Blackmagic codec) and AIC captured with iMacHD, I can't notice much difference. The brightness and sharpness are little different but that is about it. It is I think workable enough. Anyway, I will do a lot more testing along with DecklinkHD Pro here, so if I find something else, I will post it and provide the comparison clips as usual.

January 29th, 2005, 04:12 AM	#37
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	Heath, I might have found what is happening with your problem. When you open a AIC clip captured with iMovieHD by QuickTime Player, are you resizing the clip on your computer window because the file is quite big (opens as 1920 x 1080 pixels), so you are resizing (to just view) it on your computer window first then resizing (to 1440 x 1080) for good by how Nate explained? I found that the clips that I resize to display screws up the relation on "actual" and "displayed" sized for some reason. So, make sure you open it, don't adjust the displaying size, then resize it. I'm going to swap the display to 30inch from another station to do the resizing work from now on to avoid this problem (so, I don't have to resize for more comfortable workflow).

January 29th, 2005, 07:15 AM	#39
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	Here's useful little tip when you are resizing the AIC files in QuickTime Player. You first open the file and display the property, then when you choose the menu to change the size of the file, you can press "shift" key while you are dragging the mouse pointer side way which limits the movement vertically, then when you get the right horizantal size (1440), you can press "command" key addition to the "shift" key, then the vertical size would fall into 1080 pixel. Then you can release the mouse button first, then the keys next. Does anyone know any application that you can do this resizing process in batch action?

January 30th, 2005, 01:07 AM	#40
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Okay, I saved my clips as QT movies 1440x1080 and set my settings in the sequence to what's recommended, including the anamorphic flag checked. Sooo...Why am I not getting letterbox? I'm getting pillars (vertical letterboxing) and stretch... heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

January 30th, 2005, 01:08 AM	#41
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	I'm running into a problem at this point that when two clips are placed on a sequence and a dissolved transition is assigned, then the application stalls and I'm forced to quit the application. The clips are played fine in the viewer and frames are displayed fine in the canvas from the timeline, but when I try to play it back, it would get stuck. Anyone experienced the same problem?

January 30th, 2005, 01:16 AM	#42
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	Heath, I think FCPHD is little buggy in changing the display status sometimes. You should quit the application once and restart the application, set application to the right setting and open the file. I get the same problem time to time, but by resetting it I get the right aspect.

January 30th, 2005, 02:37 AM	#43
Frederic Lumiere Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Point Pleasant, NJ Posts: 437	I highly recommend to cut offline with DV anamorphic or DVCPRO HD and online the 1080i AIC footage in a 1920 X 1080 sequence. Frederic

January 30th, 2005, 06:50 AM	#44
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	I converted the project using the media manager to Blackmagic jpeg HD offline codec. It took over 4 hours to convert 1 hour and 25 minuites footage. But after doing this, I'm editing offline with normal Blackmagic jpeg offline environment including the realtime output to the video out. It's been working good for the last one hour or so. I will add my report when I convert the project to the online (AIC) quality.

January 30th, 2005, 10:01 AM	#45
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Frederic, What should the settings be then? Esp. The QuickTime compressor thing? heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog