Downconverting from 4k. Help please.

[Red october]

Hello!

Can someone please help med with some workflow tips??

I recently shot a short film on red one camera. I recorded on 4k 16:9.

What is the best ouput codec if i am to edit the film in final cut pro on a imac 2.8 ghz intel core duo and 4 gb ram?

Is redrushes the software to downconvert the files by the way?
Can somenone give me the settings? I tried qt half and prores hq, but the files are way to big. What about h.264? Is it good enough?

Kind regards

[Uli Plank]

ProRes is the way to go if you want to preserve the Red's quality, storage is cheap theses days. H.264 will give you huge encoding times and it should not be used before final output – IMHO it's basically a distribution codec, even if some HDTV-camcorders use it for aquisition these days.

Have a look at my answer to:
www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=20830

[Red october]

Thanks for answer.


What i really need to know is about the workflow i realised.

Where do i start? From the point of loading in the material to burning a dvd.

Is this a good workflow?

1. Drop and drag files to computer from Reddrive
2. Open RA and do 1.light CC on every file
3. Open the cc files in Redrush
4. Convert the files to qt mov. files (half res - pro res hq?)
5. Import the files into FCP (dv-pal 48?)
6. Edit the film
7. Burn the film on dvd (h.264?)


I want the film to be seen at the best quality at todays HD televisions. Is it then quarter res i should go for?


How to I use the histogram? What am l looking for...

Hope someone can help?

[Peter Mosiman]

dont know about the rest but heres a great resource for histograms...

http://www.scarletuser.com/showthread.php?t=567

[Uli Plank]

Is this a good workflow?

1. Drop and drag files to computer from Reddrive
2. Open RA and do 1.light CC on every file
3. Open the cc files in Redrush
4. Convert the files to qt mov. files (half res - pro res hq?)
5. Import the files into FCP (dv-pal 48?)
6. Edit the film
7. Burn the film on dvd (h.264?)


1. Yes (but keep backups on a separate medium)
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes, Half Res (High) and ProRes HQ (Use full debayer on very critical detail or low-light)
5. No! Use ProRes in the timeline (Just say yes if FCP asks you to adapt)
6. Yes ;-)
7. No! DVD is MPEG-2 in SD. Period. If you want HD, use Adobe Encore or Toast 9 with the HD Plug-In to make a BDMV with H.264 (or VC-1 or MPEG-2 HD)
If you want to replicate BluRay, you need a professional authoring system for $$$$$…

[skim08]

1. Yes (but keep backups on a separate medium)
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes, Half Res (High) and ProRes HQ (Use full debayer on very critical detail or low-light)
5. No! Use ProRes in the timeline (Just say yes if FCP asks you to adapt)
6. Yes ;-)
7. No! DVD is MPEG-2 in SD. Period. If you want HD, use Adobe Encore or Toast 9 with the HD Plug-In to make a BDMV with H.264 (or VC-1 or MPEG-2 HD)
If you want to replicate BluRay, you need a professional authoring system for $$$$$…


I agree with the above.

I've been using Red Rushes to transcode to Half Res (High) at ProRes HQ. We decided not to do a 1st light - just directly transcoded from the 4K R3Ds to ProRes (2048 X 1024 - because we shot at 2:1). But I know for a lot of folks, that 1st light works well.

We are ultimately finishing at 1920 X 1080 when we layoff to HD tape.

I need to test and consult with our Colorist and a Post house about finishing process -- from shipping to Color for coloring to properly preparing for aspect ratio rescaling (we want the entire 2:1 image). It's just something I've never had to deal with before.

Re: Blu-ray
I've authored Blu Ray using Encore earlier this year using encoded files from Compressor. When Encore actually worked (about 50% of the time it seems), it yielded perfectling fine, working Blu-Ray discs. But usually Encore was very buggy, at least for Blu-Ray authoring. Maybe it works better these days...

[Uli Plank]

Color can work with 2:1 without cropping.

And the easy way to BluRay (not for replication) is Toast 9.

[skim08]

Color can work with 2:1 without cropping.


Great to know. Thanks, Uli.

Susan

[Red october]

Thank you so much!!

hope i can bother you with some more questions...?

1. The RT buttton on the timeline in fcp, is it supposed to be on unlimited or safe? What´s the difference?

2. Is there something i can do in fcp to get shorter rendertime when editing?

3. Quarter res is that HD?

4. Can i burn HD dvd disc with Toast edition 8?

5. So when i am to make a dvd, i have to export the film from FCP as mpeg-2?


Kind regards

[Uli Plank]

1. Unlimited, todays computers can't play it safe ;-)
2. Only pre-rendering to ProRes
3. Nope, less than that.
4. Nope, edition 9 with HD plug or DVDSP (if you really mean HD-DVD and not BluRay)
5. You can export a QT file and compress in Compressor or let Toast 9 make a BDMV from it