AVCHD Question

[ajcvideo]

If I have 1440x1080 avchd footage (already converted to HQ AVI) is there a benefit in putting into 1920x1080 project or does it even matter? Do I export whatever the project settings are and not the file size?

[SoundFreak]

If your final output will be full HD on bd then yes, if you are using hardware to preview video, text, graphics on a HD tv and output to full HD bd yes.
All other options, no.

When you edit 1440 then upscale later on output, or you use a 1920 time line to start with won't make a difference to video quality; text and graphics will be affected though.

Output res is mostly independant from project settings, but the above rules apply for end result quality.

[Ron Evans]

1440x1080 has a PAR of 1.33 so in square pixels it is the same as 1920x1080. The difference is whether the project converts it to 1920x1080 in the NLE or the playback chain converts for the TV to show at whatever the TV pixel resolution requires. If the TV is 1920x1080 it will be a straight playback of a square pixel 1920x1080 source. If its 1440x1080 then the pixel ratio has to be adjusted on playback whether the TV is a 1920x1080 or a 720 set. It is unfortunate that because of the variety of displays a lot of video is scaled in playback.
I set my projects to 1920x1080 for editing of my mixed AVCHD and HDV sources. I used to set it to 1440x1080 but since my latest AVCHD cams are 1920x1080 and find the output quality markedly better and multicam runs smoother with the 4 tracks ( 2 HDV native and 2 AVCHD HQ 1920x1080). Suggesting that Edius does not do a good job of converting AVCHD 1920x1080HQ to a final HQ 1440x1080 output file from a 1440 x1080 HDV project timeline. Staying in 1920x1080 HD project timeline and outputting a 1920x1080HQ file gives a noticeably better output so that has now become my standard project.

Ron Evans