Best intermediate render format

[Ian Briscoe]

Hi

I have 2 separate projects - each comprises of 1920x1080 mxf files (PAL) from an EX1. I want to render each one and then import them both into a new project with the same resolution for eventual output to Blu Ray.

I don't really want to use nested projects so am wondering what would be the best render format for each project to keep the quality high. I think I really only have 2 options - HD-50i YUV or uncompressed AVI. Is one likely to be better than the other?

Thanks.

Ian

[Perrone Ford]

What do you mean you only have two options? You have lots of options. Well, unless you haven't installed any codecs on your machine. In any event, I wouldn't use uncompressed. Sony YUV is fine. I use HuffYUV most often, or Cineform.

-Perrone

[Paul Kellett]

using vegas pro 8, you can render as mxf, there's a long list of EX formats.
Surely that's the best ? mxf in>mxf out ?

Paul.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Paul Kellett

Surely that's the best ? mxf in>mxf out ?

Paul.

In a word... no.

HDV comes in as Mpeg2. But it's awful to edit with and breaks down easily. Best to transcode into something helpful.

MXF is a wrapper like MOV and AVI. Says nothing about what is in the container. Various codecs can be contained inside an MXF wrapper. Case in point, the EXx cameras put Mpeg2 inside the MXF wrapper. Still doesn't remove you from the fact that it won't hold up that well when pushed.

[Paul Kellett]

I just tried it, i put a small mxf file on the timeline, rendered as mxf, same properties as original clip.
Put same 2 clips on timeline, no difference in quality.
I'd go for the mxf render.

Paul.

[Perrone Ford]

Ok, I'm not going to argue with you. If you want to push your video around with color correction, luminance changes, etc., and do it on an mpeg2 limited to a max of 35Mbps, that's your business. I'll stick with Cineform, or a lossless codec preferably 10 bit.

[Bill Ravens]

Perrone's right. I avoid cutting long GOP any chance I get. Modern cpu's are fast enough to do the processing required, but, long GOP was never designed to cut and edit. Transcoding from mxf to something like Cineform or Sheer is always preferable.

[Ian Briscoe]

Thanks for your help everyone. I won't be doing any further colour correction or effects in the new project - that were all done in their own projects.

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

What do you mean you only have two options? You have lots of options. Well, unless you haven't installed any codecs on your machine. In any event, I wouldn't use uncompressed. Sony YUV is fine. I use HuffYUV most often, or Cineform.

-Perrone

I haven't installed any additional codecs - don't need Cneform a the moment - my PC seems to manage fine editing MXF native. So looking at the codecs instaleld with Vegas I think the only useful ones are those I mentioned along with MXF as mentioned by Paul.

Ian