Targa sequence from Vegas

Yoyodyne wrote on 2/17/2006, 11:59 AM

I'm exporting a Targa sequence from Vegas 6c - it's a 30 sec spot in HDV. When I export from other programs I actually get a series of numbered frames. It seems Vegas is exporting this as an .mov file with TGA in properties - everything seems to be fine and it looks very good but I'm wondering if it's doing what I actually think it's doing.

This needs to be a Targa sequence because we are going to import it into a Flame system for dubbing to Beta SP (the horror). My workflow is thus;

-render as - quicktime - TGA - 29.97, 1920 by 1080, bpp32, progressive, 1.0 pixel

Any tips or advice would be great - thanks,
Yoyodyne

Comments

richard-courtney wrote on 2/17/2006, 3:26 PM

I use Videomach from Gromada.com for import/export as a sequence of stills
from a video. I don't know if it handles HDV. The sequence of frames are
one file per frame. (IE: Title001.tga Title002.tga etc.)

You can download it free as a trial.

Chienworks wrote on 2/17/2006, 3:36 PM

I may be behind the times with this question, but isn't Beta SP only SD resolution?

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/17/2006, 5:52 PM

yes it is. digitbeta SP isn't though (Sony marketing REALLY went in to over drive on that one!)

Coursedesign wrote on 2/17/2006, 7:33 PM

???

Digibeta is [interlaced] 10-bit 720x486, so it doesn't qualify as HD by any standard I know of.

fldave wrote on 2/17/2006, 7:33 PM

I would export as png resulting in the sequence numbered files. Then run it through Photoshop/Photoshop Elements using the batch convert to Targa. Haven't done it, but PS has Targa as a batch convert option.

Are you sure there isn't an option in the Targa sequence for this?

Yoyodyne wrote on 2/17/2006, 8:14 PM

Hey thanks for the tips - it turns out the flame system didn't like the tga .mov file too well. They converted it to frames on one of there macs and then imported that sequence into the flame - looked very good. It was interesting too see upconverted HDV on there insanely expensive Sony CRT HD monitor and there much cheaper $20,000 dollar standard def Sony monitor.

In the past I had gone to Beta SP by rendering the timeline out as m2t, sending that to the Sony deck, downconverting from the HDV deck to a Beta SP deck via component. I was not too happy with the results.

I think going back to m2t was a mistake and the Sony HDV deck downconvert leaves a bit to be desired. This new workflow is thus;

export as Quicktime TGA mov file. (I'm assuming it was essentially an uncompressed file - very big in size and it looked very good, I would love to try the PNG method). Take that into the Flame system and have it render out a downconversion to standard def. Dub that to Digibeta, then dub that to Beta SP. I think this last step was more a matter of convenience for the facility.

The Beta SP looks fantastic (for Beta SP), much better than my previous method.
Of course this new method is more expensive and a huge pain in the ass but I sure am happy with the results.

...how do you export to PNG anyway - thanks for the help!

Spot|DSE wrote on 2/17/2006, 9:54 PM

how do you export to PNG anyway - thanks for the help!

Scripting.
Ultimate S offers this option, I *think* Excalibur does too.
You can also use the Tools/scripting/export image sequence and choose PNG in the "Browse" option/dialog

Chienworks wrote on 2/18/2006, 3:47 AM

OK, so, if the goal is to downconvert to SD for printing to Beta SP, why not just render an SD file directly in Vegas?

jetdv wrote on 2/18/2006, 6:31 AM

Yes, Excalibur does too. If you only want a handful, just put the cursor on the frame you want and here's a free script to do that:

SnapshotToFile.js

Snapshots are also discussed in Vol 1 #5 of my newsletters

Yoyodyne wrote on 2/18/2006, 8:58 PM

Thanks a ton for all the help folks!

"OK, so, if the goal is to downconvert to SD for printing to Beta SP, why not just render an SD file directly in Vegas?"

I wanted the flame guy to see the commercial in HD, he does thousands of broadcast spots and I was hoping to borrow is expert eye for a couple questions I had. That way we could tweak it in hi def and really see what we were doing (and what I was doing not so good-ish). I also wanted to compare the hi def and standard def in a room with very good monitors and scopes, it was very educational.

Since we were dubbing from a digital file the cost was the same weather I brought in a standard def render or a high def render - it was going to come off the flame either way. I was also very curious to hear his opinion on how the HDV footage looked, he thought it looked pretty good. He also had no snobbishness about the format which I found interesting - it was all just HD to him.

farss wrote on 2/18/2006, 9:39 PM

I'd just downconvert to either the Sony YUV or BMD SD codecs, hardly need tie up a Flame either, just need a BMD card with component output OR a BVW 75 with the SDI option card and a basic Decklink card.
The 75 with SDI is a rare beast, we might have one of the few on the planet. Pity is no one down here wants SP, I could do a nice job of it out of Vegas.

Bob.