Downconversion
 

Do I understand correctly that you cannot Shoot in HD 720/30P and downconvert to 480/30p or i out of the firewire port on the HD100. What is the DV/HDV switch for? If not what would be the best way to dub HD material from the HD100 to a DV recording device (Sony DSR-11) ?

Well, in my opinion, since a DSR-11 (I have one) will not be able to accept 1394 from the JVC in it's native HD format, I would send analog S-Video to the DSR-11.

There are some odd issues with all this HDV stuff.

Just found out that I can't grab my newly shot 720, 24p footage in Avid 5.20. Now that sucks.

Anyway, analog is about the only way to do it I suppose.

Sean

It's too bad the HD100 doesn't have S-Video out. It has component (3 cables) or composite analog out.
I also have a DSR-11, so I'll try connect the firewire to use as a start/stop trigger and TC slave and see what happens.

Ah. I knew I forgot to look for it when I had it out this weekend. I was so disapointed Avid still isn't supporting 720p24, I gave up on it. If I can't edit it, shooting it won't help.

The companion deck has S out however.

I complained on the Avid forums about it too. Vegas can do it - wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more.

Sean

Yes Vegas can DO IT. But you need to look at the performance difference between Vegas and Preniere Pro 1.5 with CineForm. AspectHD! AspectHD is far faster! The capture is totally integrated as is export. Plus you have a product that works neatly with all the other Adobe products.

Also -- doesn't Avid support capture of 720p60? If so, does it offer a Reverse 2:3 pulldown function to convert to 24p?

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Also -- anyone planning on using the HD100's composite out should check that the input device has a digital 3D Y/C seperator. A comb filter or notch filter will not do the job well. As I remember, Mojo does.

Thanks for your replies... Since I Have a project sitting here on my shelf that I have no means of editing (HDV) at this moment, is there any way that I can deliver a DV Tape to my client? Will the JVC spooler that has a S-video out allow me to downconvert to a DSR-11, or is there a facility that might be able to dub it for me? The inability to downconvert from the HD100 will make some of my projects difficult, untill such time that I have HDV editing capabilities of my own! Thanks

Sean - Avid is integrating the new codecs into their interface. It just takes time. The codecs have to be developed and debugged to allow frame based editing (similar to Cineform, although I believe Avid is sticking with 4:2:0 colorspace). there will be point releases to 5.2 with support for both 24 and 25P. Steve is right in that if you need to edit right now Cineform and Premier Pro combo are the best bet on PC.

Gary, you can use a program called CapDVHS (freeware) and use a converter to downconvert to standard def or alternatively you could output directly to DVHS and hopefully those decks do have a downconvert function.

Doesn't the deck (HD50) downconvert to DV?

I know a bit about Avid, I was a reseller for a short 3 years and while I really love the application, in case I was misread, I just wish they wouldn't say they are supporting something and then in fine print say they don't fully support that same thing. Makes for bad press and a sort of metalic taste in my mouth.

I will be waiting, like the rest of us in Avid land for the next update. It's just that we all thought when they announced HDV support, it would be all at the same time, and in this update.

I haven't looked at the reverse pulldown theory but the footage is 24p and the software won't, as far as my trials, even recognize the device footage in it's current format. Captures error out.

I suppose I could drop it in the deck and do a force to 1080i and maybe get it in that way but I would also need down converters and/or HD-SDI input to the Xpress, and me without a Mojo even. I'll have to check if the deck can force it up to 60p and back in Avid via 1394 then apply reverse TC.

Sean

All good points Sean - just to fill you in what Avid are trying to do is to write a codec that offers frame based editing (similar to Cineform) whereas the native support in Vegas is long GOP and therefore is very clunky. Cineform seem to have stolen a march on everyone here - and i agree that Avid have been tardy on support for the JVC - I get the impression they weren't planning on supporting it at all in this release which seems firmly aimed at Sony z1 an FX1 support.

No it doesn't downconvert on Firewire. However it does downconvert to the analog outputs. It also upconverts to 1080i! You can choose the format in the menus.

Dave B