HDV/SDI capture still unstable?

bruceo wrote on 9/15/2006, 3:31 PM

I liked the new features of the HD/SDI capture, but it still seems like no one even beta tested the thing. I get consistent crashes if something out of the ordinary happens like pressing record, get an error that the directory is not specified (instead of a choose directory dialog) clear the error, choose the directory, realize that the record button is stil depressed on HD/SDI capture window. Press stop won't stop, but camera is not capturing and then:

Catastrophic failure error:
Sony.Capture.CaptureException: A failure occurred in Capture. ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x8000FFFF): Catastrophic failure (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8000FFFF (E_UNEXPECTED))
at Sony.MediaSoftware.ExternalVideoDevice.ICaptureController.StopCapture(StopCaptureFlags flags)
at Sony.MediaSoftware.ExternalVideoDevice.CaptureController.StopCapture(StopCaptureFlags flags)
at Sony.Capture.Capture.StopCapture(Object sender, StopCaptureFlags flags)
at Sony.Capture.Capture.HandleStopCapture(Object sender, EventArgs args)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---

I have generated several Catastrophic failures requiring killing vegas on 2 machines while doing simple operations. Looks like simple logic errors....bad....

Comments

farss wrote on 9/15/2006, 3:40 PM

I'd strongly suggest you directly forward this to Sony with more specific information. Which SDI card, driver version, VCR make and model etc, etc.

Still even if it turns out to be that you're doing something wrong a more elegant exit would seem in order.

bruceo wrote on 9/15/2006, 3:56 PM

Just using an A1U to standard firewire coneections that have captured hundreds of SD & HD tapes. The V6 HD/SDI capture was finicky, but this one seems to be very fragile. Catastrophic failures from simple operations like these (stop/play/record) is pretty bad.

farss wrote on 9/15/2006, 4:03 PM

Argh,
I hope this isn't a generic issue. Just ordered a HVR-M15 and V7, hope they all play together nicely.
Do you have anything in common between the two systems, like a firewire cable, I can't believe how many times we've been caught out by dead cables.
Bob.

bruceo wrote on 9/15/2006, 5:59 PM

3 new high quality fw cables....

Let me know how the 15 works out. I am under the impression it is just a FX/Z1 without the lens and I would be PISSED if the downconvert on the 15 is the same as the FX/Z1 since it leaves 2 rows of black pixels on the top edge. Let me know if this is true as well.

I was initially interested in the 25 because of the possibility of frame accuracy, but nope..... Which is what sucks about HDV if you have a project go down on a drive 99% chance that your recaptures will not match up with the originals. Freaking nightmare...

farss wrote on 9/15/2006, 6:31 PM

Main reason for getting the 15 is to replace the DSR-11, I need the large shell tape capability and I figure the price I'll get for the DSR-11 is going to go down, so good time to replace.

As to the 2 rows of black pixels, I've noticed this on downconverts. I think the problem is that the AR between 16:9 HDV and SD 16:9 isn't precisely the same but I'm not 100% sure about that.

In any case the deck's / cameras downconvert probably isn't the best in the world, I always do the downconvert in Vegas but it does take time.

Best downconvert I've heard of is HDV->HD SDI->HDCAM SR deck->SD SDI->DigiBetacam. But that's a LOT of very expensive kit tied up. The the guys doing it are quality Nazis, with very big boots.

Bob.

Steve Mann wrote on 9/16/2006, 9:25 AM

There was an article in this months "Videography" magazine that mentioned this very issue. The article was talking about HD receivers and monitors (and the sad debacle that 'content protection' was becoming), and they said that all consumer monitors overscan by a few pixels because of the inconsistencies in editing and conversion processes.

Steve

BRW - I finally bit the bullet and bought a deck. Yes, me who had advocated for years he wisdom of being able to buy ten cheap Mini DV cameras as decks for the price of one DSR-11. Me who has a reputation of doing things as cheap as possible, bought an HVR-M15U.

I just opend the box yesterday and used it to capture an SD project (using Scenalyzer) and I think that I am going to like my purchase decision.

I haven't opened the Z1 box yet because I want to finish some overdue projects before I get distracted with a new camera.

Steve

Spot|DSE wrote on 9/16/2006, 6:55 PM

Bruce,
Specifically, where is this happening for you? Capturing HOURS of HDV via both Firewire and HD-SDI over the Xena card, no failures yet. Occasionally, if I run past timecode on the HDV/Firewire, I'll get a lock in the capture app, but it's not catastrophic. It just thinks it's still capturing. At worst, I use my Task Manager to kill Capture.

Wolfgang S. wrote on 9/17/2006, 2:17 AM

I also have testet the capture capabilities of Vegas 7 via firewire in HDV, using a FX1 PAL. I had no catastrophal crashes as described here.