2009

Format Conversion
Broadcasters and distributors usually request that you deliver tape masters of your program
in multiple formats. Typically, the required conversions from your program’s original
format include:
• HD-to-SD downconversion: Although most broadcasters require HD tape masters, the
reality is that there is still a huge audience that is limited to SD programming.
Fortunately, this conversion is extremely easy to do at high quality in several ways:
using Final Cut Pro, using Compressor, or using most Final Cut Pro–compatible video
output cards or interfaces.
• SD-to-HD upconversion: If your program was acquired and finished at standard definition,
you may be asked to provide an HD tape master. You can achieve a high-quality
upconversion either by using Compressor prior to tape output or by using third-party
video processing hardware during tape output.
• NTSC-to-PAL conversion: If your program is being shipped immediately for international
broadcast, you may be required to provide both NTSC and PAL tape masters. Depending
on your situation, you can convert your program using Compressor prior to tape output,
or via third-party video-processing hardware during tape output.
• 23.98 fps–to–broadcast frame rate conversion: Most broadcasters don’t transmit programs
at a progressive 23.98 fps. Although you may be required to deliver a 23.98 fps tape
master for archiving purposes, you’re usually required to deliver a 29.97 or 59.94 fps
(for NTSC) or 25 or 50 fps (for PAL) tape master that can be sent to broadcast. You can
convert 23.98 fps video to NTSC video using a Final Cut Pro–compatible video output
card or interface, or third-party video-processing hardware, that can add 3:2 pull-down
to the video signal as it is output to tape for a smooth frame rate conversion.
The following sections describe in more detail the two primary methods you can use for
format conversion.
Perform format conversion using Compressor
When using the highest-quality processing settings employing optical flow analysis,
Compressor is capable of creating extremely high-quality format conversions. It’s an
excellent choice when converting a handful of clips to match the dominant format of
your sequence. The same settings are also useful for converting a program to another
format.
Keep in mind that, because Compressor is a software-based solution, the highest-quality
processing options are also the most time-consuming. However, you can significantly
speed up this processing by having a fast multicore system and by using Apple Qmaster
to create a distributed processing cluster. This cluster uses as many of your computer’s
processing cores as you assign to it, as well as those of other computers available on your
network.
99Chapter 6 Mastering