Tanscoding HDV for editing
 

Hello,

I understand with the the BR-50 and a Kona LH card you can transcode HDV into DVCPro HD or uncompressed HD for editing while you are capturing footage. If I record HDV with a DR-100, is the only way to transcode footage to DVCPro HD or uncompressed HD by placing it in a DVCPro HD or uncompressed HD timeline and allowing FCP to render to the different format? Is there any way to batch convert in FCP or other software or best to but the BR-50 and Kona card to do the transcoding?

Thanks,

Drew Harty

HDV Capture
 

The DR-HD100 will have "m2t" files which stands for MPEG Transport Stream. On a Mac you would just copy the files over to your drive then use MPEG Streamclip (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macos...treamclip.html) to convert the file into a Quicktime, whether DVCPRO HD 720 P or whatever format you prefer to edit in FCP. Presto!

Thanks for the info. Will streamclip transcode in real time to AIC, and do you know if it looses the time code? Does it create a second set of files or replace the original set when transcoding?

Thanks,

Drew Harty

Transcoding
 

Not in real time. It's a conversion process and duration depends on the processor. It will create a new file. Not sure about the timecode at this point... you'll have to try and see what you get.

720p24 (*mt2) to Mac with HDVxDV and MPEGStreamclip
 

Hi all, as far as I made some little tests, the workaround with 720p24 is rather buggy. Sometimes HDVxDV can convert transportstreams to any Quicktime-formatted codec (i.e. UC8bit), and the same transportstream can't be opened and converted with MPEGStreamclip, specially clips of some minutes' length. And still it is abolutely impossible to work with 720p25 in Final Cut Pro - HDVxDV accelerates the speed, and although when you don't might notice the faster speed of the video, the sound gets out of sync. So this camera is HDV proofed only for NTSC-contries (or stay within PAL-DVi50). For serious work, it's impossible to use this camera with 720p24 and edit with Final Cut Pro 5.1 just now. This may change, but everydays work has to be done right now, I can't fly to the Bahamas and wait.... And the result of exporting the transportstreams within MPEGStreamclip to DVCPRO-HD 720p, although without changing the framerate (24fps) at all, results in some stuttering/staccato - not the whole clip, noth all the fast movements, but from time to time (always the same kind of fast movements).
Transcoding from 720p30 to 720p25 or to PAL UC8bit with compressor can be done with some short movies; 5 Minutes need about 5 hours to be converted (G5 2x2GHz). And it's even not shure that the conversion will be successfull (without studdering/staccato). So nothing for everyday's work. Solution: apple should hurry (after NAB 2006, where they said to have shown a FCP 5.1+ demo), or change to another platform... 720p30 is OK, but I'm living and working not in NTSC-Territory. - Thank you all and sorry about my bad english.