VC-1 video codec

[lxaudio]

Hi !

I'm going to receive in a week 8 video files that I have to use to record the voice-over. And mix it.

The problem is that the video is encoded with a VC-1 HD codec.

Is there a hardware or software solution that can integrate in Protools (preferably) so that I don't have to convert the video file to DV?

DV is what I need to export through firewire to a Canopus straight to tow TV's.

Can anyone help? Is this even possible?

Thanks,

Sérgio

[JC925602]

To play VC-1 through a Canopus ADVC 100 you have to convert it to DV. To convert you need QuickTime Pro and Flip 4 Mac player pro.

If you don't want to convert it, you can buy a Video Satellite and hope it work well with the VC-1 format and if it's not working, go back to the convertion process.

JC

[lxaudio]

Thanks for the reply!

Originally Posted by JC925602

To play VC-1 through a Canopus ADVC 100 you have to convert it to DV. To convert you need QuickTime Pro and Flip 4 Mac player pro.

That would take a loooooong time, wouldn't it? Because these video files are in HD (I think canopus ADVC 100 only accepts SD, isn't it?), so they are huge! I think for this specific client it's going to be the norm from now on.

If you don't want to convert it, you can buy a Video Satellite and hope it work well with the VC-1 format and if it's not working, go back to the convertion process.

Have you heard anyone that is successful with a video satellite and VC-1 video files?

I emailed decklink and they don't have any solution that would help me.

Thank you very much!

[TVPostSound]

the video is encoded with a VC-1 HD codec.

I guess the question I have is , why??

[JC925602]

Originally Posted by lxaudio

That would take a loooooong time, wouldn't it?

It all depend on your system. And you don't have to wait that QuickTime player finish one job to start another. You can export all your files then go to sleep. The next morning everything should be ready.

Ask your client for an exemple file so you can do tests. AFAIK VC-1 is a codec like H-264 and was built by Microsoft because they were afraid of not being in control of every file standard and didn't want to see a video standard exist outside of WMV framework.

Codec like H-264, MPEG, and VC-1 are not well-suited for use with ProTools because each frame is not self contained. It's OK if you only play it forward, but if you rewind a little bit you will see big pixel, blurry image and the computer will take some time (until the next KeyFrame) to get all the data.

I think canopus ADVC 100 only accepts SD, isn't it?

Only SD and only in DV format.

Originally Posted by DIAFXMX

I guess the question I have is , why??

I was asking myself the same question. Your client is probably working with uncompressed video and is exporting the finished product to VC-1.

Maybe he selected VC-1 just because someone told him that it's the way to go, without any specific needs to go to VC-1 (maybe a religion war between H-264 and VC-1) then you should ask him to export to DV (SD, not HD).

And your client should send you media that you can use, if not, charge for the time you take for the conversion. And, at the end, send them the audio in a compressed format that require them to buy an extra software to use it

JC

[lxaudio]

Thank you all for your help.

My client is an Authoring house and they'll be doing a Blu-ray. Their client is sending them the program already encoded. So that's what I have.

I'll just have to decide if I convert and charge or if it is going to be such a hassle that I better ask them for a DV version of the program!

Anyway, thanks to all of you!

Sérgio