Snell has announced that the post production company BTV Post has completed successful conversions of low-frame-rate video as part of a beta test of Alchemist OD.
Alchemist OD is the new software-only version of Snell's widely used Alchemist Ph.C-HD standards converter.
BTV Post conducted tests on a variety of material and applied Alchemist OD to convert the footage from 25Hz to Digital Cinema 24Hz, Snell reported.
"With Alchemist OD, Snell has brought its Ph.C technology--long recognized as the gold standard for motion-compensated, frame-rate standards conversion--to the file-based realm," said Jon Lee, chief technology officer, BTV Post. "Since 90 percent of BTV Post conversions either begin, reside, or end in the digital file domain, Alchemist OD is the answer we have sought for conversions that provide unrivaled quality and breathtaking results."
Lee added that the Alchemist OD Snell enabled them to "convert from 24p/25p/29p to any other frame rate and even return to interlaced formats. Ph.C works its magic on all frame rates to deliver dazzling results every time."
Snell is billing Alchemist as the industry's first conversion line to address the daunting challenges of converting digital cinema and other content that is typically created at low temporal rates, including 23.98, 25, and 29.97Hz.
Previously, converting such material meant compromising picture quality unless the speed of the playback was altered, which is not a viable option for music and performing arts content because it produces changes in pitch.
Alchemist OD also was able to perform high-quality 4K conversions at these low temporal rates without affecting the audio.
