Poor quality video

Laminarman wrote on 12/6/2004, 5:47 PM
I'm very new to this. I'm capturing into Vegas Movie Studio + DVD with a SONY MiniDV Digital Handycam. I'm transferring via USB 2. I do not have a firewire port on my Dell Dimension 4600C (what a dummy not getting that $29 option), but will get one soon if necessary. I understand that USB2 transfers about the same bandwidth as firewire, so why is my video pixelated, flat and overall poor quality? Changing some of the preferences does not help.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm interested in taking some tapes of my children and family and putting them to DVD, nothing fancy. But this quality stinks. Playback on the TV from the camera is awesome.

Comments

Steve Mann wrote on 12/6/2004, 5:53 PM
There's something missing in this picture - I am unaware of any Sony MiniDV camera that has USB2.
Laminarman wrote on 12/6/2004, 5:57 PM
I'm using the cord that came with the camera that plugs into the camera and the other end into the USB port. They call it the USB cable, and the port is above the firewire port on the camera. It has a little squiggle symbol like a cactus. Sorry about the confusion and my ignorance.
nickle wrote on 12/6/2004, 6:17 PM
The usb is for capturing from the memory stick which (if video) would be low resolution mpeg video, from what I understand.

You really do need firewire so you can capture from the tape in DV format.
rs170a wrote on 12/6/2004, 6:20 PM
I do not have a firewire port on my Dell Dimension 4600C (what a dummy not getting that $29 option), but will get one soon if necessary.

Trust me (and everyone else on this forum) when I say it's necessary.
It's well known that, despite some manufacturer's claims, USB just doesn't cut it for video editing. Don't get the card at your local computer store unless it's less than $30 though. Any more than that is a ripoff. Also, make sure it has a Texas Instrument chipset in it.

Mike
kerrying wrote on 12/6/2004, 6:43 PM
a lot of the newer digital vid cams or handycams come equipped with USB port (in addition to firewire/i-link). Using the vid-cap app that comes with the cam (and only the bundled app, not any other app, not any other app), many cam manufacturers (well, actually I only know Sony does..) allows vid-cap through USB port. You capture with the bundled app, Laminarman?

Technically and theoretically, vid-cap through USB port shall yield identical DV quality similar to that of vid-cap through firewire, but it seems that no manufacturer really bother to make it works - they seem to think that vid-cap through USB port is more catered for home-users (captured footage is in compressed mpg format, not original DV).

To fully enjoy the quality and benefit of shooting DV, it would be good to go the firewire way, and do your post with a good NLE (like Vegas..! ) : )


John_Cline wrote on 12/6/2004, 8:59 PM
Plain and simple; the USB output from the camcorder is very low resolution "webcam" quality video. The ONLY way to capture full resolution DV video is via the Firewire port. Period.

John