HDV to HD-SDI workflow

ProMax Systems KnowledgeBase: "HDV to HD-SDI workflow

One of the less obvious workflow possibilites for the new HDV format involves taking the signal from an HDV camera or deck and bringing it into your edit system using your favorite HD-SDI capture card. The new Sony HDV camcorders and deck incorporate an analog component output for either SD or HD. For our purposes, we want to stay in HD to feed the HD-SDI converter box needed for this workflow, be it from Blackmagic Design, AJA Video, or Convergent Design. Any of these devices will give you an HD-SDI signal to feed into your HD-SDI capture card, such as the AJA Kona 2 or the DeckLink HD Pro.

As far as timecode goes, you can change your capture settings to DV device control and control the camera or deck via firewire. This also allows timecode data to flow between computer and firewire device, allowing for batch lists and captures. For audio, you will need a Flying Cow or similar device to convert the analog audio signal to digital AES/EBU or SPDIF for input into your capture card. Depending on your application and platform, you will need to choose an appropriate codec.

Converting to an HD-SDI-based format means a more data intensive codec, ranging from DVCPro HD on up to uncompressed HD. DVCPro HD becomes appealing as, at 15-20MB/sec, you can still stay within budget on your storage. Uncompressed HD is an option, but really bumps up the price of storage as you need it to be faster, and you need lots more of it- to the tune of 10 times the amount you would need for Prospect HD from Cineform, for example. This workflow will actually provide one of the best quality post production workflows and maintain the highest quality from your HDV source material. Please consult one of our expert sales representatives for more information on how this works, or for a quote on a system of this type."