best intermediary for davinci reslove?

ushere wrote on 7/29/2013, 11:28 PM
subject pretty much say's it all....

have a great deal of m2t to cc and am loving resolve - however, since it doesn't accept m2t i'm trying to figure out whether to convert to mxf or dnxhd for resolve then into vegas?

any thoughts on software to do conversion? have spare capacity on fast laptop (no vegas on it - used my lic. on another laptop already)

any thoughts as to which format might be smoother / more reliable in vegas longform (and precisely which bit rate, etc.,).

final output will be web, intranet (probably mp4 hd @ 720), and (for the first time in a long while), dvd.

tia

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 7/29/2013, 11:32 PM
I would say whichever handles more smoothly on your editing timeline.
Another thought is Cineform.
ushere wrote on 7/30/2013, 12:17 AM
hi musicvid10,

am happy enough using a freebie rather than paying for cineform - which i had at one stage....

i was hoping you, or someone, might have experience using both on a timeline and could give me some indication as to which played better with vegas. in the past i've used mxf as an inter. and been quite happy with it, but the other mans grass (might be greener?).
farss wrote on 7/30/2013, 12:37 AM
[I]" in the past i've used mxf as an inter. and been quite happy with it, but the other mans grass (might be greener?). "[/I]

I too have regularly used MXF 4:2:2 as a I DI however just recently I've had an issue with a project I've used it in. Now I haven't gotten to the bottom just what has caused the problem with noise turning into twinkle twinkle lots of little stars but my first stab in the dark will be to try DNxHD as the DI.

Bob.
Serena wrote on 7/30/2013, 1:04 AM
Until resolve v10 is released its preferred codec is, I think, ProRes. All the Apple users that I've watched demonstrating Resolve happily go back and forth from FCPX and I note that our latest build of Vegas is now supposed to handle ProRes without hanging. You will have watched www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTn2cMoiISM but I haven't yet tried that procedure.
I'm still in the business of adapting my editing machine for Resolve. Now installing ASUS ProArt monitor (replaces old system monitor) plus BlackMagic Intensity Pro to drive the Dreamcolor grading monitor. I don't enjoy opening up these black boxes!
When Resolve v10 arrives I intend to use cineform avi files throughout.
ushere wrote on 7/30/2013, 2:30 AM
@ bob - please let me (us) know if you find dnxhd any 'better', faster, whatever, than mxf.

file size isn't really a problem, but i would like smooth pb to the Nth degree ;-)

@ serena - good luck with the new setup.... why cineform?
Serena wrote on 7/30/2013, 2:51 AM
Cineform: it is my habit to convert all my camera files to Cineform 4:2:2 all I-frame format. Works well for me, but I would have to say this is my habit rather than be able to give you a good technical explanation about it providing a superior workflow. My purpose is to go straight to a high quality DI before I start messing with the files. Also it is compatible with BlackMagic gear, which is further practical reason. However I bow to Bob on all such issues!
musicvid10 wrote on 7/30/2013, 8:54 AM
On my lowly notebook, mxf handles a little better than dnxhd, which in turn handles a little better than cineform. I don't quite get full fps preview with any of them.

If I was doing more than a couple of generations, I would use some fairly high bitrate dnxhd, based on tests I ran quite some time back.

videoITguy wrote on 7/30/2013, 10:32 AM
Another vote for Cineform, I always use it in my workflows as digital intermediate. I do use mxf from time to time. I find they flow equally well on the timeline, but Cineform has a distinct edge in frame by frame editing and less generation artifacting. 5 gens of Cineform to about 3 gens of mxf.

The point made about ProRes for davinci resolve is well taken - but you would do better for color grading solution in VegasPro with the full package of Cineform - it is not that awful of a price - and it is whole lot better integrated solution to manipulation in workflow common with Vegas editors.
musicvid10 wrote on 7/30/2013, 10:47 AM
The free Cineform encoder (from GoPro Studio) is exposed in older versions of Vegas (not 12 I understand). Works quite well from the few tests I've run.