A couple of workflow questions:

1. Working in a 1080i project with SD clips. The SD 4x3 clips are automatically stretched into the 16:9 monitors. Is there anyway to force them to maintain their aspect ratio in a sequence with 16:9 HD clips? Do I have to use the REFORMAT:Sidebars effect on every clip, and what if I'm trying to mix media in a PiP effect? This is getting very complicated.

2. Using 1 or 2 HD 1080i broll shots in an SD sequence and trying to do a digital cut out, the AVID wants to transcode everything in the sequence, instead of just the 2 clips that are a different resolution. Is there a way to force it to just transcode the foreign shots and leave the native ones be? (Yes I know I could transcode the shots manually and re-edit them into the sequence, but that has it's own problems in several instances.

3. Why does rendering a segment effect on an HD clip in an SD project not create an SD media clip? Is there a way to make it do so?

Thanks guys

Gelf

Bumped.

Anyone? Bueller?

A little help here?

The render is correct, Avid wants you to make a nice solid piece of media, basically, so you can play through your box. (haven't seen what this is like on the new hardware)

And yes, it's complicated, HD just is. The reformat is how my clients do it. You choose what most of the footage is formatted as and go with that, making the rest of it match. Imagine a modern DVD "making of" project where there are 3 shapes of clips. This is why having insanely fast machines helps in HD. Many renders. That's why the post houses with "big iron" are surviving out here. It's the only way to get an online done quickly, sheer horsepower.

If you have a couple of clips, I'd almost say turn them into HD first and then bring them in, making it all 16:9 HD.

Any of the heavyweight editor/users wanna weigh in on this? I'm always looking for ways to speed things up on the way out.