Hi-8 documentary in Final Cut

1. Ivanhoe
   Member

   

   Hello everyone,

   I have the task of editing a documentary from approx. 100 hours of video footage in Hi-8 format.

   I plan to do it using a new 17" MacBook Pro and Final Cut Express and would love to hear opinions about possible system configurations for this job.

   I'm thinking I'll need:

   1- A Hi-8 VTR fro playback of the tapes, also a tape rewinder to loosen up the tapes which have been in storage since 1998.
   2- A video capture and editing card (Matrox, AJA, ???)
   3- A video-capable hard drive with enough capacity for 100 hrs of SD video or 100 hrs of "up-converted" footage (also would love to hear about which codecs would be best for this)
   4- An "affordable" video monitor for color correction.

   The material will be used both for on-line video streaming of short episodes in a dedicated web-site and also for final distribution in DVD as a full-lenght documentary.

   I'm aware that some of the capture cards available offer the capability of up-converting the SD footage to HD, would love to hear some opinions on that as well. Also, I would like to invest in a card that will be useful for future projects generated in present-day video formats.

   Thanks for the feedback!!

   IGH

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. Rob Grauert
   Post Production Host

   

   AJA doesn't make an I/O card for a Macbook Pro. You could get the Matrox MXO2, but I'm not sure if it's supported by Final Cut EXPRESS. 

   "A video-capable hard drive with enough capacity for 100 hrs of SD video or 100 hrs of "up-converted" footage (also would love to hear about which codecs would be best for this)"

   You're using Final Cut Express, so your only options are DV or Apple Intermediate Codec. Since you're tapes are Hi-8, just go with DV.

   I'm not sure why you'd be worried about up-converting to HD if you're going out to DVD. I suppose that would be nice on the web, but it's not like people will decided not to watch your video just because it's not HD. If it's good work, then they'll watch it.

   Rob Grauert, Jr
   http://www.robgrauert.com
   http://command-r.tumblr.com

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. Jeffrey Roldan
   Member

   

   As of yet, I have not seen any quality process of up-converting SD to HD. It actually only increases the resolution but not the "definition."

    

   Jeffrey Roldan
   http://www.UnlimitedStockMedia.com
   The World's Unlimited Source For HD Stock Footage

   Posted 1 year ago #

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