[demograph68]

I'm using DV footage to edit in FCP 3. When I put footage in After Effects and out again, what codec should I put it in? I would put it back to DV, but won't DV effect the colors? I don't want to use a lossless codec becuase the file will be way to big.(Even for Microcosm) Is Photo-Jpeg a safe bet? Or is editing in DV the "standard" for most video needs? I'm just worried about moderate loss in quality when shifting through different video apps, especially in regard to the codec I would be using. A simple inquery right?

[Uncle Skeleton]

DV only changes the colors if you're converting from another codec. JPEG is worse, if anything

[hadocon]

Use DV. Going between different apps will not make a difference as they will both be using the DV codec, which is of course a standard - as far as I know there are no differences between different DV implementations htat would cause a colour shift. If you are using both FCP and AE on a Mac Quicktime will be handling all of the video operations anyways - technically you will be using the same codec regardless of app.

Just to make sure - double check that you are using NTSC colorspace in both apps. If you are using different colorspaces then you may experience color issues.

[k_munic]

DV is NOT a lossless compression standard.

i don't know, wether these apps do convert internally the dv data stream into another... bits&bytes.

you have the option in both prgs, to export in quicktime/compression none. this means big data, but no losses garantied (garantuied? garantieted? ooops, my english has reached a new low.. too warm in central europe...).

have a look at the forums specialisted for FCP (sorry, just know a german forum... just google around)

[Uncle Skeleton]

well he already said lossless would be too big. Once you accept a lossy codec, it's best to stick with the same lossy codec. At least the frames he didn't edit will be untouched. Also, I assume by "change the colors" he was refering to the brightness/gamma-like change that often occurs when converting between colorspaces (that's RGB/YUV, not anything to do with PAL/NTSC!), and though many different codecs share colorspaces, the best way to be sure is again to use the same codec all the way through. Also, Apple has pushed DV as the editing codec (until we get Pixlet perhaps), so if the apps have any tricks or optimizations, it's likely to be for DV.

[demograph68]

Well, I suppose it's DV then. I was reading the PDF manual that came with my Cleaner 6 and in it, it tells what different quicktime codecs are for what usages. In it it suggested that for optimal lossless quality I use animation codec. (But then I would deal with an enormous file size. I could use Microcosm to save space, but the playback is aweful on my midrange computer) So I tried Photo-Jpeg codec, and noticed that I could get a size smaller than the separate DV version that I encoded at a bit better the quality. Of course there's a demise of some compatability but then this will be used for just capture and editing. But DV is fine enough I suppose, so I'll stick with it for now.... (Pixlet?)

[Uncle Skeleton]

when you play back DV on the screen, you get a low quality "preview" of what it looks like (which allows it to play faster). So you can't compare DV's quality with other codecs just by looking. You can turn on the full quality mode in QTPro in the Movie Properties' "High Quality" setting. Obviously actual rendering when doing effects and when converting to your delivery format will use the high-quality version.

[demograph68]

I already know that, but thanks anyway