Beta Transfer to AVI
 

I just completed a job for a client that involved transferring 8 Beta SP tapes to files that he can edit using FCP. I used Premiere Pro and captured the files, then copied them directly to DVD in an unedited AVI format. The files work fine for him but he's concerned that there has been a loss of quality by going to AVI vs. Quick Time. If I understand it right, the AVI that PP captured is the actual source quality, am I correct? Is there a better way to have accomplished this? Is this a PC vs. Mac issue?

Thanks for any info.

That totally depends on what codec you where using? Any codec
other than uncompressed (or a lossless codec) will result in "some"
loss. Whether that is acceptable depends on the situation and
money (harddisk space for example). Did you use DV AVI or
another codec?

Both QuickTime and AVI are container formats. They are
nothing without the codecs. Both formats have uncompressed,
lossless and lossy (default) codecs in various degrees of quality
vs. size.

It all boils down to which codec you used for AVI and which you
would've used for QuickTime. If both are DV then they are
basically the same.

Rob,

Thanks, now I'm really confused! Just kidding. I captured through my RTX100 card using the Matrox DV settings sooo, I'm guessing that it was either the Matrox or the Premiere Pro codec. Since that is the same way I import files to edit, I guessed (perhaps incorrectly) that these were as good as it gets and therefore what he needed. He is editing a documentary shot on Beta SP using FCP for ultimate distribution on PBS.

Thanks again for the info.

You where using the Matrox DV Codec with a 5:1 compression
ratio (lossy compression. All DV codecs do 5:1). So no, you are
not getting the originally full quality of the signal. But it's not that
far off. Otherwise you would've needed to go to uncompressed
(with a good uncompressed YUV capture card, not your RTX100)
or a good MJPEG YUV board.

Rob,

OK, think I've got a handle on it now. Sounds like, bottom line is that unless I had used YUV card, I got the best I could. The related issue was that I had to burn it all to DVD (in AVI format) so he could then load it on his G5. If I had gone YUV, would it have be 25m video?

No it would not have been 25 mbps (3.6 MB/s) but more along
the lines of 10 - 30 MB/s.