what codec to use to export to mini-DV
 

I have a short I did on Premiere. I want to send it on a mini-dv tape to an Internet site. However, before I record it back onto a tape I need to mix it down. I was once told that rendering out a Premiere project as a Quicktime (animation, best quality) is a good solid UNCOMPRESSED format. Is this for sure, or is there another way to mix down so it is as true as it can be before I record it back onto my GL-1?


Thanks

Seth Peterson

That would be compressing the info, so no. When you are ready to export, just pick none for compressor. It will be the first menu I think.

Are you using "Export To Tape" from the "Export" menu?

Uh, to be able to put it back on tape, it has to be in the DV25 AVI format.

Yep, Alex is right, to be able to put it back onto a DV tape, it has to be in a DV format (PAL or NTSC depending on where you are). Outputting it in Animation codec is pointless if it eventually ends up back onto tape (DV) and it would need to be compressed again anyway.

If you load your work into Premiere and then export the timeline to tape you will end up with a native DV AVI file. It isn't compressed again it will be just the same quality as what the unedited footage was provided it was DV to begin with. If you render your work as uncompressed then it will be compressed 5:1 to meet the DV standard, the DV25 Alex is talking about, before it is recorded onto tape.

I wasn't going to use the export to tape option in Premiere because I had heard that it is fickle. I was simply going to plug my GL-1 into my system via firewire, open the project, hit record on my camera...then hit play on the timeline. The reason I need to mix down is because I have quite a few tracks of audio and some AF/X renderings that are huge. When I try to record onto my GL-1, the firewire gets bottle necked resulting in very choppy playback. So I need to render out my project so all the audio is on one track and all the AVI's, transitions, etc. are one bar.

If you have an audio editing app like Cool Edit Pro or Sound Forge you can export the audio out to that and mix it down then import it back to Premiere.

So does everyone always Export to tape....(Export timeline-->Export to tape). Or is it just the same to Save as Movie (uncompressed) and then you can export later.

Or is it better just to Export to Tape always once your film is all edited and ready?

I have never exported back to the cam, so I'm not sure. I have used export to tape when recording to VCR with no problems, other than a few stupid user errors :)