Optimum movie export settings & codecs?

[Bruce Pelley]

Master Project Timeline Exported as ‘Movie”
Primary Objective: Max Quality

AME Bypass

Best way to achieve: What PC compatible Codec and Settings?


Set-up: Since a direct export/archive to tape isn’t an option at the moment and CS3 apparently can’t save a HDV project without compressing it in some manner, please I’d like your sage advice as to how to best utilize export movie settings to save a project as a single integrated file.

Considerations: I don’t mind if a reasonable amount of hard drive space is taken above and beyond what would be occupied if the timelines content was saved as an basic .avi file. I’d like specific advice on what settings would yield superior results particularly with Cineform’s Neoscene. Codec = HD v 6.7.2

Alternatively, if there’s another intermediate codec with a modest cost or free that outshines Cineform, I’d love to hear about it. Source footage is 1080p 60i from an Canon XH-A1. Preferred but not absolutely essential are a) “lossless” (or nearly so) and .an .avi container/wrapper (not/QT .mov).

Regarding exporting using Cineform, which is the best setting for these parameters considering the above?

a) Frame rate: 29.97, 59.94 or 60.00?
b) Check off deinterlace video footage or not? Does this parameter have any material effect visually such as smoothness?
c) Should recompress be checked off or not?

How would you compare & rate these codecs against one another including Neoscene?
a) Matrox Vfw line
b) Avid’s DNxHD and
c) Apples Pro Res 422. Will CS3 recognize 422 at all?

What's your personal favorite and why?

I’m seeking to proceed forward based on your valuable advice, experience and recommendations.

Thanks for participating in this discussion/quest.

[Robert Young]

There's no single "right " answer to your questions.
It depends on what software you have , what you are trying to do, etc.
Cineform is a very high quality DI format. If you are editing the HD project in CF, just render out a master CFHD.avi, 1440x1080, if you are interlaced, stay interlaced UFF at 60i (59.94). That will give you a lightly compressed high quality file that you can use to eventually end up on DVD, Blu Ray, web, whatever.
If you are editing in HDV, you can render the final movie out as HDV and eventually export it to HDV tape by firewire for further archiving.
I usually edit HD as Cineform- that's just my personal workflow- and save a CF master.avi of the final movie. But, there are lots of ways to do this.

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

I understand what you're saying, and maybe this isn't an option in your case, but the one format I would strongly suggest for a 'master' is -

An uncompressed 16-bit TIFF sequence (or Targa/JPEG/DPX/EXR...). A two hour project will roughly take up less than 2 TB of HDD space, and it doesn't need a third-party plug-in or hardware/dongle, etc. Your sound master, including all tracks, will fit into this drive. This drive costs less than an HDCAM SR, D5 or any other tape storage option and still holds a master from which you can extract all other versions.

Just wanted to let you know that if your prime objective is Max Quality, none of the options you have listed will fit the bill when it comes to cinema work, which is considered the 'max quality' standard currently in widespread use.

[Bruce Pelley]

Robert,

I do not have a wealth of software to work with as I do my work at home in a volunteer ministry capacity.
I have CS3 Premiere, Photoshop, free video programs and Neoscene.... that's about it.

Even though my work is being broadcast locally on cable, I want to do the best I can. I do not import the A1's footage in my PC with HD link ( a component of Cineform) and thus automaticaly convert (and slightly downgrade the footage) from the A1's native .m2t format into CF files. Instead, I import them as is via HDV Split which works great.

In Premiere, for the project template/project master I use 1080 i30 (60i).

In another thread I mentioned that my computer does not have the firepower to export direct to tape and it would cost me 1k plus to achieve that with another machine. Being unemployed. long-term that's not attractive.

Since you are a CF guy, stem to stern I'm hoping to be adviced on if I nedd to check off deinterlace or not and if its appropriate in my case.

Thanks for you feedback.

[Bruce Pelley]

Sareesh,

A 2Tb drive solely dedicated for a couple of hours of work is currently beyond my means.

Of course, I'm just an amateur on a very modest scale with a limited budget trying to improve,learn and execute as time goes on as I'm not in industry, just a volunteer.

Thanks for you contribution.

[Robert Young]

Originally Posted by Sareesh Sudhakaran

Just wanted to let you know that if your prime objective is Max Quality, none of the options you have listed will fit the bill when it comes to cinema work, which is considered the 'max quality' standard currently in widespread use.

Good point.
If you are archiving the movie for eventual transfer to film, that's a different ballgame.