DVMag did a HDV > Filmout test earlier this year, using video sourced with the Sony HVR-Z1U camcorder. More recently, John Jackman has done a similar test using the JVC GY-HD100U. Here’s a few recommended JVC settings, from the lab that did the filmout.

“…stay away from the filmout gamma setting as well as black compress, make sure motion smoothing is off, set white clip to 108 percent and turn detail down or off (I prefer the Minimum setting). Feel free to experiment with black stretch and knee level depending on your scene, but not unless you have a good monitor to evaluate your results.

Pay close attention to exposure, because the HDV format does not allow big corrections in post. Focus is also critical when you shoot for the big screen. If you are shooting for a filmout, do not shoot at 30p unless you intend to slow the footage down in post.”

While the HD100U has several significant differences vs the Sony, offering a 720p 24 mode, and a shorter 12-frame GOP HDV encoding, a lot of the principles should transfer well to other cameras and formats. Overall, this is a very informative and lengthy article, HDV filmmakers will appreciate the read.