Help! Why cant I print back to dv-tape?

floydflower wrote on 12/30/2007, 6:24 AM

Hey!
I have a question I really hope someone can help me with:

I cant seem to print the movie back to dv-tape (back to my camera again).

The movie is just 10 seconds long, and has no effects in it (because this is just a test).

It renders very fast - everything is well there! But it comes to the "printing back to tape", it stops at maybe 4 % while the camera "records" forever and ever.

The CPU does not flight hight either, so I dont know whats the problem?

I use my Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8.0, and a Sony Handycam (dcr-hc42E PAL).

I have 1 GB RAM.

Comments

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 12/30/2007, 8:39 AM

Does your camera allow print-to tape? Have you checked the manual?

floydflower wrote on 12/30/2007, 9:21 AM

Hey, Ivan 123!
Thank you so much for trying to help me, man :-)

My camera har DV-in, if that what you mean?
If there is an other function that specially allows print-to-tape, I dont know.

You see; it start printing (it SAYS printing), but there is no action in the window, and no action on the camera. The camera just "records" as if nothing happened, and the software stays on maybe 10% or something.

Nothing gets back on my dv-camera.

Terry Esslinger wrote on 12/30/2007, 10:23 AM

Have you tried the PTT function in both the editing module and the capture module?
As you have stated most camcorders have a menu based switch which will send or receive the digital signal from or to the firewire connection. Is it set right?

floydflower wrote on 12/30/2007, 10:25 AM

Hello, Terry! Thank you for answering me :-)

I just tried my dv-camera in Windows Movie Maker (5 minutes ago), and everything worked just fine there! The movie came back to my dv-tape.

So I dont think there is something wrong with my camera...what can it be? There must be something basically I`ve forgotten.

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 12/30/2007, 10:30 AM

I have looked into the manual. How is your camera connected to the computer, usb or firewire?
(I think firewire should work better).

floydflower wrote on 12/30/2007, 10:34 AM

Hey again, Ivan 123!

The camera is connected to the computer with a firewire-cabel. (The camera is placed ontop of a "plastic-base-thing" wich has both firewire, usb, A/V, and Dc-in.

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 12/30/2007, 10:57 AM

Have you been to Tools<Print video to tape and selected firewire there?

floydflower wrote on 12/30/2007, 11:06 AM

Hey, Ivan!

Yes, if you mean OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394/DV.

I have not touched the record frames yet. It is set on "7". Guess that has nothing to do with it.

By the way: in the next window, I choose PAL TV, and after that: SMTPE BARS (PAL). And after that I choose "Crash recording".

Terry Esslinger wrote on 12/30/2007, 5:08 PM

What about this part of my question?

<<Have you tried the PTT function in BOTH the editing module and the capture module?>>

floydflower wrote on 12/31/2007, 2:53 AM

Hey, Terry!

Actually, I dont know what the PTT function is?
Is this a function that I can switch on/off with my camera i both capture- and editingmodule?

I thought camcorders with dv-in could send and recieve digital signals both ways automatically?

Please tell me more about this function!

Chienworks wrote on 12/31/2007, 4:12 AM

PTT is Print To Tape. You can do this either in VidCap or directly from Vegas' timeline.

floydflower wrote on 12/31/2007, 4:36 AM

Hey, Chienworks!

Oh, yes! Of course.

Yes, I`ve tried print-to-tape BOTH directly from Vegas` timeline, and in Video Capture.

1) From Vegas` timeline: the print stops after a few prosents, and the "recording" goes on forever on the camera.

2) From Video Capture:

*It either say that there is a connection-problem with the cam, and that I need to check if the camera has enabled DV-in.

*Or it "prints-to-tape" and the camera records blank and "records" forever (even if the software says it all ended well).

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 12/31/2007, 4:51 AM

Is your camera set to receive dv?

floydflower wrote on 12/31/2007, 5:00 AM

Hey, Ivan123!

It most be - it works brilliantly in Windows Movie Maker. The print-to-tape works just fine in there, and the recording on the dv-tape is perfect.

In Sony Vegas I`ve also tried to print-to-tape by recording manually (pressing record on the camera, instead of crash-recording). Nothing helps.

By the way: what is the normal print-to-tape "time"? I mean; shall not the PTT be in realtime like in Windows Movie Maker?

Chienworks wrote on 12/31/2007, 5:09 AM

PTT is always realtime. Of course, there are a few extra seconds spent getting the camera rolling and then stopping it afterwards. But generally PTT takes as long as the video is.

floydflower wrote on 12/31/2007, 5:29 AM

Hey, Chienworks!

Ok, thats what I thought.

I have absolutely NO idea why the Sony Vegas Platinum cant print-to-tape to a SONY Handycam, while the Windows Movie Maker loves the cam.

Can this be a RAM problem (I have 1 GB RAM)? I cant figure out why the software "hangs" on the PPT at only 1% - even if the videoclip is just 5 seconds? It does not make sense to me.

(I might have understood it if the camera was another brand than SONY, maybe).

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 12/31/2007, 12:04 PM

Crucial to me seems the fact if you can preview your file on the camcorder. Can you?

Have you done all this: (it is from the Vegas Capture online help file)

Connect your camcorder and turn it on in VTR mode.

Select the Print to Tape tab.

From the File menu, choose Open and locate the video file that you want to send to the camcorder. The file is displayed in the Preview window and should be displayed on the camcorder's viewfinder or on a television that is connected to the camcorder.

Click the Cue Device button . When in Cue Device mode, the Transport toolbar will control your camera or DV deck so you can locate the point on the tape where you want to start recording. Once you have located the appropriate place on your video tape, click the Cue Device button again to release Cue Device mode.

Click the Record to Device button . Video Capture displays a message asking if you are sure you want to proceed, since recording to the tape will overwrite any existing video on the tape.

Click Yes to continue. Video Capture will start recording to your DV device. Once the clip has been printed to the tape, Video Capture displays a message indicating that the print to tape has been completed.

Click OK.

Different cameras and DV decks may require a slightly different procedure; please consult your device's documentation for more information. In a worst-case scenario where Video Capture is unable to automatically record a file to tape, but you can preview a file on your device, you may have to press the Record button on your device to begin the recording procedure and then click the Play button to play back the file.

floydflower wrote on 1/1/2008, 7:24 AM

Hello, Ivan 123!

Thank you so much for your long and very good help!

I have discovered some breakthrough, and some problems:

1) I can manually record clips back to my camera when they are previewed on my camerascreen in Video Capture (by pressing record on my camera). I can NOT print-to-tape automatically.

2) But here is the problem: I can ONLY preview (and therefore also record) clips that are way down in the "Clip explorer". These clips are clips that are recently captured from my camera-tape. The clips are in other word not changed in any way - not redered, maybe?

3) Because of the facts in number 2, I can not preview (and therefor not record) files that I OPEN and find in the file-meny. Those clips will not appear way down in the "clip explorer". They will only show in the right window. THESE clips I CANT preview (and therefor not record manually).

So my question is:
Why can I preview on my camera the recently recorded clips down in the clip-explorer, and not preview files/movies that I open in the file-meny?

4eyes wrote on 1/1/2008, 8:22 AM

It sounds like you have the "Disable DV Control" set to off under preferences in the capturing module. I wouldn't think that could affect printing back to tape though.
That settings is accessible in the capture modules "Preferences".
I use this function when using my dv camcorder in passthrough mode where it converts an analog
signal to dv. A method I use to transfer VHS tapes to digital format.

Maybe this setting is off, or you cam is in pass through mode.
I wouldn't think it's the cam if WMM can write back to the tape and stop the cam after it's done recording back to tape. The cam does have to be in the Playback mode or VTR setting.

Also check your preference settings for VMS.

Chienworks wrote on 1/1/2008, 9:13 AM

Regarding #2, this could be indicating the source of your problem. Are you rendering to DV .avi? This is the only format that Vegas or VidCap can print back to your camcorder. If you render to any other format then this won't work. Contrariwise, if you were rendering to this format then your rendered clips would be available for previewing.

floydflower wrote on 1/1/2008, 10:20 AM

To 4eyes: Thanks for your answer. The DV control is enabled, and has been enabled all the time.

To Chienworks: I am rendering to the format called "video for windows.avi". I asume thats the format it renders to when I "make a movie - save it to a dv-camera" also?

Chienworks wrote on 1/1/2008, 10:56 AM

That's the right file type, but it might not be the right codec. Under Template make sure you have chosen one of the DV settings, probably NTSC DV if you're in North America or PAL DV if you are elsewhere. If you are working with widescreen instead of 4:3 then choose NTSC DV Widescreen or PAL DV Widescreen.

floydflower wrote on 1/1/2008, 12:54 PM

Hey again!
Thanks for all your help :-)

I use the right codec aswell (PAL DV, and if shoot in 16:9; PAL DV Widescreen).

It just cant preview rendered .avi files on my camera.
Only captured and unchanged files from the clip-explorer window will preview on the camera (and therefore also manually print-to-tape).

I think I must try another camera. I cant see another option left...

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 1/1/2008, 1:38 PM

There is one more thing you can do: compare the characteristics of a avi file that works with one that doesn't work. In Explorer, right-click on the file, select properties and go to the second tab. Compare the properties. Is there a difference?