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Shooting for Streaming, Part 2

Aug 25, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jan Ozer

In our last episode, we faced a paradox. Producing a streaming file of less-than-SD resolution using format-native presets in Adobe Premiere Pro showed much better results for HDV source files than for DV. Yet duplicating the test in Apple Final Cut Pro revealed nearly identical results for HDV and DV. Was this a flaw in Premiere Pro or an error on my part? Does HD or SD produce better quality video when streaming at less-than-SD resolutions?

My first thought was that I had used the wrong DV preset in Premiere, so I duplicated these tests. I got the same result. Then I wondered if the results would be any different if, rather than use the format-native presets for the projects, I used a 640x360 preset in Premiere Pro. This is my standard practice when producing for streaming, although more for convenience than any quality-related issue. Let me explain.

When producing for streaming, you have two logical choices for the project preset. You can use a preset that corresponds to the format of your source video or use a preset that matches your target output—in this case, 640x360. I like the latter approach because it provides the best possible preview of your finished content, which is important when creating and placing titles and even for framing your videos within the target window.

You create a custom preset when starting a new project as shown in Figure 1. Obviously, you insert the target frame size in the appropriate fields, but you should always make sure to choose the Square Pixels (1.0) pixel aspect ratio, even if your source video is DV or HDV and has a different pixel aspect ratio. You should always choose No Fields (Progressive Scan) as well, because most streaming files are progressive.

Continue the discussion on “Crosstalk” the Millimeter Forum.
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