Shooting HD & downconversion at DVinfo.net

Marcus Martell · December 22nd, 2008, 04:01 PM

Hallo everybody out there!Ths is my first post in this amazing foum :)
I own a hdrz1 and i edit with Sony Vegas pro8.
First question: is it a good workflow to shoot always in HDV than downconvert in SD when requested?
When i downconvert a file HD 16:9 into sd 4:3,will the image get distortion?Will i get a good 4:3 image?
thank you guys and happy to be on board with you
:)

Jeff Harper · December 22nd, 2008, 04:46 PM

Yes, if you go from HDV 16:9 to 4:3 it will be very distorted.

Marcus Martell · December 22nd, 2008, 05:20 PM

ouch!So the best workflow that you suggest?Downconvert in 16:9 SD?
And what about if this work will be watched on a 4:3 tv screen?

John Cline · December 22nd, 2008, 11:38 PM

There are three ways to have the Z1 downconvert to SD: 16x9 letterboxed into a 4x3 image, in other words, with letterboxing, black bars at the top and bottom. Then there is cropping the center 4x3 section out of a 16x9 image, so it cuts off both sides of the 16x9 image but displays full-screen 4x3. Last, there is 16x9 anamorphic which is where it compresses the entire 16x9 image into a 4x3 screen and the playback device expands it back out to 16x9. This is how wide-screen DVDs work.

Simon Denny · December 23rd, 2008, 12:37 AM

I have had great success with Vegas and the Z1 and shooting HD will produce good looking DVD's.
Rendering to MPEG-2 is very easy.

Marcus Martell · December 23rd, 2008, 06:28 AM

John wich is the best way?I own an hdv deck 2....
_What's the best way to have less lost of quality?
thx

Marcus Martell · December 25th, 2008, 06:14 PM

Is it better downconvert through the deck(or the z1) or is it better to capture the files in vegas as HDV files,then edit in timeline then render to widescreen 16:9 SD?

Jeff Harper · December 26th, 2008, 01:31 AM

If you capture HD images you can get better stills from the footage, have more flexibility.

Otherwise it doesn't matter.

Marcus Martell · December 26th, 2008, 05:10 AM

So this is what i'm doing:
connect the camcorder-capture hdv files in hdv project-batch capture using cineform-edit then render to widescreen 16:9 right.

Jeff is it correct?

The problem now appears cause i have to add 4:3 shots in Dv format;somebody told me about plugins or script;what's all about?

thc

p.s:sorry for my english

Jeff Harper · December 26th, 2008, 05:20 AM

What you are doing sounds correct.

I don't know about adding 4:3 footage, haven't mixed the two myself. sorry!

Paul Kellett · December 26th, 2008, 05:34 AM

I've added 4:3 footage to my 16:9 footage/timeline in vegas, i just cropped the 4:3 into 16:9.
There's a 16:9 preset in the pan & crop list.
Crop to 16:9 then move the crop box up or down to suit, ie correct headroom etc.

Paul

Marcus Martell · December 26th, 2008, 06:08 AM

Hey Paul and Jeff,thx!
Paul i know that here's a preset to crop in 16:9 but cause of letterboxing(having those lines up and down),i should zoom in the clip despite lost of quality?Or ami wrong?

sorry for my barbarian english...

Paul Kellett · December 26th, 2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Martell

Hey Paul and Jeff,thx!
Paul i know that here's a preset to crop in 16:9 but cause of letterboxing(having those lines up and down),i should zoom in the clip despite lost of quality?Or ami wrong?

sorry for my barbarian english...

Lines up and down ? Do you mean the black bars at top and bottom ?
If you select the 16:9 preset when you crop the 4:3 then you won't have any bars top and bottom, you'll get a full screen 16:9.

Have a look at Paul Kellett Channel on Vimeo

this was a wedding i shot with my EX1 (16:9) and another camera which was the 4:3, i cropped the 4:3 into 16:9.
A slight loss in resolution when doing the crop but better than flicking to and from 16;9 and 4:3 on the finished dvd.

Paul.

Marcus Martell · December 28th, 2008, 07:30 PM

Hi i was guessing if u guys have evertryed thos plugins that are able to convert SD footage in HD footage..
thx a lot

December 22nd, 2008, 04:01 PM	#1
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	Shooting HD & downconversion Hallo everybody out there!Ths is my first post in this amazing foum :) I own a hdrz1 and i edit with Sony Vegas pro8. First question: is it a good workflow to shoot always in HDV than downconvert in SD when requested? When i downconvert a file HD 16:9 into sd 4:3,will the image get distortion?Will i get a good 4:3 image? thank you guys and happy to be on board with you :)

December 26th, 2008, 05:34 AM	#11
Paul Kellett Trustee Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bristol UK Posts: 1,273	I've added 4:3 footage to my 16:9 footage/timeline in vegas, i just cropped the 4:3 into 16:9. There's a 16:9 preset in the pan & crop list. Crop to 16:9 then move the crop box up or down to suit, ie correct headroom etc. Paul __________________ Round 2 GH5,FZ2000 Last edited by Paul Kellett; December 26th, 2008 at 05:35 AM. Reason: .

December 28th, 2008, 07:30 PM	#14
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	Plugins to convert SD to HD...have u ever tryed em? Hi i was guessing if u guys have evertryed thos plugins that are able to convert SD footage in HD footage.. thx a lot

December 22nd, 2008, 04:46 PM	#2
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Yes, if you go from HDV 16:9 to 4:3 it will be very distorted.

December 22nd, 2008, 05:20 PM	#3
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	ouch!So the best workflow that you suggest?Downconvert in 16:9 SD? And what about if this work will be watched on a 4:3 tv screen?

December 22nd, 2008, 11:38 PM	#4
John Cline Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico USA Posts: 333	There are three ways to have the Z1 downconvert to SD: 16x9 letterboxed into a 4x3 image, in other words, with letterboxing, black bars at the top and bottom. Then there is cropping the center 4x3 section out of a 16x9 image, so it cuts off both sides of the 16x9 image but displays full-screen 4x3. Last, there is 16x9 anamorphic which is where it compresses the entire 16x9 image into a 4x3 screen and the playback device expands it back out to 16x9. This is how wide-screen DVDs work.

December 23rd, 2008, 12:37 AM	#5
Simon Denny Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,409	I have had great success with Vegas and the Z1 and shooting HD will produce good looking DVD's. Rendering to MPEG-2 is very easy.

December 23rd, 2008, 06:28 AM	#6
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	John wich is the best way?I own an hdv deck 2.... _What's the best way to have less lost of quality? thx

December 25th, 2008, 06:14 PM	#7
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	Is it better downconvert through the deck(or the z1) or is it better to capture the files in vegas as HDV files,then edit in timeline then render to widescreen 16:9 SD?

December 26th, 2008, 01:31 AM	#8
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	If you capture HD images you can get better stills from the footage, have more flexibility. Otherwise it doesn't matter.

December 26th, 2008, 05:10 AM	#9
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	So this is what i'm doing: connect the camcorder-capture hdv files in hdv project-batch capture using cineform-edit then render to widescreen 16:9 right. Jeff is it correct? The problem now appears cause i have to add 4:3 shots in Dv format;somebody told me about plugins or script;what's all about? thc p.s:sorry for my english

December 26th, 2008, 05:20 AM	#10
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	What you are doing sounds correct. I don't know about adding 4:3 footage, haven't mixed the two myself. sorry!

December 26th, 2008, 06:08 AM	#12
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	Hey Paul and Jeff,thx! Paul i know that here's a preset to crop in 16:9 but cause of letterboxing(having those lines up and down),i should zoom in the clip despite lost of quality?Or ami wrong? sorry for my barbarian english...