HDR-HC3 DV capture

Okay, so I have had this camera and have been forced to film in DV only because my previous version of final cut HD did not support HD. I found no problems in capturing video from this camera in Final Cut HD. I have recently uploaded an upgrade to Final Cut Studio 5.1.4 and wanted to import some of my old DV tapes to finish a project I am currently doing. For some reason, Final Cut does not recognize the camera. What settings do I need to put my camera and preferences do I need for Final Cut 5.1.4??? I need to finish this project quickly and haven't been able to see this covered in the discussions. Please help me :)!

Hi,
make sure you have DV not HDV selected in your camera menu when trying to capture DV.
However, in the link below there are some pre-capture settings listed for your camera.
Although the OP is concerned with capturing with a different software you may want to
read the thread through:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5609952&#5609952
Best,
Gogi

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Not able to capture HD content from Sony HDR-HC3

I recently purchased Final Cut Express 4, after successfully using iMovie HD for the past year. I successfully captured some DV content (non-HD) from my Sony HDR-HC3 for a project. However, when trying to capture HD footage for a 2nd project, I'm not getting anything. Here's the info:
* I made the change in "Easy Setup..." to set the format to HD using Apple Intermediate Codec 1080i60.
* The footage was shot at 1080i on my HDR-HC3.
* The camera is plugged in via FireWire.
* When I choose "Capture", the the HDV Capture dialog comes up asking me for a file name. Once I give it a file name and click the Capture button, the tape starts playing and I get a black window with "Final Cut Express" in the middle (and the Apple logo). At the bottom, it says "CUEING TAPE (press 'esc' to stop)". When I press 'esc', the tape stops and the black capture window goes away.
* I never see a preview in the capture window, but I see the footage fine in my camera's LCD screen.
* A folder is created in the Capture Scratch folder, with the name I gave in the HDV Capture dialog, but nothing is ever written to this folder. It's empty.
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong...I just don't seem to be capturing any video...FCE is seeing my camera and is taking control (starting and stopping) but nothing is actually being captured.

Ok, I figured it out on my own. Operator error.
When I had captured non HD content using my camera, I had to set the iLink (FireWire) conversion to "On - HDV-->DV" in the camera in order for it to work. I forgot to set it back to "Off", so the camera was downconverting to DV when output through FireWire. Once I turned off the conversion, I was able to capture in HD.

Capturing DV from HDR-HC3 crashes FCE

When I import HD video from my Sony HDR-HC3 into FCE (version 3.5 running on OSX 10.4.6 on a 12-inch 1.33 GHz Powerbook with 768 MB RAM) it works fine.
When I try to import DV (using the i.link conv feature on the HC3 and setting easy setup to DV-NTSC Anamorphic), it warns "Unable to locate the following external devices: Apple Firewire NTSC (720 x 480)". If I continue and try to capture video despite this warning, FCE crashes.
I have tried various other easy setup settings with the same results. (I don't know if it's significant or not, but the warning always says "Apple firewire" even for easy-setup "Basic" setting.)
Also, when FCE crashes it does not put up the usual "report to Apple" dialog. It just quits.
As an aside, I once tried checking the "Do not warn again" box, at which point the warnings, of course, went away but the crashes didn't. Since the "Do not warn again" check box was in the warning dialog, which never appears again once you check it, it seems that there is no way to turn these warnings back on once they are turned off (short of deleting the FCE prefs file, which seems rather inelegant).
Mac OS X (10.4.6)

HDV features require 1GHz or faster processor and 1GB
of RAM (2GB recommended)
I see I am not making myself clear.
I am NOT trying to capture HDV (though that actually DOES work).
I am trying to capture HDV that is being downconverted to regular DV by the camera.
Note that I CAN get this to work on my Mac Mini, which has an identical setup (same processor, same software, same memory).
Summary: capturing HD works fine on my mini and my powerbook.
Capturing standard (non-HD) DV works on my mini but NOT on my powerbook, despite the fact that the software configurations on both machines are the same as far as I can tell.

Premiere Pro CS6 won't capture HDR-HC3 properly

In HDV capture mode it wants to assign an mp3 extension.
Doesn't capture in native M2t format.
Tried reinstalling. Haven't had this problem with previous versions.
ver. 6.01

I've used numerous programs over the years so on the off chance I'm mistaken about whether Premiere Pro captures Sony HDV in m2t or mpeg, I'll take your word for it. However, you're not addressing the real problem which is that it won't capture my Sony HDR HC3 video, period, in any format. It wants to create a file with an mp3 extension and won't import the files it captures even if the extension has been changed to m2t, mpg, or mpeg. I may not be sure about the extension previous versions have captured in, but I'm 100% certain that it did capture it.

Best HD Capture Settings - Sony HDR-HC3

Can anyone give me some advice for the best capture settings for my Sony HDR-HC3? My goal is to capture video from my camera and then play it on my HDTV using Windows Media Center through a shuttle pc hdmi out to my HDTV. Also, would it be better to then convert it to .avi or something after I've captured it in .mpeg?
Thank you!

Capture what you shot at. Match the settings.

Sony HDR-HC3 to FCP to Color to FCP to Mac Mini

Hi,
My objective is to play our edited family videos using our Mac Mini(2.0 GHz Core 2) on a Sony 52" LCD at full 1080 resolution. The video is stored on a Firewire attached 1 TB LaCie external disk.
I use a Sony HDR-HC3 video camera (HDV 1440x1080i 25 fps) and use FCP 6.0.4 for editing. I have recently been learning Color for grading.
1. Currently reading footage into FCP as ProRes 422. Footage comes in with the following profile:
Sequence Preset: Apple ProRes 422 1440x1080 50i 58 kHz
Capture Preset: HDV-Apple ProRes 422
Current captured footage I'm working with has a data rate of 12.5 MB
2. Once editing is complete, I "Send To" Color and perform the grading
3. From Color, I "Send to FCP". (It asks "Change graded FCP seq. to match the QT export codec?" not sure whether I click Yes or No here)
4. After selecting Yes, the footage returned back to a new sequence in FCP now has the following profile:
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
1920x1080
21.6 MB/sec
From reading the Apple documentation, I was expecting something funny to happen coming back from Color.
5. I then send this sequence to Compressor where I select the "Apple | Formats | Quicktime | H.264" preset in the hope that I can render out an H.264 1920x1080 file to play on the Mac Mini. It renders it but the Mini can't play the video smoothly.
As I am still learning, I would appreciate any suggestions on an alternative workflow that can lead me to a 1080 video file that can play smoothly on the Mac Mini.
The Apple TV preset renders a video that works smoothly on the Mini, but I'm hoping for the full resolution.
Regards, Tony

Hi Shane,
Thanks so much for responding. Great tutorial also. And I wasn't conscious of any 'drone'...
Yes, I've tried to have the Log and Transfer recognize the card (through both the card reader and lately, by using the camera as a deck but without luck).The card reader and camera mount on my desktop as NO NAME and when I ADD VOLUME I scroll down to devices and click on NO NAME but L&T doesn't recogize the source and nothing happens. That's why I went in to see if the AVCHD folder might be recognized and got that invalid directory message. Following your tutorial I went into preferences button on the right hand upper corner of the L&T interface and selected the AVCHD - Apple Prores LT path in case that made a difference, but no go. Any other suggestions/thoughts?
Cheers, Mark

FCS 5.1: Detecting camcorder issues (Sony HDV HDR-HC3)

Hi I just got FCS 5.1 and it doesn't seem to want to detect my camcorder (Sony HDV HDR-HC3). iMovie detects it just fine, but in FCP I have no control over my camcorder when I go to 'Log and Capture', nor am I able to preview anything. My camera is set up properly I'm sure. Is there something I'm doing wrong? A setting I don't know about? Any help would be appreciated.

Salvador, what settings did you find? I presume you're importing HDV, not DV, otherwise what's the point of an HDV camera... I must be dumb, too, because my FCE HD (current version) doesn't capture from my HDV HDR-HC3. My camcorder is set for VCR = HDV and iLink conversion is off, per the manual. I tried setting up projects for both Apple Intermediate Codec 1080i50 and 1080i60, then doing Cmd-8 (capture). First it prompted me for a clip name, then I got a black screen saying it was cuing the tape and the tape automatically started playing. It said press Esc to stop, but when I pressed Esc it said the capture was aborted and there was no clip. I've been capturing and editing standard DV on my older Sony DV Handycam for years, and it worked great with no hassle. This baffles me.
iMovie recognizes the camera, and controls the rewind, etc., but no picture and no import.
I'm using the same FireWire cable I used with my older Handycam. Do I need a special Sony iLink cable?
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Sony HDR-HC3

Has anyone used the Sony Cinema Effect on the HDR-HC3? Is it a useful effect or is it better left alone? It imitates 24p?
Thanks

I have a DAC-100 for my production monitor connected via firewire currently by bringing the fire wire connections up to the screen and plugging the DAC in there.
If I use the camera, I've been unplugging the back FW connection, since the front FW port seems so iffy.
Are there any FW cards that you'd recommend? Are they all created equal, or can you run the risk of have the front-FW-port-null-syndrome?
Not sure what you mean by device control... I've been hooking up the camera to the FW connection and going directly to log & capture... Am I missing a step?
Thanks,
Ed

Hdr-hc3 problems! Interlace? PAL to NTSC

Hello. I am having problems editing a video shot in Sony hdr-hc3 PAL version. I captured in hdv and edited. In the timeline I put 25 frames per second. 1440 x 1080. 16x9... Compression HDV 1080i50
Well, I exported everything. Export/Current Settings. Then I burnt a dvd with dvd studio pro and when I look the video in the TV it looks really really interlaced. Everytime there is movement, the image looks double. Well, I have tried with after effects to remove the pull down but it's not useful. It seems it's not really a interlace problem because when I say to guess pulldown... it doesn't appear anything. I also tried with cinema tools... i did the reverse telecine... but doesnt work... or at least i dont have any idea what i have to do...
I also tried with compressor but the same problem... I dont know if I have to do something in final cut, after i export from final cut... or what i have to do with this problem. The motion looks horrible. HELP PLEASE!
Thanks a lot!

As a last resort (in case you are stuck which is a common fate of most users when dealing with this horrible legacy of NTSC frame rates) you have a simple solution that will produce flawless, no hiccups conversion from PAL to NTSC. You will need sufficient space, patience and willingness to accept 4% change in pitch.
a) edit your footage in 25 progressive. Export it as image sequence. Export audio separately.
b) In QTP import image sequence to NTSC frame rate 23.976. Add your audio (SCALED) to your movie.
c) Import your movie to 23.976 FCP sequence.
d) export it NTSC mpg2, which will add standard pulldown to bring it to 29.97.
(all this can presumably be done in FCP, if only one could figure out how!)
(Note to Apple.Please kindly note that 24 is not 23.98 nor it is 23.976, Your documentation is all over the place with no rhyme or reason. 24 can mean (FTC, QT) 24 or 23.976. Strangely 23.98 seems to be always used to denote 23.976. This is not nice nor professional and is awfully confusing)

IMovie not importing from a HDR-HC3

When I plug my HDR-HC3, iMovie can control the camera, but it cannot import the video clips. When I tried using Final Cut Pro, it records it fine.

I've just purchased the same camcorder. In fact, I had just purchased Sony's new HDR-SR1 (HDV to 30GB hard disk), but found out that it's definitely not compatible with Mac (what a bummer!). I've now exchanged it for the HDR-HC3 and my Mac doesn't recognize it (no icon on desktop). System Profiler sees the camera connected under Firewire, so I'm not sure what the issue is.
When I launch iMovie HD and attempt to change the setting to capture HDV, I get an error stating that iMovie is missing a QuickTime component.
Do you see the camera on your desktop?

Sony HDR-HC3 no longer works in iMovie 08 under Leopard

Hello all,
Prior to my upgrade from 10.4 to 10.5, I had been using iMovie to import from my Sony HDR-HC3 mini DV camera without any difficulty - building a library of video from my rehearsals so that I can prepare doctoral audition DVDs.
Now, since upgrading to Leopard, it no longer works. Has something changed? Using the same hardware, connections, and settings, and choosing either 'large' or 'full' to import from 1080i on the camera, and trying automatic or manual, and connected via iLink as usual, it starts the camera properly, but when you play the tape no video shows on the Mac - when using Automatic it will shortly stop, rewind as if it found the end of the tape, and gives an error beep but no messages.
Any advice? Any known issues that I haven't found?
Cheers,
Aaron

As indicated, I've tried both manual and auto, and I had always used both before - now neither work.
Are you controlling the camcorder manually also and do you specify a specific output (and if you do, did you follow instructions and pull the FW cable to force the change to take affect)?

Canon HV10 or Sony HDR-HC3 for iMovie HD 6

In case you're interested…
I'm in the process of reviewing both the Canon HV10 and the Sony HDR-HC3. Both use Mini DV tapes. I've heard hard disk models don't work with iMovie HD6.
I've tried both on my Intel iMac at 2.16 Gz and this is what happened…
Sony HC3
I used Firewire cable (must be Firewire - Sony calls it iLink) and plugged in the cam with iMovie already opened. Clicked to the camera icon and… Nothing happened. There was no recognition of the camcorder at all. Zilch. I fiddled, checked the camcorder's audio was set to 16bit and changed several prefences in iMovie but still nothing. I had previously set the cam's time too. I've since learned the HC3 and many other Sony's are incompatible with iMovie HD. It's a lovely camcorder but unless you download some extra software – as mentioned in the forums – it ain't gonna work.
Canon HV10
Performed the same Firewire connections and, lo, the camcorder was detected and I was able to begin importing HD visuals. But then… On immediate playback after importing I noticed the audio was running at half speed – subtley – the visuals too. I spent hours shooting short bits, importing them with other settings, and every time voices came out low and slurred. My wife sounded like a bloke. I posted the problem here and someone told me the HD takes a long time to render. So bear that in mind. And don't be impatient like me.
In this instance, the Canon wins.
Apple iMac 2.16 Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Apple iMac 2.16 Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Apple iMac 2.16 Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Apple iMac 2.16 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I'm really confused now. I've set the HC3's settings to HDV (not Auto) and the iLink Conv to OFF. And still no joy. I've even tried 'Magic Movie' for which it searched for a camera but found nothing. I know the Firewire cable works because I've used it on the Canon and my own, older Digital-8 Sony Handycam.

Advantages of FCE HD over iMovie HD (with Sony HDR HC3)?

Hi!
I'm new to the digital Video world. Sadly I'm always a bit crazy and thought to buy a camera which will be a bit more future proof and decided to go for a Sony HDR HC3. I was using iMovie 6 HD with it and can import movies fine (ok not full speed on my 2Ghz iMac G5 but I can live with that), I can cut them but I can't realy render them as normal movies out of iMovie. Actually I can't do anything with them it always turns out to be a very bad jerky output format. So reading the iMovie forum, it seems thats normal behavior. People say it needs to be sent back on camera tape and get it converted by the camera to DV and then use it. Actually importing DV and then writing a DVD or encoding it to an other fileformat really works well.
So my question is, can FCE HD handle HDV better? Like export it to normal DVD? Meaning like rendering the 1440 x 1080 interlaced to the DVD non interlaced resolution?
iMovie shows me the Project is 1080i-25 (yes I'm using PAL). So I asume it merges the two half pictures to one 1080 and that results in 25 frames/sec...
Any experiance with FCE and Sony HC3 here? Roughly 300 Euros/$300 is a bit too much to buy it and it turns out to be not much of a difference then iMovie (for exporting and handling HDV).
Thanks for your help and feedback!
Holger

Hi!
The reason why I ask is some weired behavior I have with IMovie 6 HD/Quicktime 7 on the latest Tiger release:
I can import HDV from my Sony HC3 perfectly, and also export every unedited material to the camera perfectly. But when the HD material needs to recoded for use on DVD or as quicktime movie or just when you add titles effects etc. Output is getting very jerky.
To test I did the following. I recorded a 360 degrees turn in a room in HDV. It shows perfectly smooth on the camera screen when playbacked, smooth on TV etc. Smooth means as you see it when turning your head..
So now I import it in HDV into iMovie. If i take the unedited film and want it to export it to any other format like DVD or an MPEG4 movie, things get jerky, the 360 degrees turn doesn't look nice anymore.
I read in other forums, that thats in issue with HDV and you should let the camera convert it to DV, so the cuted material needs to be transfered back to the camera, and then let it convert it to DV.
OK, so if I import HDV converted by the camera to DV its perfectly smooth, also on DVD on quicktime movies etc.
When I import HDV in iMovie, and put a title text in the movie for like 10 secs out of the 20. iMovie will split the clip to two 10 sec ones and render the text in the first block. If I record it back as HDV on the camera tape and then reimport it with beeing converted as DV the following happens:
The first 10 secs with the title are jerky, the second 10 secs are smooth as before.
This needs to be related with the IMovie/Quicktime encoding, not with the camera (I have two of it to see if its not the hardware). So I'm really thinking It's either an iMovie problem an Quicktime problem or both together...
So if FCE would handle the rendering process different... It would be worth to get it...
Any ideas?
Holger

Help with hdr-hc3

I just upgraded to fdc HD. and now i can't caputure non HD footage from my camera Sony HDR-HC3.. and it also fce hd also wont see that my camera is connected. ive tryied changing the easy setup but that do no help.. So if anyone could help that would be great. Thanks

OK, so you've trashed your preferences and the cameras connected and your start the application. Does it see the camera or not? If it doesn't there' no point in continuing. Check the connections. Try a different cable. Any other devices connected to the computer? How's everything connected?

HDR-HC3 In DV Mode

Does anyone have experience in using an HDR-HC3 set to DV (not HDV) mode with iMovie? I will be shooting some projects where HDV resolution is not necessary and thought it would be a little faster and less demanding of disk space to do the project in DV mode.
I think a camera settings of; (Standard Set Menu) REC FORMAT - DV and VCR HDV/DV - AUTO and iMovie new project video format - DV should allow me to shoot an import in DV format from this camera. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I mentioned it before - a while ago - and it's an expensive way to do it, and it only works when playing back a DVD on a Mac (..not on a regular DVD player..) ..but with Apple's DVD Studio Pro you can burn HD/HDV footage onto a regular (normal 4.7GB) DVD and then play that at HD resolution.
This avoids any downconverting. Your Mac becomes the equivalent of an HD-DVD/Blu-Ray DVD player ..but at normal capacity (still only 4.7GB per single-sided/single-layer disc) and using a normal SuperDrive. But if you burned hi-res wedding videos like that, they're definitely not playable on a normal DVD player.
It's the downconverting from the camera (..playing out HDV as DV into iMovie..) which looks so bad to me ..but maybe others have better results for some reason (..I haven't worked very hard at finding out what's wrong). Leanne and Graeme in Australia sent me a terrific wedding DVD which they'd shot with a couple of camcorders on HDV and edited in iMovie HD, and their DVD looked great even after 'downconverting'.
But I didn't see their original HDV material to compare it against their MPEG-2 copy; when I compare my own against the lo-res downconverted version I really notice the quality drop.

HDR-HC3 DV capture

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