What's the correct file format for PAL DigiBeta output from FCP?
 

Hi all,

Thanks for the previous help, very useful... One final question! I spoke with the online suite today and we've decided to go to the suite with a DVCPro50 quicktime as the master for the Digibeta transfer (we'll take a DVCam tape backup as well, just in case).

Here's the thing: DV PAL is lower field first (which I'm working in, and then conforming to DV50), and I believe Digibeta's upper, am I correct? If so, do I just output an upper field first file, or are there nasties to be aware of?

I'm working with entirely de-interlaced footage, so I'm presuming field order is an irrelevance to the display of the image - but I don't like assumptions, so I'd love someone to enlighten me!

Just to re-iterate, the footage has all been de-interlaced, and all formats are PAL SD variants...

Thanks!

Bump...

Any ideas out there??!

Hi Dominic,

You are right about the field dominance, DV is lower (even). You can still export to DVCPRO without inverted field dominance via QT or you can drop your timeline into a DVCPRO timeline and render it in FCP.

You may get some problems due to your de-interlacing the footage. Unless you shot progressive, this should really be done in the online suite.

Not sure why you need to take in a DVCPRO50 file to your online if you've been working DV. All you're doing is transporting extra megabytes.

Your best off asking your edit house how they want to receive the movie.

Hope that helps,

Liam.

Hi Liam,

Thanks for getting back to me - DV50 delivery is preferable as we've run the footage through Graeme Nattress' Chroma Smoothing/Rebuilding filters, which would be too time-consuming to do at the online with the meager budget we have for an 85min online!

Same goes for de-interlacing...

Outputting in a few hours today, so no worries if you (or anyone else) can't get back to me in time, but are there any issues to exporting a progressive 16:9 DV50 file, considering that it's all de-interlaced already? I'm leaning toward that as a solution - I will of course talk to the online suite beforehand and try to minimise any issues, but the more information the better, as always!

Thanks again...