Batch rendering HDV proxies

bruceo wrote on 6/1/2005, 9:46 PM
My current bitch of an HDV workflow (on a P4 3.2 with 2GB ram it just took 22 hours to create DVWide proxies for 4.5 hours of footage...) is to capture m2ts and then batch render them in Vegas timeline to DVWide for editing and final output to DVWide DVD and replacing the DVwides with original M2ts for some sections of the final project to HD for demos and future complete HD output.

The prob I am having:
When creating the proxies I am dropping all the m2ts in the timeline and then on each one I double an m2t to create a loop and right click the loop and set a region. I do this to all the m2ts down the timeline and then I match the output aspect with ultimate S so all the clips will fit DV wide and then I batch render by region with the Batch script built in to Vegas.

Once I am done (22 hours later..) I slap the DVwides under the associated m2t and wait forever the the peaks to build and then I check the waveforms for synch. On the last several projects the waveforms usually are synched, with the exception of maybe 1 out of 5 or so would be slightly out of synch. If I did not check this then once I did my edit and then replace the m2ts for HD output then my edits would be significantly off. Usually a rerender of the affected proxy would correct it....

But this last project of the 7m2t's only the 1st one was syched. All the others had the same problem and when looking very closely at the clip in the timeline I noticed that there is a small head and tail added that is only noticeable when zoomed way in and just inside this extra head and tail is a green marker obviously marking the original region I defined at the beginning.

Needless to say this is a major problem for me because the frames dont match up and make it futile to proxy edit and them move to m2t for final output because then the edits are all off and trying to slip edit a project with m2ts in Vegas is RIDICULOUS. To correct a 1.5 minute trailer's out of synch edit points by sliping and Shift B to see if they are htting took me almost 4 hours and I am not an amatuer..

I have literally been in love with Vegas since I found it at V2, but when I heard about FCP5 being able to easily edit m2t natively, I have been seriously considering dropping the cash to go Mac FCP5, but luckily the Apple store here doesn't have a competent editor and he didn't know how to capture m2t or demo multicam and the 2nd guy that demoed his new FCPHD seat at a post house here didn't know how to use it very well yet after 3 months of use. The Apple store guy said he was a long time FCP user, but when I asked him to do basic cuts and transitions, it took tooo many steps almost made me laugh. A FCP user at another forum said that the way these guys demoed the basic edits was the long way and that it was just like Vegas, so I told him that I cant wait to find someone in my market to show me Vegas like efficiency and DV like editing of m2t. Because if it is true and PC/Sony doesn't get on it soon thats where I'm going...

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 6/1/2005, 9:59 PM
As someone who is currently beating on FCP 5 pretty heavily, you won't be much happier over there. They are doing intermediary in the background anyway.
Gearshift can manage this for you, of course, but it's a purchased tool. It will build the proxies for you.
You can also define the regions, but I've noticed that if you aren't zoomed in deep when defining the regions, things can get a little weird. The Veggie Toolkit Multirender is pretty good for this too, I've not seen issues using Randall's script tool.
bruceo wrote on 6/1/2005, 10:17 PM
Hey Spot... I am a registered user of Gearshift, but the last version I used did not allow matching the aspect ratio to project, so my proxies had black bars on the ends. Roy said he was going to add this, but I didn't know if it has been added and I seemed to be fine with this workflow and I am so slammed with work right now that I thought I was OK until this afternoons problem that I wanted to start beating on something.... Is match aspect in the latest version?

I was thinking of hitting your Vasst Mon/Tues event in Orlando... and have been dreaming that I would show up and you would magically show me a workflow where I could take 4 hours of HDVtape and begin editing as soon as I was done capturing.. :-)
Spot|DSE wrote on 6/2/2005, 5:42 AM
and have been dreaming that I would show up and you would magically show me a workflow where I could take 4 hours of HDVtape and begin editing as soon as I was done capturing.. :-)

That dream may well have been induced by severe stress and wishful thought.
Seriously, with the CineForm stand alone, you can do this on a fast machine. Conversion to the CineForm codec is nearly real time on a very quick computer, and will likely be totally real time with some of the new proc's hitting the streets. I hope to be able to show you one in Orlando.
bruceo wrote on 6/2/2005, 9:29 AM
I bought CHD months ago and it was a nightmare as well. I got an email a few days ago (after 3+ months of no response) from support saying my problem has been fixed in 1.7 I am afraid to try it because the last time there was a problem with their activation and that was the only call I got from them and Thad was on the phone with me several times over an hour to resolve the issue. Even though editing with the Cineform codec is workable it is still nothing like editing DV, it takes up a crapload of hard drive space, and I am still expecting horrible synch issues as I have had with previous CHD captures. I am about to take another ride to the Apple store to see if I can get a decent demo on "native" m2t editing and "multicamera"....

Does Gearshift include the match aspect option yet? If so and it takes care of the issue with head and tail/synch then I dont mind putting a machine on it for 20 hours to pump out proxies for the time being.
Spot|DSE wrote on 6/2/2005, 9:33 AM
Gearshift does match aspect now, and if you are a registered user, the update is no cost.
I'm sorry to hear that you're having challenges with the CineForm. I've not installed the 1.7 update myself, as I'm getting machines ready for the HDV Solutions tour, and haven't gotten everything in yet for expected demo machine. And the activation process is indeed a PITA when it has to be done with human involvement.
bruceo wrote on 6/2/2005, 9:45 AM
I am a registered user so I will go download the latest version and I will probably catch you at the Orlando stop. Do you do the workshops at a lab or do we bring our laptops?

BTW I just called the apple store and told them to have their best FCP guy call me when he gets in so I can go see him demo it for me. I hope I don't leave dissapointed like I did last time. My counterpart left very impressed from his visit, but he is a Premiere user, so thats not saying too much... :-)
Spot|DSE wrote on 6/2/2005, 9:51 AM
Well....Premiere does do a very admirable job with HDV, particularly with the professional grade CineForm tools, because they have a HAL, or Hardware Application Layer.
FCP is much slower than Premiere or Vegas, but more importantly, FCP has ALWAYS sucked at scaling, which is one place that nothing touches Vegas in the competitive landscape.

You're welcome to bring your laptop, we're in a hotel rather than a lab.
bruceo wrote on 6/2/2005, 11:27 AM
Spot... Keep tryng to download gearshift and it just hangs like the file server is down..
Wolfgang S. wrote on 6/2/2005, 12:21 PM
>22 hours to create DVWide proxies for 4.5 hours of footage...

That is the factor 4.88, what is terrible.

On a P4 3.2 GHz, 1 GB ram, it takes me 1.66time to generate proxys in mjpeg-avi, using the Pegasus codec (what must be purchased for something about 30 $).

I apply templates with 960x540, use draft quality and internal codec quality setting 9.

Desktop: PC AMD 3960X, 24x3,8 Mhz * RTX 3080 Ti (12 GB)* Blackmagic Extreme 4K 12G * QNAP Max8 10 Gb Lan * Resolve Studio 18 * Edius X* Blackmagic Pocket 6K/6K Pro, EVA1, FS7

Laptop: ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED * internal HDR preview * i9 12900H with i-GPU Iris XE * 32 GB Ram) * Geforce RTX 3070 TI 8GB * internal HDR preview on the laptop monitor * Blackmagic Ultrastudio 4K mini

HDR monitor: ProArt Monitor PA32 UCG-K 1600 nits, Atomos Sumo

Others: Edius NX (Canopus NX)-card in an old XP-System. Edius 4.6 and other systems