What conversions does Standards Conversion do?
The Standards Conversion plugins does:
NTSC 60i to PAL
PAL 50i to NTSC
NTSC 30p to PAL
PAL 25p to NTSC
NTSC to 24p
24p to NTSC
60p to 24p
24pAdvanced to 24pNormal
Film Source NTSC to PAL
PAL to 24p via remove 1 field every half second method
24p PAL to PAL via add 1 field every half second method
What happens to the audio?
The plugin leaves the audio alone. However, FCP will slightly adjust the audio on some conversions to account for the difference between NTSC's 29.97fps frame rate and the 30fps that gets converted to PAL. This means that in the PAL to NTSC and NTSC to PAL conversions FCP will slightly alter the speed of the audio.
What type of video is the Standards Converter designed to work with?
The Standards Converter is designed to work with standard PAL or NTSC interlaced video, and 24p (or 23.98p). Some of the conversions work better with interlaced (50i or 60i) video, but all will work with progressive video. For instance, PAL to NTSC was tested with a progressive PAL source and the NTSC conversion looked great.
What does Standards Conversion not do?
The Standards Conversion package does not help you get video of different standards into your computer. If your VCR or capture device does not support the standard you want to capture, ie - a PAL DV tape in an NTSC DV camera, then Standards Conversion cannot help you. Standards Conversion only works once you have the video media into your system.
Standards Conversion does not change the audio. In most cases the audio is left alone and remains in sync with the picture. In the case of PAL-1 to 24p the audio must be slowed down (either in FCP or an external audio application) and in 24p to PAL+1, the audio must be sped up. For more information read the notes in the instructional PDF.
How good is the Standards Conversion?
If you're expecting a Snell and Wilcox Alchemist then you're going to be disappointed. Standards Conversion does not use phase correlation motion estimation technology. However, Standards Conversion does use field interpolation which guarantees a constant high quality of conversion that does not get phased by "difficult" scenes.
Does Standards Conversion works on clips or sequences?
Standards Conversion can work on both clips and sequences, but it does not do cut scene detection (I had coded this in but it was too slow to be usable), so if you are worried about the effects of converting over a cut, then you will have to apply the filter to each shot in turn, which may be time consuming. Sequences do work, but can be problematic if they involve speed effects. I find it most reliable to make a movie from the sequence and then convert the movie.
Standards Converter didn't scale my video correctly!
Standards Converter is one of the most complex plugins for FCP yet developed. If the video does not scale, then it has not been nested correctly in the timeline, or the original video has not been dropped in the image well. Please watch the tutorial movie and read the instructions. If there are still problems, contact me and I'll help.
What else can I use Standards Conversion for?
The conversion of NTSC to 24p can be used to produce video for DVD delivery in a 24p format.
It can be used in conjunction with Film Effects.
It can be used to include NTSC or PAL programming as part of a 24p project.
How do I get my copy of Standards Conversion?
Standards Conversion is available for electronic download from the E-Store. Click on the E-Store button on the navigation bar at the top of the web page or click here.
Where can I get a copy of the instruction manual?
Download a PDF copy of the Standards Conversion Instruction Manual by clicking here. |
