Recommended format

[Peter Manojlovic]

Hey all...

I'm pretty well scratching my head, as to what format a final cut user would be okay with.

I've captured 5 MiniDV tapes (wedding event), with each tape being pretty well filled.
It was taped in HDV mode with 1080@30p.
I'm hoping to hand over the footage on 5 separate DVD's as any data that is cuttable to an amateur user.

What format can final cut users recommend?
I've got AME CS4 at my disposal.

My instinct was to simply hand him Mpeg2 files filling up each DVD. But since this isn't an option within quicktime, i'm guessing no.
I can use quicktime of course, but am not sure which codec is suitable for filling up a 4.7gig disc? There doesn't seem to be control over the datarates on many of the codec choices.

Thanks.

[William Hohauser]

Considering that one hour of HDV is 13 to 15 Gbs, each tape would have to be split into 4Gb segments if you are planning to hand off roughly the same quality as you shot. You could make those segments into QuickTime HDV if you had Final Cut yourself otherwise you will have to capture in CS4 and use MPEGStreamclip to convert into a FCP friendly QuickTime format which unfortunately will not fit on 5 DVDs. And without FCP installed you don't have the correct codecs to create a HDV file, only AIC which is about 35gbs per hour or DVCamHD which is large as well.

[Peter Manojlovic]

Okay thanks..

But the tapes are already HDV.
I'm looking at encoding each tape down to 4.7 gig DVD's as editable footage within Final Cut.
Since it will also be a downconvert (SD), i'm not looking at any subjective issues of bitrate. They get what they get.

I'm simply looking to use the most editable codec on a Final cut system, in where the operator won't have to install any third party codecs, and run with 5 DVD's of footage, for 5 of my tapes.

As far as codecs are concerned AME has the necessary quicktime codecs available, regardless of platform. At least this is what i assume..

Edit:
Ah yes, i see that only DV NTSC settings are available within quicktime settings, therefore pumping out a fixed bitrate of 13gig/hr, regardless of codec.

Nevertheless, i think i'll shoot for Mpeg2..

[William Hohauser]

Just encode the tapes as regular DVDs and let them figure how to get an editable DV codec out of it using MPEGStreamclip.

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

HDV is already MPEG-2, so the simplest route is hand down native files as shot. Re-encoding MPEG-2 to MPEG-2 for DVD is not a good idea, especially when the editor will have to do another transcode down the line.

To avoid QT, render as DV NTSC - it'll be at least easier to edit.