DV\DVCAM\DVC\DigiBeta input- Beta Sp output

winrockpost wrote on 4/25/2002, 9:07 AM

We output to Beta Sp from computer - firewire to a sony dvmc-da2 converter box,svideo cable to beta sp recorder. Looks great.Input from beta the same, drawback is batch capture not functional from converter box set up. By far the greatest expense is the Beta deck.If you want digibeta input by far the greatest expense is the digibeta deck ,40k or so, gotta love sony!!

asafb wrote on 4/25/2002, 8:16 PM

Is there any video quality difference between DVCAM and DV tape?

-ab

SonyEPM wrote on 4/26/2002, 8:15 AM

You might want to look at the Promax DAMAX- this is a nice box of pulling betacam (and just about anything else) in and out of Vegas. Not cheap, but neither was your betacam.

asafb wrote on 4/26/2002, 4:37 PM

Thanks, but I'm still confused -- what's the difference between the two formats.

HPV wrote on 4/27/2002, 3:38 AM

DV/DV Cam are both 25mbs formats. That's 5:1 compression, good ol DV. I don't know what DVC is. DigiBeta is like D9 and is about a 3:1 compression.
Vegas 3 has a great 4:1:1: YUV to RGB and back system. The tools to tell the story are all right there. More is less, no?

Craig H.

bakerbud9 wrote on 6/20/2002, 5:56 PM

I know the DAMAX box can input SDI and RGB component, but the problem is it converts those signals into 4:1:1 DV stream when passing thru the FireWire connection. This means the beautiful DigiBeta (or, in my case, the beautiful D9) 4:2:2 footage is loaded into Vegas as 4:1:1.

At NAB I thought I heard a Sonic Foundry person tell me that getting DV50 accross the FireWire into Vegas might be possible. I am wondering if this is true, and if so, will we be able to use the DAMAX to do this?

I currently have a Matrox DigiSuite LE that I must use (yuk) Premiere when I want 4:2:2 editing. I would like to invest in the DAMAX box instead, and to sell my DigiSuite. I would do this if DAMAX could send DV50 accross the FireWire into Vegas so that Vegas could edit 4:2:2 DV50 footage. But so far, I don't know for sure that this will be a reality or just a dream. So for the time being I still use DigiSuite and Premiere.

But I want more than anything to get rid of Premiere and edit exclusively in Vegas. But I do need a viable 4:2:2 option to do that. (capturing with DigiUtils, editing in Vegas, and then rendering and output with DigiUtils is not viable for feature-format work).

Sincerely,

Nate

GaryAshorn wrote on 6/21/2002, 8:25 PM

Well, the problem of using NLE systems and mixing the 4:2:2 and 4:1:1 is the digital interface or lack of. I operate in all 4:2:2 space for my BetaCam SP and of course DV, DVCAM and DVCPRO are all the same 4:1:1 and I output from my decks in component analog to my system. So the analog component signal is still less than that of an original component analog signal like Betacam SP. I use the FAST VM/DPR which is 4:2:2 MJEG format. Now the rub is I have to use all analog input but I have variable compression down to 2:1 on my system and it looks beautiful. I use VV3 for multilayering and import the files into my editor for other work. But many here and others want to use a digital import to their NLE's like VV3 that support a digital input and can output to the 4:2:2 deck systems like the D9 or Digibeta. The rub comes that to get 4:2:2 digital input for the Digibeta and D9 is only SDI is normally available on the professional decks that support those formats. Decks that support 1394 then usually don't have the SDI options and decks that have SDI don't have 1394. Hence the difference riff in prosumer and professional equipment. There have been DVCPRO decks that had SDI options so you could get the 4:1:1 into a system that supports the higher digital formats. But for the most part the products kind of mutually exclude each other....UNLESS you spend the big bucks for decks that have those offerings of both but then if you can afford those decks, you would not be using 4:1:1 cameras you would be using the D9 or Digibeta or just good ole Betacam SP. As a side note when rendering DV footage with Betacam SP footage, I have to use a 3:1 compression on the DV so it can hold up to the Betacam SP brought in at 5:1. If both are brought in at 5:1 and render more than 3 times, the DV can not hold up to the Betacam SP. But for the most part the DV footage holds well to the old master format if done right. Also as a note, I can take my original digitized files from the VM system, put an AVI wrapper on it and bring it directly into VV3 for editing, out back out and unwrap it and my VM system can keep on going with it. That way I never lose the 4:2:2 portion of the digitized signal. I never go into 4:1:1 depending on the rendering I do in VV3 of course. Not sure this all helps you on your quest for keeping your original pure footage in its native 4:2:2 format, but does give a few insights on paths you can take.