Chapter 2 Working with DVCPRO HD 45
720p50 DVCPRO HD
The 720p50 DVCPRO HD format supports 50 and 25 fps recording. When you record at
25 fps, the camera CCD captures images at the lower rate but the recording rate stays
fixed at 50 fps.
720pN DVCPRO HD Native Frame Rate Recording
Camcorders such as the Panasonic AG-HVX200 allow you to record 720p footage onto
P2 cards without duplicating frames. Because the footage is recorded at the intended
frame rate, this method is called native frame rate recording and is often indicated by the
letter N. For example, 720p60 camcorders can record 720pN30 and 720pN24 formats.
720p50 camcorders can record the 720pN25 format. For details about how to best ingest
these formats, see “Panasonic AG-HVX200 Camcorder Compatibility” on page 105.
720p DVCPRO HD Variable Frame Rate Recording
Some 720p DVCPRO HD camcorders allow you to create slow- and fast-motion effects
by recording at variable frame rates.
Â720p60 camcorders can record frame rates between 4 and 60 fps.
Â720p50 camcorders can record frame rates between 4 and 50 fps.
For example, you can create slow motion with the Panasonic Varicam camcorder by
setting an intended playback frame rate of 24 fps and then recording at 60 fps. When
60 fps footage is played at 24 fps, slow-motion effects are created. For more
information, see “Using the DVCPRO HD Frame Rate Converter” on page 51.
Setting System Frequency on a Panasonic Varicam Camcorder
The Panasonic Varicam camcorder can record at the standard NTSC-compatible
rate of 59.94 fps or at exactly 60 fps. Final Cut Pro only supports DVCPRO HD video
transfer via FireWire at 59.94 fps (or one of its variants, such as 29.97 or 23.98 fps).
If you want to capture DVCPRO HD footage via FireWire, make sure you record your
footage with the system frequency of your camcorder set to 59.94, not 60. For more
information, see the documentation included with the Panasonic Varicam camcorder.