How can I downconvert an HD AVI to an SD AVI?

[Xoanon]

I've just rendered my first HD footage using InstantHD in Adobe Premiere Pro. The file is a Cineform HDV AVI, 1080i at25fps. It plays fine in Windows Media Player, but I am unable to open it in VirtualDub (something about a Windows VFW error) or TMPGEnc Plus in order to downconvert it to SD or encode it to DVD-standard MPEG2. How can I do this?

I tried starting a new SD project in Premiere Pro and importing the HD clip in. I then applied InstantHD selecting the SD setting for PAL, but the video size and ratio remained unchanged (still HD resolution).

What do people suggest? The only thing right now I can do is import the clip into Premiere Pro and use the Scale option to resize the video. But this would not be a properly downconverted SD video file.

I'm very new to HD and would appreciate any help or information anyone has so I can convert my HD footage to SD for DVD authoring.

Thank you in advance.

[bobkart]

TMPGEnc worked fine for me. I've made a couple of DVDs from *.m2t files transferred from my Sony HDR-HC3.

[Xoanon]

Mine's an AVI, not a .m2t. I dragged it into TMPGEnc but it didnt work...

[edDV]

I'd set the Premiere Pro project to 1080i, then import the file and drag it to the timeline. Then export through the "Adobe MPeg Encoder" to DVD spec MPeg2.

[Xoanon]

By "Premiere Pro project" you mean the SD project I talk about above? Are you saying change the default settings for DV Pal video to 1080i?

[edDV]

By "Premiere Pro project" you mean the SD project I talk about above? Are you saying change the default settings for DV Pal video to 1080i?

I mean set project to CineForm 1080i if that is what it is and then let the MPeg2 encoder perform the downscale to 576i MPeg2. Then you can review the 576i result before import into Encore for authoring. That is the normal process flow for Premiere.

[Xoanon]

The Adobe Encoder freezes on me as I set the parameters. Id prefer to author in TMPGEnc if someone can tell me how to downconvert.

[edDV]

The Adobe Encoder freezes on me as I set the parameters. Id prefer to author in TMPGEnc if someone can tell me how to downconvert.

TMPGEnc doesn't support Cineform format. You will need to convert 1080i Cineform to 1080i uncompressed or Huffyuv compression in Premiere Pro first. I'd finish in Premiere Pro.

Premiere could also downconvert to 576i uncompressed or Huffyuv.

[Xoanon]

OK, so I have my HD project open with my HD 1080i video on the timeline. Do I simply change the export settings to Microsoft AVI and under video select "Huffyuv" in the dropdown lists?



Well that seems to work! So I can export HD video this way and even though Im not using a HD codec per se, using Huffyuv will render a HD-quality file, is that right?

Many thanks if this is indeed true.

[edDV]

OK, so I have my HD project open with my HD 1080i video on the timeline. Do I simply change the export settings to Microsoft AVI and under video select "Huffyuv" in the dropdown lists?



Well that seems to work! So I can export HD video this way and even though Im not using a HD codec per se, using Huffyuv will render a HD-quality file, is that right?

Many thanks if this is indeed true.

That would give you 1080i huffyuv if I'm following. Is it 1920x1080 or 1440x1080? Just curious.

You could also Export Movie and spec 720x576 Huffyuv if you want to go back to 4:2:2 SD.

Or Export to the MPeg encoder should also work.

[Xoanon]

But exporting from the HD timeline in Huffyuv as opposed o Cineform will will render a HD-quality file, is that right? In other words, I dont have to use the Cineform codec?

[edDV]

But exporting from the HD timeline in Huffyuv as opposed o Cineform will will render a HD-quality file, is that right? In other words, I dont have to use the Cineform codec?

True. Cineform is a digital intermediate format that has advantages for editing and disk usage. You can export from Cineform in uncompressed YUV (very large), huffyuv (lossless compression) or MPeg2 (various compression rates) in high definition or standard definition.

[Xoanon]

Excellent, so it seems this is sorted. Thanks a lot edDV!

[David Newman]

The Premiere 1.5.1 didn't come will all the tools you need for using CineForm files. CineForm Intermediate decoding requires the VfW codec installed to do what you wish to do. You can get if for free from www.cineform.com by download the trial of Connect HD. You can uninstall Connect and leave the decoders.

David Newman
CTO, CineForm

[Xoanon]

Thank you for the information, I am downloading it now.

But exporting to Huffyuv from an HD timeline is indeed acceptable, is it not? Im exporting as a 1080p file and I am going to bring this straight into the MPEG encoder to do a high bitrate encoding process.

[David Newman]

Yes you can use HuffYUV, the files size is just a lot bigger.

David Newman
CTO, CineForm

[Xoanon]

But exporting using the VFW codec once installed, the resulting AVI can be opened in VirtualDub?

[David Newman]

VirtualDub and anywhere else AVIs are welcome.

David Newman
CTO, CineForm

[edDV]

I'm impressed that the Chief Technology Officer of Cineform is monitoring VideoHelp. Thanks Mr. Newman from the video foothills.

[David Newman]

Sorry, I'm not able to be everywhere, I try a monitor about four video production forums actively. I'm helped with tools like bloglines.com which has a neat feature that tells me about posts in any part of the world if "CineForm" pops up. GoogleAlert.com does something smiliar. Anyway that is how I found my way here.

David Newman
CTO, CineForm

[Xoanon]

Your help is very much valued by the community. Thanks a lot Mr Newman.