I've got a massive amount of 1080/60i footage in HDV, which I need to edit in FCP5. For some of the time I'll be using a state of the art G5, and there are no issues no matter what I do, but for a good portion of the editing I'll be making do on a 1.5ghz Powerbook with an external HD.

I know Apple Intermediate takes up waaaay more space, but is quicker and easier to edit than raw HDV. Anyone have any experience editing in either format?

I'm torn between:

Apple Intermediate: giant files, faster processing, no time code (not an issue if I online everything), better renders

OR

HDV: small files, slow processing, real time code, icky renders


If I can handle the reduced speed of HDV, is it true that I can output to Apple Intermediate for the final render, and avoid the reduced quality that comes from re-compressing HDV?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: titaniumdoughnut,

Edit with Avid Xpress HD and transcode it to DNXHD. You wouldn't lose any timecode.

Ok - I had to say it.

I'd say stay HDV to keep the file sizes small and keep timecode in case you lose a drive.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

I know, I know. I'm beginning to like FCP less and less. I'll go Avid one day.

Yeah, that's basically what I was thinking. As long as the HDV won't be too slow to work with on 1.5ghz and 1.25Gb ram.

In Avid you could actually also transcode your media to NTSC as well and cut in a compressed NTSC format and then easily relink to the highres media too.

Ah well.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

Aha! I can do the same in FCP

I'm considering that. After I import, I can create an offline copy, in any format I want, and edit that in the regular blazing speed I'm used to, before "onlining" it and jumping back to the HDV footage. Another reason to keep the timecode, eh?

"I can create an offline copy, in any format I want, and edit that in the regular blazing speed I'm used to, before "onlining" it and jumping back to the HDV footage."

Uh huh. That's definitely the way to go. I'm cutting a project from 10 bit 4:2:2 footage right now and obviously I can't play it back in real time, so I just deinterlaced them in Cinema Tools, ran off a miniDV version, and cut that. Since the footage started on a hard drive anyway the timecode is all consistent.

Nice. 10 bit, eh? What is the project? What did it originate on?

16mm (Fuji color neg). I had it transferred at 10 bit direct to hard drive. Standard def, though - no money for an HD scan. The project is 'Seizon,' my WWII short that I'm working on this summer. More details at my site.

http://plaza.ufl.edu/ekubota/film.html

Standard definition, at 10 bit? Interesting. I'm assuming the 10 bit part comes into play for greater color correction latitude and stuff like that?

Yeah. It's also just plain better than regular DV's color sampling, which gives noticeable blocking on reds and greens. Not sure how much of the benefit will carry over to the DVD version.

Oh yeah, gotta love that MPEG2