HVX200 Picture issues in FCP 5 at DVinfo.net

Josh Silberman · July 26th, 2006, 06:57 PM

HI and I am sorry if this is a stupid question, but I really need help. So I am working on this project and shooting with a HVX200 on Tape. I am shooting 420/60fps and the picture looks great, but when I import it into FCP it looks horrible. I am importing with a DSR-45 and the video looks great on the display.

There are ripply lines everywhere especially on edges and on reds. I exported this for you to see:
www.joshsilberman.com/badness.mov

The tapes look good but in Final Cut Pro it looks really bad. What can I do? Thanks for your help

My capture presets are: 720x480 NTSC DV (3:2)
FPS: 59.94
Scan Mode: Progressive
DV/DVCPRO
Digitizer is DV Video

Thanks You guys.

Scott Anderson · July 26th, 2006, 08:22 PM

If you're shooting on tape, you can only shoot 60 FIELDS per second, not frames. 480/60p can only be shot to P2.

Your settings on FCP may need to be changed to DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic.

It appears that FCP is trying to take your 60i content and de-interlace it into 60 progressive frames, thus the really bad edges, especially on the red which is sub-sampled more than, say, green.

Are you also finding that any clips on the sequence are marked red, needing render? Maybe that's because FCP is trying to fit this footage into presets that are wrong for the footage. Try making a new project with the DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic preset and import a couple of your already-digitized clips to see if that cleans it up. Maybe since you were capturing over firewire, the actual clips came in unmolested. Otherwise, you'll have to re-capture from tape. FCP will need the exact correct presets for the footage you're working with to give you all that nice, clean, realtime performance.

Josh Silberman · July 27th, 2006, 11:01 AM

Yes! the clip does need to be rendered when I drop it in the time line.

So I changed my capture presets to Anamorphic and still no luck. I went in and changed my presets all over the place hoping to stumble into one that works, however no luck. This is so frustrating, I am offering dinner to anyone that can help me:)

What do you mean by my firewire molesting my clips? Is there any other way to imput footage than through a deck and firewire?

Thanks for your help

Josh Silberman · July 27th, 2006, 11:18 AM

Actually I have been watching the tape a few times and I believe it is a mixture between FCP and the tape or camera itself! Hmmmm, I am not sure

Ash Greyson · July 27th, 2006, 12:02 PM

Your settings are all incorrect. You need to probably recapture everything or run the files thru cinema tools. Did you shoot in 24P, 24PA, 60i? My guess is that you shot in 480i/60i and need to edit on a plain DV preset, no pulldown or frame rate, just 29.97.

This seems to be a user issue, not a FCP or HVX issue. First step, find what mode it was actually shot in, edit in that mode and it will look better. Sounds like you need to get the HVX book and study up on the proper acquisition. With more advanced cameras come many more ways to screw up =o)

ash =o)

Josh Silberman · July 27th, 2006, 12:18 PM

Thanks I really appreciate it

Scott Anderson · July 27th, 2006, 02:09 PM

You need to start over. Make a new project. Make sure your settings are "DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic". That's the correct preset for what you shot on tape.

Don't go "changing your presets all over the place" - when you make multiple changes at one time, that just confuses things. Make a single change, in this case using a new project/capture preset, then capture a portion of the tape that was previously giving you trouble. Check that your artifacting is gone, or at least seriously reduced. Check that your clip is realtime when placed on a sequence timeline.

If I were a betting man, I'd bet that what you've got on tape is just plain old vanilla Anamorphic DV. FCP's "DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic" preset should work perfectly.

What I meant by hoping that your footage was "unmolested" was that FCP actually captured your footage correctly, but just "flagged" it as being 60p instead of 60i. I was hoping that as soon as you dropped it into a 60i sequence, FCP would recognize the file in it's native format, and everythig would be fine. It appears, however, that FCP transcoded your footage during capture to your (incorrect) 60p preset, hence the problems.

This makes sense, as FCP is kind of fussy when it comes to having all your presets lined up. Persnickety, even. If they are off, the program will try it's best to compensate, but as you've seen the results are not very satisfacory. Much better to work in the native format you shot on.

Just so we're clear, here - you did shoot on DV tape, right? Not to P2 or to a Firestore? Sometimes people say "I looked at the tape" when they really mean "I looked at the DVD" or "I played the files back from P2". No need to reply if you did shoot on DV tape.

Josh Silberman · July 27th, 2006, 05:37 PM

Thanks Scott for all your help. I did infact shoot on DV, however, I did not shoot in anamorphic. I shot in plain old 3:2, When I try anamorpphic my picture is justifingly distorted. I think I am just screwed and need to adjust my camera settings for next time I shoot. This is the a link where someone else is having the same issues:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....19808&#2719808

Ash Greyson · August 1st, 2006, 12:30 PM

You need to read up on all the tech. You are mixing and matching terms. 3:2 is a type of in camera pulldown, it has nothing to do with anamorphic. I am guessing you shot letterboxed 4:3 in the 480i/60i mode. You should edit in a plain jane DV timeline...

ash =o)

July 26th, 2006, 06:57 PM	#1
Josh Silberman New Boot Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 8	HVX200 Picture issues in FCP 5 HI and I am sorry if this is a stupid question, but I really need help. So I am working on this project and shooting with a HVX200 on Tape. I am shooting 420/60fps and the picture looks great, but when I import it into FCP it looks horrible. I am importing with a DSR-45 and the video looks great on the display. There are ripply lines everywhere especially on edges and on reds. I exported this for you to see: www.joshsilberman.com/badness.mov The tapes look good but in Final Cut Pro it looks really bad. What can I do? Thanks for your help My capture presets are: 720x480 NTSC DV (3:2) FPS: 59.94 Scan Mode: Progressive DV/DVCPRO Digitizer is DV Video Thanks You guys.

July 26th, 2006, 08:22 PM	#2
Scott Anderson Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 327	If you're shooting on tape, you can only shoot 60 FIELDS per second, not frames. 480/60p can only be shot to P2. Your settings on FCP may need to be changed to DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic. It appears that FCP is trying to take your 60i content and de-interlace it into 60 progressive frames, thus the really bad edges, especially on the red which is sub-sampled more than, say, green. Are you also finding that any clips on the sequence are marked red, needing render? Maybe that's because FCP is trying to fit this footage into presets that are wrong for the footage. Try making a new project with the DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic preset and import a couple of your already-digitized clips to see if that cleans it up. Maybe since you were capturing over firewire, the actual clips came in unmolested. Otherwise, you'll have to re-capture from tape. FCP will need the exact correct presets for the footage you're working with to give you all that nice, clean, realtime performance.

July 27th, 2006, 11:01 AM	#3
Josh Silberman New Boot Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 8	Yes! the clip does need to be rendered when I drop it in the time line. So I changed my capture presets to Anamorphic and still no luck. I went in and changed my presets all over the place hoping to stumble into one that works, however no luck. This is so frustrating, I am offering dinner to anyone that can help me:) What do you mean by my firewire molesting my clips? Is there any other way to imput footage than through a deck and firewire? Thanks for your help

July 27th, 2006, 11:18 AM	#4
Josh Silberman New Boot Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 8	Actually I have been watching the tape a few times and I believe it is a mixture between FCP and the tape or camera itself! Hmmmm, I am not sure

July 27th, 2006, 12:02 PM	#5
Ash Greyson Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,689	Your settings are all incorrect. You need to probably recapture everything or run the files thru cinema tools. Did you shoot in 24P, 24PA, 60i? My guess is that you shot in 480i/60i and need to edit on a plain DV preset, no pulldown or frame rate, just 29.97. This seems to be a user issue, not a FCP or HVX issue. First step, find what mode it was actually shot in, edit in that mode and it will look better. Sounds like you need to get the HVX book and study up on the proper acquisition. With more advanced cameras come many more ways to screw up =o) ash =o)

July 27th, 2006, 12:18 PM	#6
Josh Silberman New Boot Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 8	Thanks I really appreciate it

July 27th, 2006, 02:09 PM	#7
Scott Anderson Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 327	You need to start over. Make a new project. Make sure your settings are "DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic". That's the correct preset for what you shot on tape. Don't go "changing your presets all over the place" - when you make multiple changes at one time, that just confuses things. Make a single change, in this case using a new project/capture preset, then capture a portion of the tape that was previously giving you trouble. Check that your artifacting is gone, or at least seriously reduced. Check that your clip is realtime when placed on a sequence timeline. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that what you've got on tape is just plain old vanilla Anamorphic DV. FCP's "DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic" preset should work perfectly. What I meant by hoping that your footage was "unmolested" was that FCP actually captured your footage correctly, but just "flagged" it as being 60p instead of 60i. I was hoping that as soon as you dropped it into a 60i sequence, FCP would recognize the file in it's native format, and everythig would be fine. It appears, however, that FCP transcoded your footage during capture to your (incorrect) 60p preset, hence the problems. This makes sense, as FCP is kind of fussy when it comes to having all your presets lined up. Persnickety, even. If they are off, the program will try it's best to compensate, but as you've seen the results are not very satisfacory. Much better to work in the native format you shot on. Just so we're clear, here - you did shoot on DV tape, right? Not to P2 or to a Firestore? Sometimes people say "I looked at the tape" when they really mean "I looked at the DVD" or "I played the files back from P2". No need to reply if you did shoot on DV tape.

July 27th, 2006, 05:37 PM	#8
Josh Silberman New Boot Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 8	Thanks Scott for all your help. I did infact shoot on DV, however, I did not shoot in anamorphic. I shot in plain old 3:2, When I try anamorpphic my picture is justifingly distorted. I think I am just screwed and need to adjust my camera settings for next time I shoot. This is the a link where someone else is having the same issues: http://discussions.apple.com/thread....19808&#2719808

August 1st, 2006, 12:30 PM	#9
Ash Greyson Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,689	You need to read up on all the tech. You are mixing and matching terms. 3:2 is a type of in camera pulldown, it has nothing to do with anamorphic. I am guessing you shot letterboxed 4:3 in the 480i/60i mode. You should edit in a plain jane DV timeline... ash =o)