fair enough - how do I install it in VDUB - just put it in the main folder? or what?

Dave

The Panasonic page gives instructions on instllation for VDub.

Dave T2

In another post, Spot recommended the Canopus DV codec. I had two questions:

1. Is it possible to use the Canopus DV codec in the same way as one can use the MainConsept DV codec? Than means, is it at “free” or “open” codec that can be called up by / accessed by / specified when exporting from other applications, like VirtualDub?

2. Is the Canopus DV codec, that Spot is recommending, the Canopus ProCoder 2.0?

Joran

the canopus codec is a stand alone codec.

caution should be used - in using the canopus dv codec in vegas .. for two reasons;

One the 4CC of the codec is not properly read by vegas (see canopus forums - workaround (using procoder) is to render to MS dv codec , but it is really canopus codec that is used , but uses standard MS DV 4CC) (confused?) ..

depending on WHICH version of the canopus codec you use - the help file of vegas 5 may be wrong on setting up the scope in vegas ..

see here (and be aware that both the canopus and mainconcept codec now have different settings for color space)
http://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1273259#1273259

Thank you so much, Brian

One question: do I have to buy the Canopus ProCoder 2.0, which costs $499.00, to get the Canopus DV codec? I can’t find any other options on the Canopus web site. I already own the Canopus ProCoder Express application.

Regards,
Joran

not so easy to find -- they hide it ..
(they clearly state it is free though)..

they aslo have a free playback only version http://www.canopus.us/US/Products/index/products_software_utilities_plug-ins.asp

full free version is here (though no link to this page on canopus web site i could find) :
http://www.canopus.com/US/Products/DV_Codec/pm_dvcodec.asp
or
ftp://www.canopus.com/pub/drivers/misc/dvcodec.exe

Having explored all the options, the Main Concepts DV codec is really the best one for working outside Vegas. I still like the Vegas codec the best, but it's simply not available outside of Vegas. The Panasonic is not terrible, but it degrades the quality more on successive generations. The Huffy is great, but it's RGB and you get some color conversion discrepancies when you go between that and the YUY of the Vegas DV codec. You really don't gain that much from the lack of compression either. Remember that Vegas only recompresses what it needs to. If you do some outside work with Virtualdub and import it back into Vegas, Vegas won't rerender it unless you change it in some way, and even if it did, you can go through a hundred DV rerenders in Vegas with almost unnoticable loss from rerendering. There's a page somewhere that demonstrates this quite convincingly. I really wouldn't worry about it. I just use the Vegas DV codec within Vegas, and the Main Concept DV codec with VDub and don't worry about generation loss.

Again: thank you very much, Brian

There are some technical difficulties I don’t understand, but I’ll raise my questions in a while. But for the moment, which codec do you thing is the “best”: the MainConcept DV codec (which I’ve already bought) or the Canopus DV codec? I use these applications: Premiere Elements, Vegas 5, Pinnacle Liquid, TMPGEnc 3.0 Xpress and VirtualDub. And my main concern is that I want to transfer DV video between these applications without loosing too much quality. My main application is Vegas. I live in Norway so my TV standard is PAL.

Regards,
Joran

Laurence

So you think it is best to MIX the MainConcept DV codec and the Sony DV codec, and not to use the SAME codec when exporting / importing DV video between different applications. Why?

Regards,
Joran

You can freely mix the Sony DV codec and the Main Concept DV codec. If you end up getting the Main Concept codec (which gets my vote) when you get it, get into its configuration panel and make sure that none of the checkboxes are checked.

John

Exactly right. Both codecs are very high quality, hundreds of times better than the Microsoft DV codec. I still think the Vegas codec is a tiny bit better, but you won't notice that so much in that a DV clip rendered with one or the other looks better. Where the difference between the codecs shows up is in multiple generations of rerendering. That is why I would recommend using the Vegas codec within Vegas even when you're using the Main Concept DV codec with outside programs like VDub. You won't have a problem with the clips matching even though you are using two different codecs. What you will gain is a few more potential generations of Vegas rerendering by using the Vegas codec whenever possible. The Main Concepts DV codec is designed for multiple rerenders as well but the Vegas codec is incredible. Check out the following link:

http://www.vegasusers.com/testbench/files/generations/

I wish it compared the Main Concept DV codec as well as the Microsoft and Vegas (Sony) ones, but you'll get the idea.