Transcoding from AVCHD 60i for 24p

Sorry for this long post. I have spent a long time looking for answers.

I would like to combine different formats into one sequence. I primarily have AVCHD 1080p24 but need to include some 1080i60. All shot with Panasonic Lumix GH2.

I have logged and captured with FCP7 – Target Format = Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)

FCP7 says:

- Source Format 1080p24 is Vid Rate 23.98 fps / 1920x1080 / TC Format = Non-Drop / Pulldown = None

- Source Format 1080i60 is Vid Rate 29.97 fps / 1920x1080 / TC Format = Drop Pulldown = Upper (Odd)

I would much prefer to make the 29.97 conform to the 23.98. But I don’t know exactly what my workflow should be. Want to retain highest quality possible for eventual DVD and Blu-Ray. Do I need to use compressor on the 29.97 before dropping them into my Sequence set up for 23.98?

All of my clips look good in the viewer slug. They also play fine when I put them individually in my sequence with conformed setting (letting FC change settings automatically). Only issue was some slight alternating horizontal lines in the 29.97 clips. The lines are tolerable, but in any case, I thought that I needed to deinterlace the 1080i60 - 29.97 fps. Is that correct? CompressorManualLink

I put the quick time files transferred through fcp into compressor and tride some different transcodes.

• - Apple ProRes 422 HQ Reverse Telecine. (This produced 24p).
• - Also tried this with the “for Interlace material” and “for Progressive material” versions also set at Telecine and got the same result.
• - Apple ProRes 422 HQ for Interlaced Material with Frame Controls set to Resize Filter “Fast”. Output Fields “Progressive”. Deinterlace “Best (Motion compensated). Anti-alias & Details Level “0”. Rate Conversion “Best High Quality motion compensated”. Duration 100%. (This took a long time to process).

I imported these new transcoded clips into Final Cut.

Once again they, all play fine in the viewer slug except for some strange blotchy pixel distortion at one part on the clip that I did not use Reverse Telecine on.

However, I did the same test with the timeline and all of the clips now have horizontal lines at least 10 times worse than before! The clip without reverse telecine (still in 29.97) is slightly better off. My sequence settings are:

HDTV 1080i (16:9) - I’m not sure what this should be…

Pixel Aspect Ration = Square

Field Dominance = None

Timebase = Set according to clip I was testing

Quicktime Compressor = ProRes 422 (HQ)

Quality = 100%

I’m guessing my workflow is wrong. Do I need to just drop the non transcoded 29.97 clips into the 23.98 sequence and then “send to” Compressor? What settings would I need to use? Or am I supposed to some how transfer/capture the clips into compressor before trasfering to FCP? I don’t know how to work with AVCHD format without first transferring to FCP via ProRes compressor.