Vocabulary: details matter





Key terms ('standards' that Premier, FinalCut, DaVinci Resolve...etc understand)

  • Aspect ratio
  • Resolution
  • Scanning method
  • Frame rate

  • Codec



Modes we need to understand:
HD: 4K, 1080p, 1080i, 720p



Notes

Question

Youtube has a 1080p option. But it is not necessarily better quality than broadcast HD. Why?
Notes

Video Format



Data rate conveys how many bits that are processed per second. Even in the same standard (eg. 1080p), if the videos are compressed differently, they will have different data rates. Generally image quality degrades the more you compress. Data rate correlates to file size as well.

Thus a broadcast 720p may look much better than a highly compressed youtube 1080p file.



From Wikipedia article for "bit rate"

  • 16 kbit/s - videophone quality (minimum necessary for a consumer-acceptable "talking head" picture using various video compression schemes)
  • 400 kbit/s YouTube 240p videos (using H.264)
  • 750 kbit/s YouTube 360p videos (using H.264)
  • 1 Mbit/s YouTube 480p videos (using H.264)
  • 2.5 Mbit/s YouTube 720p videos (using H.264)
  • 3.5 Mbit/s typ -- Standard-definition television quality (with bit-rate reduction from MPEG-2 compression)
  • 3.8 Mbit/s YouTube 720p (at 60fps mode) videos (using H.264)
  • 4.5 Mbit/s YouTube 1080p videos (using H.264)
  • 6.8 Mbit/s YouTube 1080p (at 60 fps mode) videos (using H.264)
  • 9.8 Mbit/s max -- DVD (using MPEG2 compression)
  • 8 to 15 Mbit/s -- HDTV quality (with bit-rate reduction from MPEG-4 AVC compression)
  • 19 Mbit/s approximate -- HDV 720p (using MPEG2 compression)
  • 24 Mbit/s max -- AVCHD (using MPEG4 AVC compression) [Probably 1080p]
  • 25 Mbit/s approximate -- HDV 1080i (using MPEG2 compression)
  • 29.4 Mbit/s max -- HD DVD
  • 40 Mbit/s max -- 1080p Blu-ray Disc (using MPEG2, MPEG4 AVC or VC-1 compression)
  • 1.4 Gbit/s -- 10-bit 4:4:4 Uncompressed 1080p at 24fps
Notes

Video File Formats



Video stored as a file on the computer has two parts

Quicktime or Windows Media File is a wrapper/container:



Codec: "coder-decoder" or "compressor-decompressor". So what is contained in the wrapper is a compressed video/audio file.


For hand-ins, I will ask you to use the H.264 codec in mp4 file format.

Adobe Premier Review

Notes

Anatomy of a Video Camera (Hardware)

Notes

Video Camera Menu (Software)

When you checkout a camera, I want you to look for the following. I strongly suggest you choose the same image quality for all your footage for a project. Dealing with different quality footage is a nightmare. (Merging 24 fps footage with 30 fps footage?)


Notes

SONY camcorders (CX700, CX900, FDR-AX100 4K and others)

Getting footage from the camera:
  1. Connect the camera to the computer via USB. Note that the USB cable is hidden in the camera handle. There is an extension in the camera bag


  2. On the camera menu, choose "USB Connect". And a volume should appear on your Desktop


  3. If you shot XAVC S HD
    • Go to Untitled -> private -> M4ROOT -> CLIP.
    • Files with the MP4 extensions are your video files. Copy them to your drive


  4. If you shot AVCHD
    • Select the drive "NO NAME" (or Untitled). Go inside AVCHD (which may be inside a folder named "Private") by righ-clicking and selecting "Show Package Contents".




      Repeat with BDMV.





      You will see a folder named "STREAM". The files with the MTS extensions are your video files. Choose the clips you want and copy to your drive.

    • In summary the video files are located here: NO NAME -> (Private) -> AVCHD -> BDMV -> STREAM ->
Notes

Nikon (D7000, D7100, D7200, D7500)

- Better optics. More manual control (eg. depth-of-field) through aperture/shutter speeds.
- Interface slightly more complicated (designed originally to take photos)

Basics:
- Use the "Auto" setting
- To turn a Nikon DSLR into a video camera, turn #54 (Live view selector) dial to video and press the #53 (Live view button)
- The record button is the red dot (#10 in picture below) close to the shutter


Key points:
- You can use the main menu to change the video format or you can hit the info button while in video mode

- If you want autofocus, you really want to use continuous autofocus (AF-F). If you use regular autofocus for photography, the camera will focus with jerky movement.
Use manual focus by manually turning the focus ring on the lens or turn on continuous autofocus. Press the Focus-mode selector button (#26 on the picture) and rotate the Main command dial (#47 in the picture)



from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5KfzXo43M




from http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d7100/compatibility03.htm
To capture footage from Nikon cameras.
  1. Connect the camera to the computer through a USB cable
  2. Use the app, Imagecapture
Notes