Method And Apparatus For Converting And Optimizing Editing Files

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a converted edit file based on an original editing file, by correlating the various entries of the original edit file and calculating new editing data to be used in the converted edit file. The method further optimizes the HDTV-TL by systematically merging adjacent film segments thus minimizing the cost / time to telecine those merged film segments.

Description

I. CLAIM OF PRIORITY [0001] This application claims priority as a continuation patent application to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 231,776 entitled Method And Apparatus For Converting And Optimizing Editing Files, which was filed on Aug. 28, 2002. That application is incorporated herein by reference.II. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to data processing that appertains to the motion picture arts. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of processing data representing an edit decision list and a telecine log. III. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] In an effort to open up overly congested airways and deliver high quality television images, several countries are currently exploring converting from an analog signal infrastructure to a digital signal infrastructure. Converting to digital signals frees up bandwidth so that all devices, such as cellular phones and police and air traffic control systems, can operate more safely and efficie...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This method efficiently and accurately produces an edited HDTV master with reduced labor and telecine costs, avoiding the risks of negative cutting and human error, while ensuring high picture quality for HDTV broadcast.

Problems solved by technology

The quality of this picture is so amazing that many video and film engineers cannot even distinguish it from a picture generated from an actual 35 mm print.

Unfortunately, television broadcasters have been slow to fulfill the potential of this new digital format.

Though some new television programs are being recorded in HDTV, there is not enough digital subject matter to meet viewer demand.

To alleviate this problem, a number of broadcasters have attempted to convert older television shows to the HDTV standard and have found that the cost for post-production facilities to perform the conversions using standard editing methods is simply too high.

The alternative of FIG. 11, however, is generally more expensive than that of FIG. 10 because the telecine process is very expensive and is dependent on the amount of footage actually telecined.

For shows that underwent the on-line editing process described with reference to FIG. 9, several problems exist when converting the NTSC-assembled program to HDTV.

First, one simply cannot convert the edited NTSC master 12 to HDTV, nor can one use the NTSC source tapes 5-7 for HDTV conversion because NTSC video quality is substantially lower than HDTV.

Therefore, the NTSC-TL 10 may be over inclusive, requiring very expensive telecine time.

Against the backdrop of these problems, only two options are available for converting the online edited NTSC program to HDTV, however both are risky, costly and time consuming.

Unfortunately, every time film technicians handle a film negative, they risk damaging the negative with dirt, hair, scratches or worse.

Further, negative cutting is a very precise and rather risky process that when not performed correctly can cause irreparable damage to the original film stock.

However, because a professional editor must spend a significant amount of time sorting through the show's many segments to find each used segment of the show, this process is rather expensive and is still subject to human error.

Also, telecining all the negatives to HDTV is very expensive, further driving up the costs.

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