To get HDV looking best:

1) capture HDV as HDV native over firewire
2) edit as normal
3) change timeline to "uncompressed"
4) do final render
5) play out, over SDI to D5 or HDCAM SR.

Now, I'm guessing your system cannot handle step 5, so you render out your movie from 4), uncompressed, to a big portable hard drive, and take it to somewhere that can perform step 5).

You could also get a service place to perform steps 3, 4 and 5 if you don't have enough hard disc space full stop.

At no point should you convert HDV to DVCproHD which is a very lossy codec also.

Graeme

Thanks, Graeme, as usual you are succinct, spot on and very helpful.

One more question, what is the best steps to follow when I take the HDV show from FCP to a DVD for demo purposes?

Mickey

You should be able to get compressor to make a MPEG2 direct from the HDV render on the timeline. Going to uncompressed won't give much benefit to a SD downconversion.

Graeme

Any suggestions on the settings? I tried one using H.264 but that was going to take 130 hours or more. Tried one at 60 minutes, fast encode and that seemed okay but not great looking.

Well, compressor is not the best MPEG 2 maker.

I'd be tempted to make an uncompressed SD downconvert and take it from there?

Graeme

Thanks, let me make sure I understand.

I should make a FCP file via SD down convert using the setting AJA Kona LH: 525 29.97 DV. Then take that file directly to DVDSP or would it still have to be compressed?

Any guess as to how long the down convert will take for a 26 minute show?

Mickey

You don't need ANY hardware to do a downconvert. Just put the HDV into an uncompressed SD timeline and make sure "high quality scaling" is enabled in the timeline, and hit render. Then export.

Graeme