HD and SD on same project?

[csgaraglino]

I recorded HDV and SD today, can I use these in the same project?
If so, what do I use for a starting template?

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

You can have an HD project, in which case your SD footage will need to be 'zoomed in' to fill the frame, but that will result in very different image quality between the HD and SD footage in the HD project. Or you can downconvert the HD footage to SD (it is a menu option in the camera) and produce an SD project.

[Paul LS]

If you final export will be to standard definition then work in a SD project. Either donwconvert as John says or bring the HD clips straight into a SD project.
If I use SD clips in a HD project I de-select scale-to-frame (right click on the clip and de-select the option as it is on by default) and use the SD video within a background maintaining the SD definition original frame size. Otherwise the blown up video looks grainy compared to the HD video.

[Steve Grisetti]

The biggest challenge with using HDV and standard DV (if it's DV-AVI) in the same project is that the HDV MPEGs and the DV-AVIs use different interlacing formats -- and that can result in one or the other playing fluttery in your final project.

My recommendation? Open a project with HDV project settings and place your video on its timeline. Then Share that using the DV-AVI output in the Personal Computer category. Then you can mix both that video and your DV footage in a project using the standard DV project settings.

There's also the option of simply capturing your HDV footage as standard DV, a feature virtually all HDV camcorders have.

In any event, I don't recommend mixing DV and HDV in the same project. Better to ensure they're the same format and codec.

[csgaraglino]

Thanks for the responses, this makes sense...

[Jayell]

The biggest challenge with using HDV and standard DV (if it's DV-AVI) in the same project is that the HDV MPEGs and the DV-AVIs use different interlacing formats -- and that can result in one or the other playing fluttery in your final project.

Steve, I've got an ongoing project that was set up as SD with all SD footage .. but now as I add little pieces to it, they're all HD. So far I've been pleased with the final product (MPEGs & FLV). Maybe I've just been lucky, but would burning a DVD produce different results than an FLV might?

[Steve Grisetti]

I believe that if one output works, they all should produce the same results, Jayell.

[Paul LS]

Well, if you burn to DVD and play on an interlaced TV then you could run into field order issues with the upper field first HDV. This may appear as jerky playback... if so you will need to reverse the field order of the HDV on the timeline.

[Steve Grisetti]

Are you sure, Paul?

If you load the HDV into a project set up for HDV and then output a DVD or even a DV-AVI from it, doesn't the program automatically reverse the field dominance as part of the preset?

[Paul LS]

I've got an ongoing project that was set up as SD with all SD footage .. but now as I add little pieces to it, they're all HD.

Placing HD MPEG2 in a DV-AVI project is the same as placing standard definition MPEG2 in a DV-AVI project... you need to reverse the field order. That said, I dont use this workflow so have not witnessed the problem.

[Jayell]

I may have spoken too soon. I just realized that I have thrown those HD clips into the project bin, but have not yet processed that new version. .. now I know how to do it properly. Thanks.