Playing Back at Different Video Qualities
The Video Quality Menu button in the Timeline bottom toolbar allows you to switch display resolutions when real-time effects are enabled. This allows you to trade off video quality with smooth playback of real-time effects. If you notice missing frames or choppy video during real-time playback, switch to a lower quality setting.
The following table shows the available video qualities for systems with and without Avid Mojo DNA attached. Blue Dot mode refers to the feature on software-only systems that allows you to toggle real-time effects on and off. See Enabling Real-Time Effects on Software-only Models.
Playback Video Qualities
Icon
Video Quality Name
Systems with
Avid Mojo DNA
Software-only systems
Comments
Full Quality
Highest quality resolution, two fields.
NA
Handles limited effect complexity before the system begins to have difficulties with
real-time playback
Draft Quality (called
Best Quality on software only systems)
1/4 resolution,
single field
1/4 resolution,
single field
Reduces the quality of the image so you can view greater effect complexity in real time
Best Performance
1/16 resolution, single field
1/16 resolution, single field
Provides the fastest playback
Blue Dot mode (click the Toggle Video Display Out button on the top Timeline toolbar.)
NA
full DV 25 resolution, two fields. Use to play to a DV device attached via a 1394 connection.
Plays rendered effects only (only available for DV 25 media). See Enabling Real-Time Effects on Software-only Models.
Full Quality, Draft Quality/Best Quality, and Best Performance are all items on the Video Quality menu.
  On software-only models, the Video Quality Menu button disappears when you click the Toggle Video Display Out button to enter Blue Dot mode.
  On systems with an Avid Mojo DNA attached, real-time effects are always enabled.
To switch video quality playback when real-time effects are enabled:
  In the Timeline toolbar, click the Video Quality Menu button and cycle through the video quality settings to the one you want.
  In the Timeline toolbar, right-click the Video Quality Menu button and select the video quality setting you want from the pop-up menu.
When you change video qualities, immediate changes appear in the quality and the sharpness of the media displayed in the Source/Record monitor.
Once you are satisfied with your sequence using a lower quality setting, switch to the highest quality and use Expert Render to render effects.
On systems without an Avid Mojo DNA, Blue Dot mode provides the highest quality for DV 25 media.

Some features described in Help are available only in Avid Xpress Pro or Avid Xpress DV. For more information about Avid Free DV go to
www.avid.com.