PAL Conversion Problem

JimMSG wrote on 7/3/2012, 9:31 AM
Have PAL HD clips in MOV container (1920x1080x24, 25.000fps Apple ProRes 422) and the client needs them in AVI container in standard definition. He has old edit software that can't handle HD or MOV apparently. I thought I could just load them onto the timeline and render them to Video for Windows using the NTSC DV Widescreen template. I'm using 64-bit VP11. Unfortunately the rendered clips don't maintain straight edges on moving objects. A model walking across the stage looks like she is built out of Legos.

I have converted PAL to NTSC several times before without any difficulties, however they were all standard definintion clips. Is this something VP11 can't do, or do I need to set it up differently?

I can't find a way to get the last x24 to show up in the project properties, however I have been told that isn't important. Haven't a clue why, or if that might be part of the problem here.

Jim

Comments

Former user wrote on 7/3/2012, 9:39 AM
Don't know for sure, but I would render to SD first, then convert to NTSC.

Dave T2
JimMSG wrote on 7/3/2012, 10:04 AM
Thanks for the suggestion Dave but it didn't work. I did a small loop for testing, and the SD clip produced had all the jaggies in it already. Can we conclude then it may be a problem going from HD to SD that is causing this as opposed to the conversion from PAL to NTSC?

Or, might it be an issue converting from the MOV to the AVI container?

Jim
Former user wrote on 7/3/2012, 10:06 AM
Now, if you bring the AVI back on an SD timeline how does it look?

It could be your AVI player is showing the interlacing.

Dave T2
JimMSG wrote on 7/3/2012, 10:29 AM
No, I don't think that's the problem. I played the PAL SD file in Windows Media Player, VLC Media Player, and on a SD timeline in Vegas. It had the same Lego look for all of these.

Other ideas? What's the x24 at the end of the video description? It doesn't seem to be available in the project properties even though VP describes it that way when the clip is selected in the explorer window.

Jim
Former user wrote on 7/3/2012, 10:40 AM
Well, you could try downrezzing it in QT, if you have QT pro to a DV or some other codec and see if that looks any better.

I am NTSC so I haven't dealt much with PAL conversions.

Dave T2
JimMSG wrote on 7/3/2012, 12:06 PM
I'm not much of a QT fan, so I haven't got Pro. Been trying all sorts of experiments with little pieces of the project. I've been able to get the Lego effect smaller so it isn't as noticeable, but it is still there. Plus even if the experiments did work, it took two runs, and each run had about an 8:1 rendering ratio. Considering I have right around 15 hours running time of conversion, that is too much.

I'll keep experimenting, might even have to break down and get QT Pro. Might try Steamclip as well, but that wil probably insist on Pro as well.

Thanks for trying. If you think of something else I should try by all means let me know.

Jim
Former user wrote on 7/3/2012, 12:10 PM
I think Streamclip will work with the QT substitute.

Dave T2
JimMSG wrote on 7/3/2012, 1:32 PM
Streamclip is working, sort of Dave. I can create clips that don't have the Lego effect, but so far I can't get it to make 16:9 or Widescreen, even though I have it set for that. Of course that messes up how it looks. Going to have to see if there is anything in the VP rendering dialog I can use to fix that.

Jim
JimMSG wrote on 7/3/2012, 2:14 PM
Streamclip worked sort of. I was able to render clips that completely eliminated the Lego effect. Unfortunately, no matter how I set it, I couldn't get it to render to widescreen. Didn't matter I had it set to 16:9, and that it looked perfect in the preview window. Once it was done it was 4:3 with messed up aspect ratios.

So I started digging a bit in the VP rendering dialog to see if there was a way to get it to restore the aspect ratio. Couldn't find anything like that, but I did find something on the last tab (I'm rendering right now and can't look it up) that allows the user to select the quality of the rendering. It uses the same choices as the preview window, except it has a default of "Project settings" or something like that.

So I selected best, decided to leave the project settings at the default instead of matching them up to the clip being rendered, and ran a test that way. It still isn't perfect, but neither is the source material, so I am running a full hour clip to see what happens.

Thanks for batting this around with me. I think I may have a strategy.

Jim
Former user wrote on 7/3/2012, 2:33 PM
I'm thinking that QT does not honor the aspect ratio in some formats. Try it in VLC>

Dave T2