[Frameworks] HD cam 24 vs 25? vs DCP?

[Pip Chodorov]

I agree. HDCam-SR is a preferable tape master (but expensive to read 
from because only big labs have the players). A ProRes file is 
definitely more useful to work with, though a physical tape master is 
reassuring to have.

24PFS is the most compatible framerate for film original and HD 
projection including DCP. If you then make a downconverted SD version 
on beta or as an SD file then 25fps is the standard for that version.

Watch out for DCP - this is an encoded file package like a DVD and 
certainly not a master element. It cannot be accessed or copied. It 
cannot even be read from in real time - it has to be ingested into 
the server. It is only useful for screenings in cinemas that are 
equipped. You are right to worry about servers and platforms - some 
DCPs don't play on all systems. But DCP has become the Hollywood 
standard to replace release prints.

It is handy to have available for potential screenings an HD ProRes 
file, a Blu-Ray disc, and/or a DCP, an SD file, a beta, a DVD... But 
for preservation, archiving and future compatibility,the best master 
now is a 2K file, either in DPX or ProRes 4:4:4 or as tiff images. 
Down the road you will be able to convert that into anything you will 
need and you could even make a 35mm negative from it, which is the 
best solution of course.

-Pip



At 16:28 -0800 12/12/13, David Tetzlaff wrote:
>I'd recommend getting your film transferred to the highest quality 
>codec available, then converting it to whatever you need on your own 
>(or a friend's) computer (if you don't have a Mac).
>
>HD-CAM IS NOT FULL 1080P RESOLUTION!
>It's a now technologically obsolete tape format that uses an 
>anamorphic frame to get within the recording bandwidth of the tape 
>apparatus.
>
>You'll want your film outputted to a file on a hard-drive 
>regardless, not to any form of tape. If the transfer service can't 
>do that, f**k 'em, and find someone who can.
>
>Assuming you have access to a Mac, I'd recommend ProRes 4:4:4. Not 
>that you'd ever send it out in that, but as a 'best-quality' master. 
>I assume DCP would be better (??) but I don't know of any software 
>you could use to downconvert it.
>
>If it's shot at 24fps, get it transferred at 24fps. If you need to 
>send it out to PAL-land, they might have 24fps capability... And if 
>they don't, you can do the 24-25 conversion yourself in software. 
>That way you have the option of doing a 1frame=1frame conversion so 
>every frame remains intact but it just runs a little faster, or you 
>can do a transfer that preserves the running time, and uses some 
>algorithm to blend frames to make up the difference. If you're using 
>something like Apple Compressor to do that (24-25), there are lots 
>of different settings you can manipulate to make sure you get the 
>best possible quality, and it will take days to render as a result. 
>So again, you'd want to only do this once, and use your 24fps master 
>to create a 25fps 'master' in the best codec available, from which 
>you would then create whatever 25fps distribution versions you would 
>need...
>