Preparing Footage for 2 Projectors

callie

Hi there!
I have been running Isadora exclusively with only one projector, but because of the stage size and the (short) throw distance, I've decided to use 2 projectors for a wider output. I have purchased a Matrox Dual Head2Go to make this possible.

My question is now with the preparation of the files via Premier Pro (CS4). I figured out how to define my frame size which will be 3840 x 1080, but I haven't figured out how to render properly. I have tried (as suggested) to use a NTSC DV preset and the stage size is fine, but the bitrate/framerate is terrible. The footage is the camera doing a turning motion and it now just looks like a big blur. The DSLR recorded in 1920 x 1080 at 29 fps. In my export settings under the NTSC DV preset I know I have to half the resolution, and the frame rate is still at 29 fps, but I can't seem to control the bitrate (which may be the issue).

So, suggestions as to how to maintain clarity in motion while making the exported file Isadora friendly on playback would be greatly appreciated.

mark

Dear Callie,

Let's start with this article: http://troikatronix.com/support/kb/optimizing-for-speed/ Make sure to read it and follow its suggestions.

That being said, I'm a little confused because you cannot control the "bitrate" of NTSC DV -- that option usually only appears for H264, MP4, MPEG and the like.

Furthermore, no matter what you do, NTSC DV resolution is always 720x480 (720x576 for PAL) -- there's no way around this, as this is the standard. (Even if you export it to 1920x1080, which you can do, the internal resolution will always be 720x480 -- it just scales it up to the requested resolution.)

So I'm not really sure what you're doing, as the information you give is giving m mixed signals.

If you're using the footage from the camera, then it's likely MPEG2 or H264, and these are not the optimum codecs to use. (Again, see the KB article.)

In any case, read the KB article and see if that helps.

Best Wishes,

Mark

jhoepffner

Hello, it depend on which platform you perform. For me, working on a recent MBP with a dualHead, I have perfect results with proResLT 2048x768 (limitation to my matrox), very good resolution, not too much bandwidth and easy to export from FCPX or Motion. But that's on mac. It's best to avoid dv, it's now an historic codec, not very nice and quite heavy.

mark

And if you're working on a PC, then you should go to the Preferences, enable "Native Windows Playback" and use WMV/AVI. These are far more efficient than QuickTime movies in the end.

Best Wishes,

Mark