New 10-bit Uncompressed Video Transcoding Options

A touch of Black Magic is helping us to create uncompressed digital video file format options for professional content creators and video archivists

Digitising a 1985 analogue BVU U-Matic videotape to Quicktime 10-bit Uncompressed YUV at SimplyDV

As part of our quest to provide the best possible video transfer, digitising and transcoding services at the most economical prices to the widest range of customers – from home users to professional video production clients – we’re now upgrading our analogue video file digitisation and conversion facilities to cater for fully uncompressed file formats compatible with post-production as well as video archiving standards.

Thanks to Blackmagic Design’s brand new broadcast-quality Intensity Shuttle Thunderbolt digital video and audio conversion hardware and software running on a dedicated Apple Mac workstation, we’re equipped to capture and convert a wide range of analogue videotape sources to uncompressed digital video formats for use on Apple Mac and Windows-based systems.

Digitising and Transcoding Video from BVU tape to 10-bit Uncompressed Quicktime

Among these are 8-bit and 10-bit uncompressed Quicktime MOV, AVI and DPX file formats as well as all Apple ProRes422 encoding options for use in Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro CS5/6 and Avid Media Composer on the Apple platform; additionally, we can supply lossless AVI equivalents for producers working with Windows workflows.

The advantage of editing or archiving video that is free from compression is that you have footage which is “as is” when converted from analogue video footage to a new digital video master. This will provide you with that extra bit of scope for grading and manipulating clips in post production.

We’re also able to provide you with upscaled clips. We can capture direct from analogue video sources such as VHS, S-VHS, BVU, BVU-SP, Betacam-SP, etc., and convert from SD (standard definition) to your preferred HD format – such as MPEG-4 H.264 720p, 1080i or 1080p for inclusion in HD video editing projects. The ability to perform this effectively is, of course, limited to the quality of the footage but we’ll always have a go for you and advise on options.

So, if you’re seeking a higher standard of video transcoding to uncompressed formats from your analogue sources, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.