What do you mean by DVCAM? Do you mean Digital footage from a DV Camcorder? If so, then the answer is absolutely YES! If not, then I must plead ignorance.
heehee, DVCAM is Sony's professional DV based tape format, and DVCPRO is Panasonic's. They both feature faster tape transport for greater bandwidth on tape, and less tape dropout.
DVCam
A standard definition 1/4" ME digital 15 micron track pitch 5:1 8-bit compressed 4:1:1 (NTSC) 4:2:0 (PAL) sampled 25Mb/sec (picture payload) 30 frame/second field interlaced component digital recording format that uses locked digital audio, field flags, and non-proprietary DCT based DV compression on a Metal Evaporated tape format, and joint manufacturer developed codec hardware and/or software. Common interchange of playback signals between Sony devices and with other manufacturer's standard definition equipment is through a 270Mb/s SDI Interface or through analog interfaces. Common exchange of files between DVCam devices is possible through 4 or 6 pin (depending upon the devices) I-Link IEEE 1394 "Firewire" with DVCam driver sets (and DVCam protocol) and DVCam software codecs, or through two different types of SDI-type DVCam Data Interfaces. NTSC characteristics are 30 frames/second field interlaced with an active picture area of 720x480 (NTSC) active lines.
DVCPro (DVCPro 25)
A standard definition 1/4" MP digital 18 micron track pitch 5:1 8-bit compressed 4:1:1 (NTSC) 4:2:0 (PAL) sampled 25Mb/sec (picture payload) 30 frame/second field interlaced component digital recording format that uses locked digital audio, an analog audio cue track, and non-proprietary DCT based DV compression on a proprietary (but licensed) Metal Particle tape format, and/or proprietary (but licensed) codec hardware developed by Panasonic. Common interchange of playback signals between Panasonic devices and with other manufacturer's standard definition equipment is through a 270Mb/s SDI Interface, or through analog interfaces. Common exchange of files between DVCPro devices is possible through 4 or 6 pin (depending upon the devices) I-Link IEEE 1394 "Firewire" with DVCPro driver sets (with DVCPro protocol) and DVCPro software codecs, or through two different types of SDI-type DVCPro Data Interfaces. NTSC characteristics are 30 frames/second field interlaced with an active picture area of 720x480 (NTSC) active lines.
DVCPro 50
A standard definition 1/4" MP digital 3:1 8-bit compressed 4:2:2 sampled 50Mb/sec (picture payload) 30 frame/second field interlaced component digital recording format that uses non-proprietary DCT based DV compression on a proprietary (but licensed) Metal Particle tape format, and/or proprietary (but licensed) codec hardware developed by Panasonic. Common interchange of playback signal between Panasonic devices and with other manufacturer's standard definition equipment is through a 270Mb/s SDI Interface or through analog interfaces. Camera Units are generally manufactured for either PAL Standard or for NTSC Standard, although some VTRs are manufactured for dual standard recording and playback (dual standard analog video decoding may not be possible without swapping out decoder board options, however). NTSC characteristics are 30 frames/second field interlaced with an active picture area of 720x480 (NTSC) active lines (it is possible but unconfirmed at this time that select VTR units may allow for some increase of the active line count by allowing special storage of data for several lines).
DVCPro 50P (Progressive Mode)
An ATSC table compliant 480p 60 frame/second progressive component digital 1/4" MP 8-bit compressed 4:2:0 sampled 50Mb/sec (picture payload) recording format that uses non-proprietary DCT based DV compression on a proprietary (but licensed) Metal Particle tape format, and/or proprietary (but licensed) codec hardware developed by Panasonic. Common interchange of playback signal between 480p Panasonic devices and with other manufacturer's 480p equipment is through a 360Mb/s dual SDI Interface or through 480p analog interfaces (note: no exchange of signals is possible with standard definition equipment or with 1080i, 1080p, or 720p without format conversion).
DVCPro 100
A "High Definition" 16:9 digital 8-bit 1/4" MP compressed 100Mb/sec (picture payload) 30 frame/second field interlaced component digital recording format that uses non-proprietary DCT based DV compression on a proprietary (but licensed) Metal Particle tape format, and/or proprietary (but licensed) codec hardware developed by Panasonic. Common interchange of recorded signal between Panasonic devices and with other manufacturer's standard definition equipment is through HDSDI or HD analog.
A note and question about VV3 handling DVCPRO properly. Because DVCPRO cameras and the earlier decks had a slightly different header on the digital stream, ie, Panasonic did not adhere strictly to the DV codec as DV and DVCAM did, some editing systems can not edit the DV signal from the DVCPRO deck. That has been corrected I am told on the newer decks and I am not sure of the newer cameras. Example, Canopus and the FAST PURPLE can not edit a DV firewire signal from the DVCPRO. Just last night the Canopus Rep told me that is still the status for them with DVCPRO. Now that is supposed to be corrected on the Panasonic side of things. But my question is anyone using a DVCPRO deck with firewire option into say a PYRO card and editing with VV3? I edit and use DVCPRO but do not have firewire output from mine since I bring it in YUV to my other editing system. So VV3 and DVCPRO like each other? Thanks
Sure. The DVCAM signal is identical to DV - 25mbps. It's just that the tape transport moves differently so a DVCAM deck can only record e.g. 40 minutes on a 60 minute miniDV tape.
Vegas will unlock your audio just fine. You can even capture video without the audio, but not the other way around.
If you are familiar with Premiere's method of unlocking audio(what were they thinking...), you will love working in Vegas.