Best DV codecs? at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > The Tools of DV and HD Production > Open DV Discussion

Open DV Discussion
For topics which don't fit into any of the other categories.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old February 2nd, 2004, 01:23 PM   #1
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 220
Best DV codecs?

This morning I went over the Mainconcepts.de website and saw that they had their own DV codec, which they maintain is the best rated codec out there.

Which DV codecs appear to preserve the best image quality after rendering, and which editing apps support them?
Brandt Wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 2nd, 2004, 04:08 PM   #2
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 40
Hi,

The best DV codec is arguably Canapus DV Codec. Its playback filter is available for free. There have been many tests done that show it degrades under sequential compressions best and its playback filter is also of the highest quality. This codec also maintains the DV format's 16-235 levels.

Best Regards
Johann Adler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 2nd, 2004, 04:18 PM   #3
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: santa fe, nm
Posts: 3,264
Images: 10
the mainconcept DV codec is one of the best DV codecs available, with the possible exception of the proprietary codecs available from Canopus, Sony Vegas, etc. I beleive it allows a choice of 601 legal or non-clipped color space.
Bill Ravens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 2nd, 2004, 10:36 PM   #4
Skyonic New York
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 614
http://www.emptyloft.com/video5/codec.html

simple test
Robert Mann Z. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 3rd, 2004, 10:08 AM   #5
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 280
In my own rather extensive testing of codecs recently, the results of which i'll write up and put online at some point soon, the Canopus was the hands down winner.

I actually starting testing other codecs after having such a bad time with the main concept codec. With each succesive generation of a Main Concept file, grossly unappealing mosaic-like blocks began to appear. This was most evident in skies, or walls where gradients might appear, but in some cases on people too!

You can see an approximate effect of this blockiness on the site Robert posted: (Image: http://www.emptyloft.com/video5/dc10004mbits.bmp). And yes, i realize that the image i reference here is not in the main concept codec, this is merely an illustration of the effect that it produces.

Whats worse is that this blockiness was very strong when I simply placed a solid color matte on the timeline and did a fade out or a dissolve on it. (Premiere Pro) Instantly, a heavy mosaic pattern would appear. I'm still baffled at how it could generate that from a single color!

So I moved on and got Matrox's codec and noticed that it handled all of the gradients and solids, and just about every peice of footage I could throw at it when you reduced a couple of generations. I quickly learned however that with each succesive generation, more and more noise was added in the image and by the 4th generation, the footage was largely unwatchable.

On to the Canopus codec (comes with ProCoder). Rejoice. I gave it a tough peice of footage (strong blue gradients, etc), the same i'd given all the others, and it handled it like a pro. No blocks, no noise. I did 10 generations with this one and the footage was still very tolerable, looking better than matrox's 3rd generation and better than main concepts 2nd generation.

Hope this helps
__________________
Casey Visco
Glidecam Industries, Inc.

Casey Visco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 3rd, 2004, 10:13 AM   #6
Skyonic New York
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 614
matrox and avid use softners in ther codec which produce a very nice first gen, but softners tend to hurt future gens...

i saw very little diff with canopus and main concept codec, neither use softners...

the now 6 year old dc card still outshines dv at 25mbits, the 4mbits was thrown in for comparsion purposes...
Robert Mann Z. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 3rd, 2004, 10:26 AM   #7
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 280
I've noticed with most codecs that first generations are never a problem at all, as was the case with my testing, once you got beyond that is when they start to fall apart.
__________________
Casey Visco
Glidecam Industries, Inc.

Casey Visco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 3rd, 2004, 06:11 PM   #8
RED Code Chef
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Holland
Posts: 12,514
I've seen that test a couple of times before? Isn't that quite
old already?
__________________

Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com
DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef

Join the DV Challenge | Lady X

Search DVinfo.net for quick answers | Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors
Rob Lohman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 3rd, 2004, 07:07 PM   #9
Skyonic New York
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 614
<<<-- Originally posted by Rob Lohman : I've seen that test a couple of times before? Isn't that quite
old already? -->>>

rob i put that test together about two years ago...so yes it's aged but the codecs have not changed much
Robert Mann Z. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 3rd, 2004, 11:50 PM   #10
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 220
So is the Canopus codec the concensus?

How well will it hold up to repeated recompression, such as out of the NLE into After Effects, then out of After Effects and back into the NLE, to the VTR? Nearly all of my current project will be subject to 2 or 3 render passes, and I'm concerned about how it will hold up.
Brandt Wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 4th, 2004, 12:04 AM   #11
Wrangler
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Posts: 1,933
Depending on the length of your clips and the amount of storage space you have, you may elect to use a lossless codec for the intermediate steps, and only in the final phase recompress to DV.
__________________
All the best,
Robert K S

Search DVinfo.net for quick answers | The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors
Robert Knecht Schmidt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 4th, 2004, 12:26 AM   #12
Major Player
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Australia
Posts: 329
Is this codec free?

Can i use it with an OHCI card?
Ben Gurvich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 4th, 2004, 08:00 AM   #13
Skyonic New York
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 614
free it is not ....

mainconcept is 50 bucks...

canopus can only be attained by buying one of there hardware cards...procoder software...or edius there new nle...
Robert Mann Z. is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > The Tools of DV and HD Production > Open DV Discussion

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:07 AM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network