The quality of the final product depends mostly on the quality of the source (input) and the quality of the production environment. For best results, use the following guidelines when inputting video into Avid Cinema.
Bring video in using the best quality video source available, such as:
- digital video camera
- 3/4 inch U-matic
- S-VHS
- unplayed Hi-8 or 8mm tape.
Always use a new tape when shooting. 8mm and Hi-8 formats degrade rapidly after repeated use of the tape. When filming, try to shoot in ample light conditions. Using poor light during the filming process can result in visual artifacts in the final product.
Use S-Video cables rather than RCA cables (if possible) because the S-video signal retains more fidelity than the composite signals. Also, longer cables may cause the signal to degrade so use the shortest possible cables.
When sending out your finished movie to tape, it is best to:
- Record to a Hi-8 or S-VHS deck using S-video cables.
- Use a new tape to record onto, not one that has been recorded onto before.
- Make sure that your deck is set to record on standard speed, not long speed.
- Clean the video heads on your deck regularly.
Keep in mind that the picture quality may look better on the computer monitor than it will on the video tape after recording. This is due to the rescaling and encoding process that the signal goes through before being sent out of the computer.
Following these guidelines, you can expect your finished product to be of second generation VHS quality (also known as consumer grade quality). If you do not follow these guidelines and use less than optimum means to produce the video, you may see visual artifacts on the final product such as color bleeding and halo effects in high contrast parts of the picture.
This article was published in the 3 June 1997 "Information Alley".