Media Choices For Delivering TV Spots To Stations

[Patrick Byers]

I built a 1440X1080 30-second TV spot in FCP 6.0.1. It's a series of stills with slow moves and disolve transitions.

What are my media options for delivering it to out-of-town stations?

So far, all I've found is DigiBeta (don't have), BetaSP (can do), or using a service like DG or Vyvx (I think these services are costly and designed for bigger shops).

My goal is to avoid the degradation of converting to analog.

Has anyone tried delivering a QuickTime movie file on CD or DVD to TV stations? The Traffic person at one of the stations I asked didn't seem to know what I was talking about.

Am I needlessly obsessing? Should I just print to BetaSP and get on with my life?

[Mark Bournes]

Most local tv stations are going to want it on BETA, at the best Digibeta.

Understand a lot of local tv stations are still shooting BETA, or DVCPRO.

Most don't have Digi beta decks, and are still using BETA. The DVCPRO station I work out of here locally during Spring Training builds a bay with a beta to DVCPRO editing station so we can feed the tapes on their format. In my market 1 station is BETA, the other 2 are DVCPRO.

It all depends on the stations, but just about every one of them has a beta deck somewhere to dub it to their format for playback.

So yes my advice is to put it on BETA and move on. Unless they specifically request a certain format.

[Patrick Byers]

Thanks, Mark.