XDcam HD Workflow Question at DVinfo.net

Brian Ladue · January 17th, 2007, 01:33 PM

I have a question about Xdcam workflow..... my question is can you successfully go from start to finish on a project using Xdcam & Final Cut Pro without the PDW70/30 Deck? I mean can I film in HD 35MB, edit in FCPro and export to DVD and/or HD DVD for playback on a standard DVD Player or a HD DVD Player? Or would i need the Deck to do this? and what benefits would the Deck give?

Jeremy Spruston · January 17th, 2007, 01:43 PM

Hey Brian,

I don't own a deck, so I can't speak to what advantages it offers, but I have shot, edited and mastered all without one. I use an F350 and have filmed a 30 minutes television show @ 35Mbps, cut it in Final Cut Pro (which is an absolute joy.. the workflow is awesome) and then mastered back to XDCAM disc.

I have also used Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro to make DVD versions of my edits. I know that DVD Studio Pro has HD-DVD capabilities, though you would need an HD-DVD burner to output that way.

Hope that helps in some way.

Jeremy Spruston

Brian Ladue · January 17th, 2007, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy Spruston

Hey Brian,

I don't own a deck, so I can't speak to what advantages it offers, but I have shot, edited and mastered all without one. I use an F350 and have filmed a 30 minutes television show @ 35Mbps, cut it in Final Cut Pro (which is an absolute joy.. the workflow is awesome) and then mastered back to XDCAM disc.

I have also used Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro to make DVD versions of my edits. I know that DVD Studio Pro has HD-DVD capabilities, though you would need an HD-DVD burner to output that way.

Hope that helps in some way.

Jeremy Spruston

Thanks Jeremy, very helpful.... i presume that your DVD versions were downcoverted to SD? what was the quality of the DVD versions? I'd imagine they were very good.

Tip McPartland · January 17th, 2007, 03:52 PM

When you master back to the camera do you have to use SDI? I read on this forum that the firewire is for output only.

Tip

Greg Boston · January 17th, 2007, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy Spruston

I know that DVD Studio Pro has HD-DVD capabilities, though you would need an HD-DVD burner to output that way.

DVDSP can also create an HD-DVD on standard red laser DVD media. The running times won't be that long and the end user would either need a set top HD-DVD unit, or a Mac. One caveat is that you must render your HD-DVD in MPEG2 for compatibility with set-top boxes. They don't understand MPEG4, or at least they didn't when they first came out.

So you don't need a special burner unless you need the longer running time that a true HD-DVD would give you.

regards,

-gb-

Jeremy Spruston · January 17th, 2007, 06:13 PM

Thanks Greg, I guess you really do learn something new everyday!

Tip: Sony supplies an XDCAM Exporter (along with the Importer) that will write back to the disc using File Access Mode through FCP.

Brian: For my DVD versions, yes they are downconverted into an Anamorphic DV file. They do look pretty nice, but nothing compares to the original HD signal.

Jeremy Spruston

Andy Mees · January 17th, 2007, 11:49 PM

Hi Jeremy

Did you export an anamorphic DV version directly from FCP for your DVD, or did you roundtrip from the camera (ie re-import the finshed and exported piece via firewire, from the camera, using the camera's hardware downconversion)

Cheers
Andy

Jeremy Spruston · January 22nd, 2007, 05:01 PM

Hi Andy,

I exported an anamorphic version through FCP. It turned out pretty nice, though I still find the FCP downconversion a little shoddy. That could be because I am so used to looking at an HD source though.

Andy Mees · January 23rd, 2007, 07:15 AM

Jeremy, there is an interesting workflow posted at http://www3.telus.net/bonsai detailing one HDV users method for producing good quality downcoversions for DVD ... it may worth a look to see whether it can be any use to your own DVD workflow

Jeremy Spruston · January 25th, 2007, 02:02 PM

Hey thanks Andy! That makes a huge difference in the downconversion quality. I've been trying a ton of different methods to get XDCAM downconversions to looks better but that's one of the best.

Thanks again.

January 17th, 2007, 01:33 PM	#1
Brian Ladue Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 149	XDcam HD Workflow Question I have a question about Xdcam workflow..... my question is can you successfully go from start to finish on a project using Xdcam & Final Cut Pro without the PDW70/30 Deck? I mean can I film in HD 35MB, edit in FCPro and export to DVD and/or HD DVD for playback on a standard DVD Player or a HD DVD Player? Or would i need the Deck to do this? and what benefits would the Deck give?

January 17th, 2007, 03:52 PM	#4
Tip McPartland Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Crestline, California Posts: 351	Master back with firewire or SDI? When you master back to the camera do you have to use SDI? I read on this forum that the firewire is for output only. Tip

January 17th, 2007, 01:43 PM	#2
Jeremy Spruston Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Victoria Canada Posts: 34	Hey Brian, I don't own a deck, so I can't speak to what advantages it offers, but I have shot, edited and mastered all without one. I use an F350 and have filmed a 30 minutes television show @ 35Mbps, cut it in Final Cut Pro (which is an absolute joy.. the workflow is awesome) and then mastered back to XDCAM disc. I have also used Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro to make DVD versions of my edits. I know that DVD Studio Pro has HD-DVD capabilities, though you would need an HD-DVD burner to output that way. Hope that helps in some way. Jeremy Spruston

January 17th, 2007, 06:13 PM	#6
Jeremy Spruston Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Victoria Canada Posts: 34	Thanks Greg, I guess you really do learn something new everyday! Tip: Sony supplies an XDCAM Exporter (along with the Importer) that will write back to the disc using File Access Mode through FCP. Brian: For my DVD versions, yes they are downconverted into an Anamorphic DV file. They do look pretty nice, but nothing compares to the original HD signal. Jeremy Spruston

January 17th, 2007, 11:49 PM	#7
Andy Mees Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 645	Hi Jeremy Did you export an anamorphic DV version directly from FCP for your DVD, or did you roundtrip from the camera (ie re-import the finshed and exported piece via firewire, from the camera, using the camera's hardware downconversion) Cheers Andy

January 22nd, 2007, 05:01 PM	#8
Jeremy Spruston Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Victoria Canada Posts: 34	Hi Andy, I exported an anamorphic version through FCP. It turned out pretty nice, though I still find the FCP downconversion a little shoddy. That could be because I am so used to looking at an HD source though.

January 23rd, 2007, 07:15 AM	#9
Andy Mees Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 645	Jeremy, there is an interesting workflow posted at http://www3.telus.net/bonsai detailing one HDV users method for producing good quality downcoversions for DVD ... it may worth a look to see whether it can be any use to your own DVD workflow

January 25th, 2007, 02:02 PM	#10
Jeremy Spruston Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Victoria Canada Posts: 34	Hey thanks Andy! That makes a huge difference in the downconversion quality. I've been trying a ton of different methods to get XDCAM downconversions to looks better but that's one of the best. Thanks again.