No,
box doesn't have a scope (that i knwo fo), what I meant was it might be useful given this units capabilities if VV had scopes on capture.

I knew the LBTC is in the hardware of the unit, but they claim you can also tweak gain etc via software, to quote:

"ADVC300 features color bar reference signal output and advanced analog input control software for adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation, hue and sharpness"

Maybe I'm putting the wrong spin on that, perhaps it means the software in the unit does it automatically.

Maybe I should just wait till the things released instead of jumping the gun!

It seems these are now available in Australia so I'm going to order one tomorrow, first I'll make certain I can return it if it doesn't work right although given Canopus's reputation I doubt I'm going to have any dramas with it.

If anyone else has had hands on with this unit I'd be pleased to hear how it goes with VV. I know it should work but after my experience with another product I'm a little gun shy.

Got my hands on this box today.
I haven't really given it a good workout but so far I cannot fault it.
PTT and preview from VV doesn't miss a beat (unlike something else that I will not mention).
Just tried a capture from a very dodgy VHS tape recorded in SP,LP,SP!
Lots of dropouts on the tape but the 300 isn't fazed. Being able to tweak levels of the analgue signal before encoding is very handy but a little fiddly. Certainly not as nice as a proc amp but I'm not complaining for the price and I guess once you've got things set where you want them you can save it and disable the buttons so it's fairly goof proof in that respect.

Haven't had a chance to try the Canopus capture utility which lets you tweak the settings on the fly via sliders.

Build quality feels very good, only thing that could be a problem is it has a minute fan that blows air out the top holes, I'm going to put some of thiose stick on feet on the top otherwise one day I'll leave a book on top of it and maybe cook it.

Only other issue I've got is it uses a D1 Connector ???? for component out. No it isn't a HD15 connector like on PC monitors. Seems it's quite common on domestic Japanese video gear and maybe there's one on the JVC GR-HD1 but damned if I can find a cable to go from it to BNCs. I think this is a major oversight on the part of Canopus. Canpous say they'll have some from Japan in a few weeks to be sold as an accesory. I'll forgive them for not including SVideo and all the other cables, mostly you'd already have them or a quick trip down the road will get you some BUT to not include such an obscure cable is a bit naughty. They do include a 1394 cable, maybe the warehouse was overstocked!

I'll add some more comments when I have them to hand, I'm not going to comment on the quality of the encoder as I don't really have good enough monitors to judge that and I assume it'll be much the same as the ADVC-100 which has been reviewed many times.

At least tonight my D8 camera can finally have a rest. I might even get to use the thing as a camera!

OK,
I loaded up the Canopus control software. Seems to co-exist OK with VidCap but you don't really need it running at the same time, the Canopus utility has its own preview window so you can see what's happening as you tweak things. More controls than you'll probably ever need and they are easy to apply subtly so they obviously aimed this thing at pros.

It's no replacement for VVs color grading tools but it does mean a lot of the work can be done during capture which is a real time saver plus the 3D noise reduction cannot even be done in VV so that is a big plus if yo have poor tapes.

I'll see how it handles out of spec composite feeds later today, my telecines seem to have no concept of limiting their output so if this box woks as well as it claims this will be another big help.

Eventually found the good oil on the RGB cable, connector is a D-Terminal, basically a Japanese standard but looks like RGB cables for PlayStation2 are the same. This could have actually been a smart move by Canpus if that's the case as they should be pretty easy to come by and not cost a fortune. I've found ones that go from the connector to a VGA plug and to three RCAs so that should cover all the bases.

I am looking at this page now - as you have one I have a couple of questions maybe you could answer -

It says that it will input NTSC 29.97fps , does that mean it strips out anything that may have been shot 24p? And maybe you can't answer that but I would think the PAL side would have the same question - or not. 25 > 24 ? (And I don't mean will it convert, I mean how does it handle it? )

Does the Noise Reduction really clean up the image that much? For the sample shot (http://www.canopusgmbh.de/US/products/ADVC300/b_3dnoise.jpg) it seems to clean the image up extremely clean. Ironicly my first thought was that the "before" picture looked like is was shot on film and the "after" shot looked like all the film grain had been removed. Either way if that is how it really cleans up the image I am extremely imnpressed.

And just to be clear - you are saying the DV1 – BNC cable for Component is nothing more than a PS2 cable? (And I am guessing that this cable does not allow for component in as the specs say "High-quality component video output is ideal for monitoring video using a broadcast monitor")

Thanks

I don't know how it would handle true 24p. I mean 24p without pulldown. You cannot PTT with this anyway and I don't know of any analogue monitos that will cope with it either. But then again it might just squirt it out anyway, sorry I don't really have the gear to try that fro certain, gues I could try some gnereated media but from memory VV inserts pulldown anyway before sending it out to preview for exactly the reasons I just mentioned!

I'e got quite remarkable results from the DNR in my D8 camera and this thing does look just as good if not better. Only had it 24 hours so not much chance to give it a serious test, too many customers wanting stuff before Xmas.

It looks like there is a cable in existance that does go from the Sony PS2 to RGB on BNC and another one that goes to VGA, don't know if it's 15 or 9 pin but either way it'd be great being able to use a PC monitor for preview as they have good geomtry and are much cheaper than studio monitors. There's also a switch for 16:9 or 4:3 output to monitor, I suspect it does some form of ARC so you can see 16:9 letterboxed on a 4:3 monitor. If that's truly what it does then this is one awesome box.

And you can set RGB out to SMPTE or SP, NTSC 7.5 setup is selectable and it will ingest SECAM.

No I'm not on commission, just that Canopus don't have a lot to say about it on their web site. I'm kind of feeling like Xmas has come early as I didn't expect all these extra tweaks, and today I should also get SF and NR so I can cleaup the audio on these gungy VHS and 8mm movies.

>>>I don't know how it would handle true 24p. I mean 24p without pulldown. You cannot PTT with this anyway and I don't know of any analogue monitos that will cope with it either. But then again it might just squirt it out anyway, sorry I don't really have the gear to try that fro certain, gues I could try some gnereated media but from memory VV inserts pulldown anyway before sending it out to preview for exactly the reasons I just mentioned!<<<

Let me rephrase - with VV you can capture and export 24p to the pani DVX100. The pull down may be there but as I understand it cureently you can only write out/PTT to the pani with the 24p headers intact. Likewise capturing. So my question was more aimed at the output I guess. So bring in old analog footage and do a 24p conversion - upon output, via the ADVC-300, do the headers get pulled off. I know you can't do a 24p to analog tape so I guess it was more of an output to a DV device. But as you say - you don't have the gear to test it out with, but I put the question out there anyway.

filmy,
I think you kind of answered the question yourself and then lost it!
You cannot write headers to analogue tape so the only thing you're going to be trying to put 24p to with hearders is DV in which case why would you (how could you?) have the ADVC-300 in the loop anyway?

The 24pA stuff is only really relevant even on DV as far as I know if you wanted to read the tape back and do a pulldown removal.
One of the things that makes me glad to live in Australia, the only thing we need to worry about pulldown on are items of clothing :)

>>>You cannot write headers to analogue tape so the only thing you're going to be trying to put 24p to with hearders is DV in which case why would you (how could you?) have the ADVC-300 in the loop anyway?<<<

I should have kept quiet. :)

Wasn't about analog tape. It was any sort of DV format that reads/writes 24p. Currently, as I said, it is my understanding the only DV that works with VV is the Mini-DV Pani DVX100 as far as the 24p headers go. The reason someone would have the ADVC-300 in the loop is simple - firewire on the PC side and a firewire device on the other. If you are only going firewire > firewire than it is sort of a non issue but if you have the ADVC-300 I would guess you need the analog > DV conversion in and/or out. Thusly you would have (keep) the ADVC-300 in the loop. I wouldn't want to keep plugging and unplugging the firewire cable just to take the unit out of the loop, but that is just me.

So - scenerio. Take analog input maybe from betacam or vhs or 3/4 or whatever. Capture it and convert it with VV to 24p. Now you output it to the Pani. How does the ADVC handle the incoming 24p? Does it pass through untouched or does it strip out the headers the same way sending the same 24p signal to anything other than DVX100 does?

Yeah yeah - "well just take the ADVC out of the loop than." The whole plugging and unplugging cable thing. And than what happens when you get into the whole DVCPro output and the HD output - ok, now it is getting really out there. ;) Never mind.