Capturing to FCP using old video decks....

I'm going to connect a betacam and vhs player to a video switcher. The switcher will connect to a dv deck and send video feed via firewire to my mac for capturing.
Does anyone out there know if this configuration will work? Any advice is helpful. Thanks.

It will work if the the two tape players, the switcher and the record deck are all in sync and this depends on the type of switcher you have
method A
the outputs of the two decks each go through a TBC or a frame synchroniser to stabilise the signal, which feeds the switcher ( the Beta machine usually has a buit in TBC )Additianally, a sync generator has to send a sync signal to the three decks and the switcher.
method B
if the switcher has a built in frame synchroniser on eack input, the players can be connected directly to the switcher inputs
Why do you need to use a switcher?
why not capture each tape in turn direct to the Mac, dispensing with syncing problems

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Ooop...I answered you at the Cow.
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Jon,
What Julianne said at first about re-linking made perfect sense and I followed it easily, had actually already been there. But in my situation now, it didn't have any effect. The directory of folders which had already been added were still just as they were, and the outstanding balance are not in the desired position. And the folders which had been brought in earlier today when I clicked "synchronize folder", were still missing all the metadata.
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Monitoring audio in sync with video when capturing in FCP studio

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The preview checkbox is ticked and the audio monitor indicates that sound is being picked up (the levels rise and fall) but I still can't hear anything! The audio/video sync on the external monitor is ok, but because there is a time delay between that and the video capture window, I can't use that as a reliable monitor for sound sync. If I could resolve the video sync problem there, then I could monitor the sound through the external monitor.

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It isn't an Easy Setup per se. I modified the "generic capture" template in the capture preset editor to use DV video from the AJHD1400 as the "Digitizer" and set the "Compressor" to be h.264 at 100% quality.
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Format Hard Drive for Capture w/ FCP and use on PC?

Can someone tell me how I can format a hard drive that will ultimately be used by a client with only PC's -- so that I can capture video on my Mac using FCP?
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Thank you so much. The NTFS-3G did the trick. I have one more dumb question (again...I'm completely PC-illiterate). Would .dv be the best format for me to capture video again for a client who is a home user of a PC? I was planning to capture with FCP (in .mov format) -- but perhaps for ease of use for the client, I should use Toast or iMovie and capture in .dv?
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Unable to initialize video deck, (can not capture from camera)

Hello All,
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Mike Wardynski

Are there any other firewire devices connected to your Mac?
Did you go into your easy setup and reselect the DV setting for the standard you are using?
Also sometimes, shutting down and restarting your Mac, after making these changes some times allows the new device to be recognized.
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TV@ Plus, what video capture settings to use?

I have a TV@ Plus and am unsure what video capture settings to use. I've had it for several months and solved my audio problems and need to know what Video Input Format, Capture Format (Profile), Capture - Size, Quality, Bit Rate and Audio Format settings to use. Should I use the same settings for all input sources or do I use different settings for CATV and S-video inputs? It seems to be OK with my current settings as far as capture and playback goes, I'm OK on the hardware part but with tech detatails I'm a bit .
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My computer sound is monitor mounted stereo speakers.
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Quote from: HenryW on 12-September-06, 04:25:48
I have a TV@ Plus and am unsure what video capture settings to use. I've had it for several months and solved my audio problems and need to know what Video Input Format, Capture Format (Profile), Capture - Size, Quality, Bit Rate and Audio Format settings to use.
I already had transferred and converted some of my old VHS and VCD movie collections into DVDs (using Composite Input).
The higher the bit rate the better quality video output you will have - but bigger file size.
To give you an example:
A 2 hour video captured on MPEG set at 4000/bps will be translated it to 3.58GB. More than enough to be written on a 4.7 DVD.
For audio bit rates, you can choose from 128/bps to 224/bps. As for me I set it to 224/bps. Again the bigger bit rates the better audio output. And don't forget to slide up the audio record level to 100%. That will give you a better and clearer recorded audio output.

Can't use HDV quicktime .mov files (captured in FCP on a mac at work) on PC

Hiya everyone!
I've taken some work home from the macs at work, but can't open it on my PC.
Footage was captured in FCP on a mac at work, HDV quicktime .mov, but won't open in the newest quicktime, windows media player and more importantly in Adobe After Effects CS3 or Premiere Pro CS3 on my PC at home.
When I try opening the files in quicktime, the screen is white, but the audio plays. They don't open in windows media player at all. When I try to import them into Premiere, I get a message reading, "Error Message, Codec missing or unavailable". But they import into After Effects, except they only play as white...
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The HDV files that won't open read as:
Source: *.mov
Format: HDV 1080i50, 1920 x 1080, Millions 16-bit Integer (Little Endian), 48.000 kHz
Movie FPS: 25.00
Playing FPS: (Available when playing)
Data Size: 69.53 MB
Data Rate: 28.10 mbits/sec
Current time: 00:00:01.64
Duration: 00:00:20.76
Normal size: 1920 x 1080
Current size: 1920 x 1080
Anything smaller than 1920 x 1080 plays fine.
I've been all through google, and the adobe and apple sites, and the best I could find is here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=7753066#7753066
and
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8159317&#8159317
My problem is almost identical to these 2...
No one in the whole world seems to have an answer...
Does anyone here know how I can use the HDV files from the work macs on my PC at home?
-Kaiwin

HEy, I have been looking into this problem... i also wanted to play quicktime files using my pc... The last thing i tried was downloadiing these codecs
1)apple pro res *for pc
2)mpeg 2 codec for pc
I have HDV files captured on a Mac G5 they are 30p 720,
I think i am close to solving the problem because: before installing the codecs i couldn't see the video and only audio.. but now i open it and i can see the video partially... here are my screen captures....
anyone interested in getting this solved???,... i would also like some help in importing m2t files from VLC player to HDV split where they can be read and edited. Thank you.
Ultimately my goal is to be able to edit these HDV files directly and export them back out with good quality.. because my only editing choice right now is Windows movie maker.
this is an error i got from the HDV split program. Its supposed to read m2t files..

Anyone using Elgato Video Capture with good results?

I've got some VHS tapes that I want to edit in iMovie '11 (and/or FCE).
Viewed on a TV monitor, the image quality of the tapes varies from acceptable to very good - but I am very disappointed with the quality of the video once imported, using Elgato Video Capture, to my MBP. It is very indistinct and washed out. Only the audio remains as clear as the original.
Anyone had any success with using Video Capture to convert old tapes?
Any advice and/or feedback would be much appreciated!

conran wrote:
Thanks Coolmax - I tried that, but no discernible improvement unfortunately.
These are the tech specs from the Elgato site:
Video resolution: 640×480 (4:3) or 640×360 (16:9)
Video format: H.264 at 1.4 MBit/sec or MPEG-4 at 2.4 MBit/sec
Audio: AAC, 48kHZ, 128 kBit/sec
I've tried both H.264 and MPEG-4 without much success. The resulting footage is always extremely grainy and 'muddy'. Any other ideas?
If I understand this correctly, Elgato can save your footage either in H.264 or MPEG-4 and you tried both. If the original file plays with ok quality and the resulting footage after being finalized by iMovie 11 look worse, I think we need to determine what are you finalizing to?
In "Export to Quicktime", you can choose the compressor to "none". Do this with a short clip as the resulting file will be big. Play back this video.
If there is a degradation in video, then you know it is iMovie 11 process that is causing it. From here on, you can further compress the video using Handbrake and adjust the settings to give best quality vs size.
There are software available on the PC side that can enhance and resize an already weak VHS captured footage and make it look better before you import it into iMovie 11. But this require quite a bit of computer horsepower to complete it in any acceptable time frame.

How to import parts of old videos towards FCP ?

In order to create a new video, I have to import to FCP very long old videos by exclusively using very short parts of these old videos. How to do to avoid to clutter the events of FCP and keep only the interesting parts ?

Easier than you think
File -> Import -> Show iPhoto Browser
You can drag Events over one at a time from iPhoto - this will get all the versions etc.
Note that this will always lead to Managed images in the Aperture Library.
Are you sure that you want multiple Libraries? They're quite inconvenient because you can only have one open at any time, so only one is searchable etc. You can achieve enormous separation between projects just using Projects, Keywords etc. And if you're worried about disk space running a Referenced Library is a cinch in Aperture.
Of course, iPhoto can do multiple Libraries too.
Regards
TD

Using Digital Beta deck with FCP 4

Can one use a digibeta deck with FCP via a firewire? What should the settings be if I want to keep everything uncompressed? Space is not an issue. I ask since I've only used minidv and DVcam.
thanks so much!

You need a capture card (Aurora, AJA, Decklink) and drives capable of uncompressed playback.
The only card that captures and sends the signal thru a firewire cable is the AJA I/O, but the Aurora and Decklink solutions are cheaper. Aurora being my favorite.
Shane

Please Help:(,Unable to capture from camcorder using Audigy 2 ZS Video Edi

Hi there! Well I have been trying to use the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 zs video editor to transfer Hi8 tapes from my camcorder (Samsung SLC860) to my laptop (Compaq presario, AMD Athlon 64 3200+, .25 GB RAM, xp). I have successfully done this before *sort of*. Before i was able to capture video from my camcorder without the sound. But now I cant even capture video! I get an error when using Ulead VideoStudio 8 SE reading: 5065:29:0. Please help, anything would be great! Thank you! Oh, i've tried reinstalling the drivers already, didnt work. P.S. I connect the camcorder to the Creative Audigy using S-Video. I have also tried A/V out from the camcorder to video-in on the Audigy. I have also downloaded VidCap and other driver updates from Creative but those didn't work either. I've tried VidCap other capture programs, none worked. Any help would be great. Thank you!
Message Edited by DjShadowalker on <SPAN class=date_text>06-06-2006 <SPAN class=time_text>:09 AM
Message Edited by DjShadowalker on 06-06-2006 :09 AM

Hi there! Thanks for the reply, unfortunately, I've tried VidCap and it wont let me capture either. The Start button on Step 3 isn't acti've. Its not bold, and when i click on it nothing happens. But under device manager and Sound, Video and game controllers, there are alot of things. They are as followed: Audio Codecs, Legacy Audio Drivers, Legacy Video Capture Drivers, Media Control Devices, Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Video Editor Audio Device, Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Video Editor Video Device, SoundMAX Intergrated Digital Audio, Video Codecs. Do you think any of these could be interfering with one another? If so, which ones can be safely disabled? I've also tried downloading all the necessary updates for VidCap and I've even tried reinstalling the Audigy card many times. I am able to see the preview of the video on both programs VidCap and VideoStudio but I just can't capture. Once again, the error message on VideoStudio is: 5065:29:0. Thank you so much, hopefully I hear from ya soon and this can be fixed.

Capturing to FCP using old video decks....

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