New format/codec: Need to learn how to utilize it. Please help

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Gents:

I downloaded this HD file which will be broadcast locally here on cable very soon as it contains holiday material/content.

Therefore it needs to be prepared and processed ASAP.

Both the audio (AAC-LC) and video codecs (AVC) are entirely new to my experience to date.

Another significant wrinkle is that this HD file with a .mov extension needs to be downscaled to NTSC SD 16:9 Widescreen Dvd spec MPEG-2 for final delivery.

Lots to digest and incorporate in a hurry.

I have Prem Pro CS 5.5 as my main tool plus anything found here. Just downloaded the newest Largaith update.

Here is what Media Info gives:

General
Complete name : V:\tv122511-001221HD.mov
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : QuickTime
Codec ID : qt
File size : 1.22 GiB
Duration : 30mn 0s
Overall bit rate : 5 806 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-11-28 19:22:27
Tagged date : UTC 2011-11-28 21:04:14
Writing library : Apple QuickTime


Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=2, N=60
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 30mn 0s
Bit rate : 5 497 Kbps
Width : 1 416 pixels
Original width : 1 440 pixels
Height : 1 062 pixels
Original height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Original display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.122
Stream size : 1.15 GiB (95%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2011-11-28 21:01:50
Tagged date : UTC 2011-11-28 21:04:14
Color primaries : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4, SMPTE RP177
Transfer characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4 709, SMPTE RP177

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 30mn 0s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 304 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 320 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 65.1 MiB (5%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2011-11-28 21:01:50
Tagged date : UTC 2011-11-28 21:04:14
Material_Duration : 1800043
Material_StreamSize : 68313449


1) How can I find out if this was shot 1080i or 1080p?

2) What tool can convert this audio type to .Wav or MPEG-Layer II?

3) In Prem Pro CS 5.5, when setting up the project and master sequence what type of a preset is best suitable for this file? Or instead, do I need to make a customized one?

4) Is this file considered AVC, AVC - Intra or H.264/MPEG-4 AVC?


Well, this is a good start for an explanation of my challenge, mission and goals.

I would be most appreciate to be taught "how to fish" long-term.

Thanks so much for participating.

Seasons Greetings to All.

[aedipuss]

mediainfo says progressive, but step through it in vlc and take a look with deinterlacing turned off and see.

really common audio, anything should work ok.

make one most likely. it's 1080p h264, set up the project like you would for HDV, but with h264 video and aac-lc audio

avc is h.264/mpeg-4 part 10.

[Cornucopia]

1. If this is straight from a camera (unprocessed/unconverted), my guess is that it is 1080p30 - NOT 1080p60 or 1080i60. If it's been converted/processed 1st, who's to say.

2. Assuming your Premiere CS5.5 can open/play the file-both audio & video (it ought to by now), it also ought to be able to output a WAV. Possibly an MP2, although that's a somewhat deprecated audio format now. If it can't do it to mp2 and that's what you need. output to WAV and then convert with toolame.

3. Are you planning on doing any editing first? If not, one way to do it is you can just start with a NTSC DVD Widescreen 29.97i template and drop the file into it, resizing so it fits the screen. Make sure to correctly interpret the footage as 16:9 DAR with a 4:3 PAR.

You also may want to consider using a different app to do the converting - there are a number of apps that could do that which are available here, although the .MOV container might give them pause. If so, you can always remux it from .MOV to .MP4 (which would be a more naturally assumed container, at least by those apps), by using QT Pro. Do a search on "convert HD AVC to DVD NTSC" in the tools section, and you should come up with a number of options.

4. As already mentioned, the file is AVC (with AAC audio). AVC is the same thing as h.264/MPEG4-AVC. AVC-Intra is a variation of AVC that ONLY has I-frames (no P- or B-frames) so it has much better edit-ability (but needs higher bitrate to accommodate the quality requirement of all I-frames).

One particularly curious thing I notice about your MediaInfo output is that it is INCORRECTLY determining the "output" vertical resolution because it is seeing the 4:3 as a DAR instead of a PAR, yet it sees the 16:9 DAR correctly. HDV commonly has a true raster of 1440x1080 but displays at 16:9 because its PAR is 4:3 instead of the standard HD PAR of 1:1. I'm guessing that's the same thing going on here, and it's confusing mediainfo...

HTH,

Scott