Apple Pro Training Series. Optimizing Your Final Cut Pro System. A Technical Guide to Real-World Post-Production
| Except as mentioned, all these formats record digital component video and uncompressed audio at 48 kHz, 16 bits per channel. Transfer to and from FCP is as uncompressed video and audio over SDI, sometimes with audio as separate AES/EBU connections.
Betacam SX
Beta SX is an oddball format, with the bulk and cost of Betacam SP but with a picture quality arguably lower than DV. Some news organizations swear by it, but aside from that niche it hasn't seen much success. Primary Use
Beta SX was designed as a drop-in digital replacement for Betacam SP (most of the equipment looks and works just like Beta SP gear) in ENG, and that's how it's used. Technical Details
SX uses ½-inch cassette tape, recording 8-bit video with 4:2:2 sampling and GOP-2 MPEG-2 compression at 19 Megabits/second (roughly 6:1 compression). Large cassettes hold up to 194 minutes; small cassettes hold 62 minutes. Beta SX has four channels of 48 kHz audio. Sony is the sole supplier. Best Interface to FCP
SX provides SDI transfer with RS-422 control. D-1
D-1 was the first cassette-based digital component format. It's no longer used for production, but you may see archived material on D-1. Primary Use
D-1 was used for uncompressed digital studio production and high-end graphics. It was never a camcorder format; the cassettes were too bulky. Technical Details
D-1 records 4:2:2 10-bit uncompressed video on ¾-inch tape cassette. It had four channels of 48 kHz audio. Best Interface to FCP
D-1 decks may need a parallel to serial adapter like the AJA C10PS. SDI transfer with RS-422 control is the way to go. D-5
D-5 is the current high-end standard for uncompressed SDTV recording. Primary Use
D-5 offers top-quality uncompressed digital recordings for studio production, graphics, and mastering. It's a studio format only; there aren't any portapaks or camcorders. Technical Details
D-5 uses ½-inch tape cassette for 4:2:2 10-bit component uncompressed recording with four channels of 48 kHz audio. Panasonic is the sole supplier. Best Interface to FCP
SDI transfer with RS-422 control. Digital8
Digital8 uses DV25 recording on Hi8 cassettes. Digital8 machines are a great way to capture Video8 and Hi8 tapes, which the Digital8 player turns into a DV datastream. Primary Use
Digital8 is the digital replacement for Video8 and Hi8. There are no studio decks; camcorders and Video Walkman VTRs only. Technical Details
Digital8 uses the same tape cassettes as Hi8. It records 4:1:1 (NTSC) or 4:2:0 (PAL), 8-bit video with DV compression at 25 Megabits/second (5:1 compression). A two-hour Hi8 cassette holds 60 minutes of Digital8 material. Digital8 has two channels of 48 kHz audio or four channels of 32 kHz audio. Sony is the primary supplier. Best Interface to FCP
Use FireWire to transfer the DV datastream, with FireWire control. DV25: DV and DVCAM
DV25 is the Betacam SP of the digital age. DVCAM differs from DV in that its tape speed is 33 percent faster, and its audio is always locked (see Lesson 7). Its picture quality is identical to DV's. DV is sometimes called miniDV by those who mistake a cassette size for a tape format. DV LP speed is highly problematic: dropouts, mosaic patterns, or an outright refusal to play are common. The tape speed is simply too slow for mass-manufactured equipment tolerances. "Friends don't let friends use LP speed." Primary Use
DV and DVCAM are used for everything from home video to ENG, EFP, and digital filmmaking. Technical Details
DV and DVCAM use a tape cassette with 6.35mm metal evaporate (ME) tape. They record 4:1:1 (NTSC) or 4:2:0 (PAL) sampling, 8-bit video with DV compression at 25 Megabits/second (5:1 compression). The miniDV cassette holds one hour at DV SP speeds, 40 minutes at DVCAM speed, or 90 minutes at DV LP speeds. (There is also a thinner tape stock providing 80 minutes at DV SP speeds.) In all cases, image quality is the same; the difference is in resistance to dropouts and in tape interchangeability. The standard (a.k.a. large) cassette holds 4.5 hours at DV SP speeds or 3 hours at DVCAM speeds. DV and DVCAM have two channels of 48 kHz audio or four channels of 32 kHz audio. DVCAM decks play back DV tapes at SP speeds. Most Sony DV decks play back DVCAM, but most decks from other manufacturers do not. DVCAM is Sony's creation, and Sony is the sole supplier (except for a couple of pro camcorders from the likes of Ikegami and Hitachi using Sony transports). DV equipment is available from multiple vendors. DV disk recorders are available from Focus Enhancements, Promax, Laird Telemedia, Sony, and others. They all provide FireWire video I/O, and most can also attach as FireWire disk drives, providing access to captured clips as DV streams, QuickTime movies, or AVI files. Primary Usage
DV25 is used for everything from home video to ENG, EFP, and digital filmmaking. Best Interface to FCP
DV was made for FireWire transfer of its compressed datastream. Some DVCAM decks also offer SDI transfer of uncompressed video, which some find superior if they're working in an uncompressed project. Both FireWire and RS-422 control are available, depending on the VTR. RS-422 is generally considered to give better, faster, and more repeatable control. DV25: DVCPRO
DVCPRO, a.k.a. D-7, is Panasonic's professional version of DV25. DVCPRO is more dropout resistant than DV and DVCAM, and may be a better archival choice due to its wider data tracks and MP tape formulation, but is a less universally accepted format than DV and DVCAM. DVCPRO is more widely used in news and broadcasting, however. Primary Use
DVCPRO is used for ENG, EFP, and digital filmmaking. Technical Details
DVCPRO uses a 6.35mm tape cassette with metal particle (MP) tape. It records 4:1:1 (even in PAL), 8-bit video with DV compression at 25 Megabits/second (5:1 compression). The small cassette (larger than DV's mini cassette) holds 1 hour. The large cassette holds 3 hours. DVCPRO supports two channels of 48 kHz audio only, plus a linear analog cue channel for use when shuttling the tape at high speed. DVCPRO decks can play back DV and DVCAM. (Mini cassettes require an adapter.) Picture quality is identical to other DV25 formats, but the datastream is slightly different, so a direct FireWire dub between DV/DVCAM and DVCPRO is not possible unless the deck translates the data on the fly (a feature of the AJ-D455 VTR). Panasonic is the primary supplier of DVCPRO equipment. Best Interface to FCP
As with other DV25 formats, FireWire transfer of the compressed datastream gives first-generation results on the few decks that offer it. (Most DVCPRO VTRs do not have FireWire.) SDI transfer of uncompressed video, which some find superior if they're working in an uncompressed project, is available on many VTRs. Either FireWire or RS-422 control may be available, depending on the VTR. RS-422 is generally considered to give better, faster, and more repeatable control. DV50: DVCPRO50 and D-9
Panasonic and JVC ganged up two DV codecs to make the DV50 formats. Panasonic's DVCPRO50 is growing in popularity, while JVC's D-9 has been fairly limited in its appeal and availability. Primary Use
DV50 is used for high-end EFP, studio mastering, and digital filmmaking. DV50 is a low-cost alternative to Digital Betacam in the high-end market. Camcorders are available in both formats. Technical Details
DVCPRO50 uses DVCPRO cassettes; D-9 (a.k.a. Digital-S) uses metal tape in VHS cassette shells. Both record 4:2:2, 8-bit video with DV compression at 50 megabits/second (3.3:1 compression), with four channels of 48 kHz audio. Panasonic makes DVCPRO50 gear with some second-sourcing, mostly for camcorders. JVC is the sole supplier for D-9. DVCPRO50 decks play back DVCPRO, and some play DV and DVCAM as well. Some D-9 decks can play back VHS and S-VHS over SDI. Best Interface to FCP
DV50 provides SDI transfer with RS-422 control, or FireWire transfer of the compressed DV50 datastream with RS-422 or FireWire control (for DVCPRO50 only). FCP handles DV50 natively. FireWire capture is preferred for 24p material; FCP can extract 24p advanced footage on the fly during capture. Digital Betacam
DigiBeta is a very high-quality format using mild compression. Aside from D-5, it's the only 10-bit recording format available, and it's much more common than D-5 due to lower costs and its small tape size, which allows it to be used as a camcorder format. Primary Use
DigiBeta is common in high-end EFP, digital filmmaking, and studio mastering. Both studio decks and camcorders are available. Technical Details
DigiBeta uses ½-inch Betacam-based tape cassette with metal tape for 4:2:2, 10-bit recording with roughly 2.5:1 DCT compression. It has four channels (plus an analog cue channel) of 48 kHz, 20-bit audio. Sony is the sole supplier. The DVW-A500 VTR can play back analog Betacam and BetaSP tapes and output them as SDI datastreams. Best Interface to FCP
DigiBeta decks offer SDI transfer of uncompressed video with RS-422 control. IMX
IMX is Sony's second foray into MPEG-2 recording (after BetaSX), and it marks a shift in emphasis from the VTR being a video device to the VTR being part of a data-oriented studio. IMX equipment is priced between DVCAM and Digital Betacam (closer to the latter than the former) so it hasn't yet taken the market by storm, but expect to see it grow over the coming years. Primary Use
IMX is found in broadcast and studio applications: ENG, EFP, and studio mastering. IMX is still fairly new, and it hasn't settled into a well-defined niche yet. Technical Details
IMX uses 1/2-inch tape in Betacam-type cassettes with 4:2:2 sampling and 8-bit I-frame-only MPEG-2 recording at 30, 40, or 50 Megabits/second. IMX supports eight (!) channels of 16-bit audio or four of 24-bit audio, both at 48 kHz. IMX decks can play back Betacam, Betacam SP, Betacam SX, and Digital Betacam tapes. They also provide 2x transfer of the MPEG-2 datastream via SDTI-CP, and some offer an Ethernet interface for FTP (file transfer protocol) access of video clips in MXF wrappers. So far, IMX is a Sony exclusive. IMX decks have the MSW moniker. Best Interface to FCP
IMX offers SDI transfer of uncompressed video with RS-422 control. FCP 5 can also use IMX files natively, using Telestream's Flip4Mac MXF Import Component to read files via a network connection to the IMX-format eVtr. P2
P2 (Professional Plugin) is Panasonic's foray into solid-state recording. P2 is still too new to have made much of an impact, but its influence will grow in years to come, especially as the memory chips get cheaper. Primary Use
P2 is use in ENG and other applications where the speed and robustness of solid-state recording outweighs the considerable cost of the memory chips. Once memory prices decline, who knows where P2 will wind up? Technical Details
P2 uses SD memory cards, ganged four each on PC card adapters. P2 records DV25, DV50, or DV100 data in MXF wrappers (see Lesson 7). P2 camcorders have slots for two to five adapters and some allow recording in round-robin fashion: you can swap cards while recording is in progress. Best Interface to FCP
Right now, FireWire transfers or SDI transfers appear to be the main options for capturing P2 clips, although P2 card readers for Mac may be in the offing. XDCAM
XDCAM is Sony's blue-laser disc format. It provides a new, non-tape-based medium for DVCAM and IMX datastreams. Like P2, it'll be interesting to see how it evolves. Primary Use
XDCAM should fit wherever DVCAM and IMX equipment is used. Technical Details
XDCAM uses DVCAM and IMX recording on 12cm blue-violet laser optical discs. Video and audio parameters are the same as with DVCAM and IMX recording. Sony is, so far, the sole supplier. Best Interface to FCP
XDCAM provides SDI transfer of uncompressed video with RS-422 control, or FireWire transfer of compressed DVCAM data. FCP 5 can also use IMX files natively using Telestream's Flip4Mac MXF Import Component to read XDCAM files over a network from Ethernet-equipped XDCAM decks. Other Formats
The following are a few of the other digital video formats. D-2, D-3
D-2 and D-3 are digital composite recorders. They have SDI, but not SDI you can use unless you have a digital-composite-to-digital-component transcoder. Alternately, you can capture the analog composite signals. DCT
DCT was Ampex's short-lived studio postproduction format, using digital component video compressed about 2:1 in large cassettes. Capture it via SDI. DVD
Third-party utilities such as MPEG Streamclip (www.alfanet.it/squareD-5/mpegstreamclip.html) or DVDxDV (www.DVDxDV.com/) let you extract MPEG-2 video from DVDs and transcode it to more tractable editing formats like DV25, but mind the rights and permissions of the copyright holders on commercial DVDs. J-Series VTRs
Not a format per se, Sony's J-series line of videotape players is designed to provide a low-cost playback mechanism for any professional ½-inch Sony SDTV format: Betacam, Beta SP, Beta SX, Digital Betacam, and IMX; even HDCAM in the top-end models. MicroMV
Sony's consumer MPEG-2 long-GOP format uses FireWire to transfer video to Sony's consumer editing software, but to nowhere else. A Y/C transfer is your best bet with FCP. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||