Problems with XDCAM EX to DV Tape

Redhairedguy

Hi all,

Shot a film in XDCAM EX back last August and edited it on my FCP 6 system. Film got into the Galway Fleadh this year, and I need to present it on DV tape for screening.

I've tried outputting it as per normal, but for some reason it says it is dropping frames, and that I should change the compressor/quality/etc.

Now, I don't really have much experience working with HD (this is my first time) and I seem a little bit lost.

My Sequence Settings are:

Compressor. XDCAM HD 1080p25 35 Mb/s VBR
Frame Size. HD (1440x1080)
Pixel Aspect Ratio. HD

I changed the compressor to XDCAM EX 1080p25 35Mb/s VBR, but now nothing shows up on my deck (PD170)

Am I just being incredibly thick and not doing something simple? It's driving me nuts, as my machine is getting on in years and the render time is killing me.

Miguel_Sanchez

You're trying to output HD (or a compressed version of HD) to an SD format. Can't be done.

What you need to do is consolidate and transcode your cut sequence down to SD and then it should output easily.

Oh - and congrats on getting your film selected.

Redhairedguy

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

You're trying to output HD (or a compressed version of HD) to an SD format. Can't be done.

What you need to do is consolidate and transcode your cut sequence down to SD and then it should output easily.

Oh - and congrats on getting your film selected.

Thanks...

Oh, and how would one go about doing that? Converting to a different format or the like?

TommyGun

Does it have to be on a DV tape or does the film have to be in DV format?

If DV format then,
Yes you have to output to SD (this will depend if you are using square pixel etc.) Resolution
25 frames per second. Also you should pick interlased footage . The bitrate I would be approx. 10K.

You see if they would accept HDV tape, at least you could deliver in HD.

101001

if you want to deliver it in HD you're going to need to get the XDCAM EX back... or something else. If you can get your hands on a HD cam of some nature then you can export back to tape.

Short of that export in SD.

AnonoBoy

101001 wrote: »

if you want to deliver it in HD you're going to need to get the XDCAM EX back... or something else. If you can get your hands on a HD cam of some nature then you can export back to tape.

I think you'll find an EX camera won't let you play to tape as there's no tape in them. They record on card.

The OP said he needs to export to mini dv so presumably he has a mini dv deck or camera. I'd guess he doesn't have the cash to pay a post-house to play out to anything higher than that.

101001

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I think you'll find an EX camera won't let you play to tape as there's no tape in them. They record on card.

ahem oops... bit of a brain fart there. It still stands though that if he can get a loan of HDV camera he can export to tape. There are a fair few models knocking around he might know someone with one. It doesnt even need to be that high end. I'd be interested to know though, as I couldnt fid on their website, is the Film fleadh only accepting submissions SD DV? or can you send HDV?

Redhairedguy

101001 wrote: »

is the Film fleadh only accepting submissions SD DV? or can you send HDV?

Pretty sure you can supply it on HDV if you wish but we were just asked for DV, that's what we sent in last year aswell.

Anyway, I exported out the film in it's current settings (XDCAM EX), then imported it onto a new sequence (DV PAL), gave it a bit of time to render and played it out then to tape. Seems fine, except the aspect ratio is a bit off, though that could just be the LCD screen on my camera.

Been at this lark the best part of 3 days now, starting to see rage spots. Arra yeah... the joys of being an Editor. :pac:

TommyGun

except the aspect ratio is a bit off, though that could just be the LCD screen on my camera.

This sounds like you pixel size incorrectly. My camera records full square pixel. Res. 1440*1080 is a non square pixel . If correct this, the aspect ratio should be perfect.

Redhairedguy

TommyGun wrote: »

This sounds like you pixel size incorrectly. My camera records full square pixel. Res. 1440*1080 is a non square pixel . If correct this, the aspect ratio should be perfect.

Right. How would one go about doing this? I've been trawling the internets for quick answers and playing around in my final cut, but to no avail.

*EDIT: So far I've been messing with distorting the clip itself in the motion settings. It's actually looking fairly alright now, is this the correct way to go at it or am I making it worse?

TommyGun

OK it took me a while to understand this too. Not all cameras have square pixels.

I edit in edius each project setting will have a pixel setting. I use 1. I could pick .9 (i think this is what you need to change. I do not fcp, so am not sure where to find it. Maybe someone here could help.

Just to be sure, are you getting black side bars or long'skinny' look? Yes

search for aspect ratio and pixel shape

TommyGun

Check this out, it may help

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=36836

Redhairedguy

TommyGun wrote: »

Check this out, it may help

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=36836

Thanks for that, helped a good bit.

Think I managed to find a way around it. The image was being output via DV into my PD170, which was showing it as somewhere inbetween 4:3 and 16:9 on the LCD. So to combat this, I affected the entire sequence on the timeline and stretched it out manually through the 'motion' tab on the viewer forcing the aspect ratio to be intentionally off. The image looked horribly distorted on my canvas, but perfect on my camera's LCD. Burned to tape, and voilá... perfect. Completely unexplainable, but none the less.... 'Sorted!'

Thank you everyone for your replies.