Smooth iMovie/FCP HD HDV Workflow

Ignacio Rodriguez · February 14th, 2005, 09:02 AM

Is there any way to configure or hack iMovie into using another codec instead of the AIC? Pixlet, or direct to DVCPROHD?

Graeme Nattress · February 14th, 2005, 09:14 AM

Avoid Pixlet like the plague - it's a ghastly codec that's worse in all respects to PhotoJPEG100%. I have no idea why Apple wasted time and money on Pixlet at all, as it has no advantage over low compression JPEG technology. Indeed, Apple should open up PhotoJPEG so that it works for RT at all settings of size and compression as it's a most awesomely good codec for most applications. I'm also told that JPEG2000 is good for compressing video.

Indeed, I don't know why they bothered inventing AIC at all, and would rather have had them just immediately transcode to high quality PhotoJPEG.

Graeme

Heath McKnight · February 14th, 2005, 08:35 PM

I used Pixlet with no problems, but then again, I don't know if it is worse than the AIC. I'm very frustrated now...

heath

Graeme Nattress · February 14th, 2005, 08:59 PM

You don't get problems with Pixlet, but it's slower to compress / decompress than PhotoJPEG100%, and it has slightly lower quality for a larger file size. That's why I don't like it, because an old standard like PhotoJPEG beats it in all areas that count, and it is a standard codec everyone can use.

Graeme

Bryan McCullough · February 14th, 2005, 09:11 PM

I probably need some education here, but why not just use DVHSCap to capture the MT2 files and convert them to DVCPRO HD for editing?

Wouldn't this give you a better codec to edit in than AIC?

Graeme Nattress · February 14th, 2005, 09:18 PM

DVCproHD works well, but it is quite heavily compressed, and you loose some horizontal rez - down from 1440 to 1280 - however, I don't think visually this matters much as the camera might record 1440 pixels across, but I don't think the camera / lens / tape system resolves enough detail to warrant 1440 pixels.

Graeme

Bryan McCullough · February 14th, 2005, 09:23 PM

I just don't understand.

If space wasn't an issue, why isn't there just some kind of uncompressed format we could convert to?

Graeme Nattress · February 14th, 2005, 09:27 PM

Apple 8bit 4:2:2 uncompressed codec works great, but you need a very large and very fast drive for it. I'm using an Xserve RAID and it works very well with this kind of uncompressed HD.

Graeme

Heath McKnight · February 14th, 2005, 10:08 PM

I don't like DVCPro HD at all--when trying to make DVDs, the image is squashed and actors look "wider."

To do a "Best" quality QT movie of the AIC, I had to do the 4:2:2 and for a 3 minute movie, it was 20 gb on my firewire drive (7200 rpm) and couldn't play at all! But I used QTPro to save it as the AIC Best.

heath

Eric Bilodeau · February 15th, 2005, 09:01 AM

Try the DC30 lossless 4:2:2 codec, it is half the uncompressed from FCP and it works well even on slower machines.

I will post an example of the AIC destruction in nthe post I started regarding AIC compression soon.

Bryan McCullough · February 15th, 2005, 09:38 AM

Eric,

Where do you find the DC30 codec?

I don't yet have iLife '05 so if it's an iMove HD thing, then I understand why I can't find it.

In FCP I can see a DC50 option, but no DC30.

Eric Bilodeau · February 15th, 2005, 11:11 AM

http://www.alfanet.it/squared5

Download the DC30 drivers (even if you don't have a DC30+ card :) and you will have their codecs.

They also do the MPEG streamclip application witch can convert m2t to Quicktime and quicktime to m2t.

Bryan McCullough · February 15th, 2005, 11:55 AM

Thanks!

I've been using Streamclip to do my coversions from MT2.

Bryan McCullough · February 15th, 2005, 12:19 PM

Eric,

Got the codec, do you edit in FCP with this?

I looked at the new DC30 presets in FCP and they were all SD. Do you make a custom 1080 one or what?

Thanks!

Eric Bilodeau · February 15th, 2005, 03:42 PM

custom 1080i, 1440X1080 squared pixel anamorphic 16:9 upper field first, 29.97. Using DC30 lossless 4:2:2.

February 14th, 2005, 09:02 AM	#91
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	Is there any way to configure or hack iMovie into using another codec instead of the AIC? Pixlet, or direct to DVCPROHD? __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

February 14th, 2005, 09:14 AM	#92
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	Avoid Pixlet like the plague - it's a ghastly codec that's worse in all respects to PhotoJPEG100%. I have no idea why Apple wasted time and money on Pixlet at all, as it has no advantage over low compression JPEG technology. Indeed, Apple should open up PhotoJPEG so that it works for RT at all settings of size and compression as it's a most awesomely good codec for most applications. I'm also told that JPEG2000 is good for compressing video. Indeed, I don't know why they bothered inventing AIC at all, and would rather have had them just immediately transcode to high quality PhotoJPEG. Graeme __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

February 14th, 2005, 08:35 PM	#93
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	I used Pixlet with no problems, but then again, I don't know if it is worse than the AIC. I'm very frustrated now... heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

February 14th, 2005, 08:59 PM	#94
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	You don't get problems with Pixlet, but it's slower to compress / decompress than PhotoJPEG100%, and it has slightly lower quality for a larger file size. That's why I don't like it, because an old standard like PhotoJPEG beats it in all areas that count, and it is a standard codec everyone can use. Graeme __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

February 14th, 2005, 09:18 PM	#96
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	DVCproHD works well, but it is quite heavily compressed, and you loose some horizontal rez - down from 1440 to 1280 - however, I don't think visually this matters much as the camera might record 1440 pixels across, but I don't think the camera / lens / tape system resolves enough detail to warrant 1440 pixels. Graeme __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

February 14th, 2005, 09:11 PM	#95
Bryan McCullough Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 842	I probably need some education here, but why not just use DVHSCap to capture the MT2 files and convert them to DVCPRO HD for editing? Wouldn't this give you a better codec to edit in than AIC?

February 14th, 2005, 09:23 PM	#97
Bryan McCullough Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 842	I just don't understand. If space wasn't an issue, why isn't there just some kind of uncompressed format we could convert to?

February 14th, 2005, 09:27 PM	#98
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	Apple 8bit 4:2:2 uncompressed codec works great, but you need a very large and very fast drive for it. I'm using an Xserve RAID and it works very well with this kind of uncompressed HD. Graeme __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

February 14th, 2005, 10:08 PM	#99
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	I don't like DVCPro HD at all--when trying to make DVDs, the image is squashed and actors look "wider." To do a "Best" quality QT movie of the AIC, I had to do the 4:2:2 and for a 3 minute movie, it was 20 gb on my firewire drive (7200 rpm) and couldn't play at all! But I used QTPro to save it as the AIC Best. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

February 15th, 2005, 09:01 AM	#100
Eric Bilodeau Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Chicoutimi, Canada Posts: 334	Try the DC30 lossless 4:2:2 codec, it is half the uncompressed from FCP and it works well even on slower machines. I will post an example of the AIC destruction in nthe post I started regarding AIC compression soon. __________________ Eric Bilodeau video SFX,DOP ___________________ http://www.fictis.net info@fictis.net

February 15th, 2005, 09:38 AM	#101
Bryan McCullough Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 842	Eric, Where do you find the DC30 codec? I don't yet have iLife '05 so if it's an iMove HD thing, then I understand why I can't find it. In FCP I can see a DC50 option, but no DC30.

February 15th, 2005, 11:11 AM	#102
Eric Bilodeau Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Chicoutimi, Canada Posts: 334	http://www.alfanet.it/squared5 Download the DC30 drivers (even if you don't have a DC30+ card :) and you will have their codecs. They also do the MPEG streamclip application witch can convert m2t to Quicktime and quicktime to m2t. __________________ Eric Bilodeau video SFX,DOP ___________________ http://www.fictis.net info@fictis.net

February 15th, 2005, 11:55 AM	#103
Bryan McCullough Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 842	Thanks! I've been using Streamclip to do my coversions from MT2.

February 15th, 2005, 12:19 PM	#104
Bryan McCullough Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 842	Eric, Got the codec, do you edit in FCP with this? I looked at the new DC30 presets in FCP and they were all SD. Do you make a custom 1080 one or what? Thanks!

February 15th, 2005, 03:42 PM	#105
Eric Bilodeau Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Chicoutimi, Canada Posts: 334	custom 1080i, 1440X1080 squared pixel anamorphic 16:9 upper field first, 29.97. Using DC30 lossless 4:2:2. __________________ Eric Bilodeau video SFX,DOP ___________________ http://www.fictis.net info@fictis.net