Render Problem in FCP5 - HELP!

[hotwire132002]

I'm working on a video in FCP5. Some of the titles are in 3D, rendered in Cinema 4D (QuickTime Animation codec w/ alpha channel). I've keyed the 3D titles over standard DV video, and they look fine while previewing (as seen in the attached image). However, once I render, the 3D graphic gets extremely pixellated (as seen in the other attached image)

I can't figure out what's going on. At first I thought maybe the red logo was the problem (since red bleeds on video), but I rendered to logo in blue and it looked just as bad.

Any ideas as to what might be going on would be greatly appreciated - I'm on a tight deadline to get this done and I just can't figure out the problem!

Thanks in advance!

 

[HiRez]

Looks like maybe it's using a preview instead of the full-resolution source material, so check that your animation files are the same format as the sequence you're using them in (probably 720 x 480, even-field dominant) and everything is set to maximum quality and rendered. That's definitely not chroma bleed, it's just a lower-resolution version of your original. Based on the pictures you provided, it appears it might also be a different aspect than the original as well, so make sure you tell it you're using DV non-square pixel format.

 

[748s]

are you viewing the rendered image on the computer screen?
or do you have a video monitor attached to view rendered images?
if you don't have a video monitor, rendered titles will look like crap on the computer screen.
they look much better viewed on a video monitor.
you also get a better idea of colours via a video monitor.

 

[hotwire132002]

are you viewing the rendered image on the computer screen?
or do you have a video monitor attached to view rendered images?
if you don't have a video monitor, rendered titles will look like crap on the computer screen.
they look much better viewed on a video monitor.
you also get a better idea of colours via a video monitor.

I was viewing on the screen - I had an HDTV attached via DVI, but it looked just as bad. You were right - I hooked a standard def TV up through my camera, and when previewing on that the graphic looks great! Thanks for your help!

 

[748s]

something like this.....
http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?m=10007&p=8&sp=20074&id=67535
is handy to have hooked up, permanently, via component.
it will give you a true representation of what things are looking like.
but then you need a breakout box to go component.
something like this......
http://www.aja.com/products_Io.html
gets expensive!

 

[hotwire132002]

something like this.....
http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?m=10007&p=8&sp=20074&id=67535
is handy to have hooked up, permanently, via component.
it will give you a true representation of what things are looking like.
but then you need a breakout box to go component.
something like this......
http://www.aja.com/products_Io.html
gets expensive!

Having a true, broadcast NTSC monitor is a good idea. I've been looking into getting one, but the problem is I edit almost everything in HD. I don't want to buy an NTSC monitor for the rare project that I edit in SD, and HD-SDI monitors are just a tad expensive.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Having a true, broadcast NTSC monitor is a good idea. I've been looking into getting one, but the problem is I edit almost everything in HD. I don't want to buy an NTSC monitor for the rare project that I edit in SD, and HD-SDI monitors are just a tad expensive.

Do you deliver everything in HD too?


Lethal

 

[hotwire132002]

Do you deliver everything in HD too?


Lethal

Unfortunately not - most everything goes HD master, and then downconverted to an SD DVD or tape.

Although most of our local stations are broadcasting HD by now, none of them can air local HD content.

HD-DVD is here, but not mainstream enough to distribute that way to the general public.

So, for the time being we shoot and edit HD, master HD, downconvert to SD and keep the master handy so that we're ready to go as soon as there's a mainstream method of HD distribution.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Unfortunately not - most everything goes HD master, and then downconverted to an SD DVD or tape.

Although most of our local stations are broadcasting HD by now, none of them can air local HD content.

HD-DVD is here, but not mainstream enough to distribute that way to the general public.

So, for the time being we shoot and edit HD, master HD, downconvert to SD and keep the master handy so that we're ready to go as soon as there's a mainstream method of HD distribution.

If you deliver SD it wouldn't hurt to have an NTSC monitor so you see what the client will see. I know that some people have an NTSC CRT, an HD CRT and a HD LCD just so all the bases are covered.


Lethal

 

[HiRez]

Even a half-decent, modern TV that's calibrated is better than nothing for previewing NTSC/PAL. Very hard to predict exactly what it's going to look like from seeing it on your computer screen (CRT or LCD)...NTSC is often called "Never The Same Color" for a reason. Video gamma is also very different from that of your computer. If using a PowerBook, you can just use the video out (again, calibrated), or get a FireWire DV converter such as a Canopus ADVC-110. You can get a pretty nice 20" Sony or Toshiba television for probably $150-$200. Then do a Google search to find the codes for the secret menus to calibrate it to a calibration DVD such as Video Essentials. Of course getting a real pro/semi-pro monitor is best, such as Sony PVM or BVM series, or an Ikegami, if you can afford it.

 

[hotwire132002]

If you deliver SD it wouldn't hurt to have an NTSC monitor so you see what the client will see. I know that some people have an NTSC CRT, an HD CRT and a HD LCD just so all the bases are covered.


Lethal

That's a good point. The biggest issue is that FCP can't (as far as I've tried - correct me if I'm wrong) downconvert HDV to DV in real time, for display on an SD monitor. Let me know if I'm wrong on this - or is there a good workaround?

 

[evil_santa]

That's a good point. The biggest issue is that FCP can't (as far as I've tried - correct me if I'm wrong) downconvert HDV to DV in real time, for display on an SD monitor. Let me know if I'm wrong on this - or is there a good workaround?

I think you need a video capture card to do the HD to NTSC/Pal, we have a kona card in our new FPC suite, i know it handles all the PAL realtime playback, but i have not tried it with HD. Aurora do some card with "Aurora QuickTime™Interceptor® technology " that converts on the fly any QT file you are playing to the output of the card.

http://www.auroravideosys.com/products/avFam.php

I must get the x-fuse for home sometime!

 

[hotwire132002]

I think you need a video capture card to do the HD to NTSC/Pal, we have a kona card in our new FPC suite, i know it handles all the PAL realtime playback, but i have not tried it with HD. Aurora do some card with "Aurora QuickTime™Interceptor® technology " that converts on the fly any QT file you are playing to the output of the card.

http://www.auroravideosys.com/products/avFam.php

I must get the x-fuse for home sometime!

I suspect the Kona may be what I need. I was looking at getting one, but they're a tad on the expensive side. I looked at the manual, though, and it looks like it will do what I need (and a whole lot more!)

A cheaper way to do things, though, may be to pick up a Radeon 9200 PCI card, and use the TV-Out with the Digital Cinema Desktop function in FCP to send the picture out to the TV. Seems a lot more cost-effective than buying a Kona card!

 

[HiRez]

I suspect the Kona may be what I need. I was looking at getting one, but they're a tad on the expensive side. I looked at the manual, though, and it looks like it will do what I need (and a whole lot more!)

Check out the Blackmagic cards, they are actually the ones who developed the Kona cards, but their own cards are quite full-featured (can do realtime HD downconversion for example), high quality, and quite a bit less expensive than the Kona cards.

 

[hotwire132002]

Check out the Blackmagic cards, they are actually the ones who developed the Kona cards, but their own cards are quite full-featured (can do realtime HD downconversion for example), high quality, and quite a bit less expensive than the Kona cards.

Can Blackmagic cards output component? I was under the impression that they were SDI only.

 

[HiRez]

Can Blackmagic cards output component? I was under the impression that they were SDI only.

The two higher-end of their HD series of cards support analog component output, among other formats:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/hd/specs/

Some of their standard-definition cards support analog component input and/or output:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/sd/specs/

All of their cards support at least 10-bit SDI I/O except for the Decklink SP, which is analog in, SDI + analog out.

 

[hotwire132002]

The two higher-end of their HD series of cards support analog component output, among other formats:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/hd/specs/

Some of their standard-definition cards support analog component input and/or output:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/sd/specs/

All of their cards support at least 10-bit SDI I/O except for the Decklink SP, which is analog in, SDI + analog out.

Thanks! I'll look into them!

 

[Malfoy]

The two higher-end of their HD series of cards support analog component output, among other formats:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/hd/specs/

Some of their standard-definition cards support analog component input and/or output:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/sd/specs/

All of their cards support at least 10-bit SDI I/O except for the Decklink SP, which is analog in, SDI + analog out.

Makes those w/o PCI X sad.

 

[DrRock]

Similar question

I keep having a problem with FCP. When I go to export I am told that I need to render first. First off, I have nothing to render, but I render anyway.

When I choose "render", I always choose "render all" and "both", hoping that this will cover all the bases. When I do this (or any other form of rendering), I see the render window flash on the screen for just a split second, but nothing else happens. Then when I try to export again, it still tells me I need to render.

Can anyone explain this? I have been able to export the movie as a quicktime, but the quality seems to be at an automatic setting, and I can't adjust it to save disc space. I just exported a movie as a quicktime that runs about 1 hour, 20 minutes. When I import the asset into DVD Studio Pro, it says in the choose window that it's 1 GB, but when I drag it onto the track, it's 6 GB. ???

Can anyone help? Why can't I render? Is it a RAM Issue?

Thanks in advance!

 

[xsedrinam]

I keep having a problem with FCP. When I go to export I am told that I need to render first. First off, I have nothing to render, but I render anyway.

When I choose "render", I always choose "render all" and "both", hoping that this will cover all the bases. When I do this (or any other form of rendering), I see the render window flash on the screen for just a split second, but nothing else happens. Then when I try to export again, it still tells me I need to render.

Can anyone explain this? I have been able to export the movie as a quicktime, but the quality seems to be at an automatic setting, and I can't adjust it to save disc space. I just exported a movie as a quicktime that runs about 1 hour, 20 minutes. When I import the asset into DVD Studio Pro, it says in the choose window that it's 1 GB, but when I drag it onto the track, it's 6 GB. ???

Can anyone help? Why can't I render? Is it a RAM Issue?

Thanks in advance!

Curious. Does your timeline window show any red lines, like this? There are a number of sites and links which provide tutorials for FCP. Ken Stone tutorials have been helpful to many. http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_homepage_index.html