Comments

farss wrote on 6/12/2005, 4:48 PM
1. A few extra features like being able to log a tape very quickly.
2. There's no codec involved in capturing DV
3. See 2. Quality of image is determined by the 'codec' the camera used when it recorded the image.
Bob.
Jøran Toresen wrote on 6/12/2005, 4:58 PM
Thanks Bob

So, what you are saying is that capturing DV video is just like copying an ordinary data file – without changing anything in the original “tape-file”. Ok.

But: Do you, and / or others, think the “few extra features” are worth the money? And if so, why?

Joran

Edited: In Scenalyzer you can choose between DV type 1 and type 2. What you say, is that there is no quality difference between the two types. But what is the difference then, only the file size?

farss wrote on 6/12/2005, 5:06 PM
Yes,
capturing DV is just that pretty much, a data file transfer.
I've looked at SCL and don't have any need for it in the kind of work that I do but I could see it being very useful and it certainly isn't expensive and I think you can download an eval copy.
Certainly if you're shooting anything with scenes and takes I could see a real use for it.
One other thing I believe it'll do that VidCap doesn't, capture 4 channel 12/32K audio. Just why anyone would be shooting audio in that format is beyond me but if you do Vegas will only capture 2 channels of it.
Bob.
Jøran Toresen wrote on 6/12/2005, 5:09 PM
Bob
Your answer came before I edited my reply, so once more:

In Scenalyzer you can choose between DV type 1 and type 2. What you say, is that there is no quality difference between the two types. But what is the difference then, only the maximum file size?

Joran
farss wrote on 6/12/2005, 6:21 PM
No difference in the data within the files as far as I know. Just how the headers are written and as you said maximum file size.
All this is pretty logical, at the time all this DV stuff kicked off the average PC (or Mac) had a hard time just handling the data stream, doing calcs on it as well would have been an impossible load on the CPU.
DV25 down firewire is about the only lossless video system because of this. It's even less lossy than digibetacam. DB decks do a D->A->D conversion to get the data down the SDI connection so there's a minor loss in the process, it's only when you use SDTI that you avoid the loss.
Of course all this changes once you start changing DV in Vegas or any NLE, then the video is rendered out using that apps codec, that's when you can see a difference. The uStuff one in WMM is pretty bad, the Vegas codec is the best of the bunch. Avid for example use chroma smoothing to make the video look nice, probably not a bad thing if you're going out to 4.2.2 but if you're going back to DV25 then you are actually introducing a loss, keep repeating the process and after a few generations thing start to fall apart. The great thing with Vegas is you can add the same smoothing by choice.
Bob.
johnmeyer wrote on 6/12/2005, 6:25 PM
Scenalyzer Features
filmy wrote on 6/12/2005, 10:07 PM
SCLive will capture timecode info that makes the file useable in Vegas and Premiere, as well as other NLE's. And the reverse ofthis is that SCLive will also read offline rez files TC so you could edit and recpture online rez later. "But how does tghis relate to Vegas" - well the files you caputre in Vegas via the VidCap mod work great in Vegas but if you take these files into another NLE the TC info is not there. And vice verse - bring in a Premiere file and the TC will read all zeros. With SCLive you do not have that issue.
kentwolf wrote on 6/13/2005, 11:10 AM
Scenelyzer is a terrific app. I use it all the time, exclusively.

The main reason I like it is:

1.) Cataloging of tapes. That way you can look back to see what's on what tape, without the actual tape.

2.) When you do the tape transfer, it will name the file with the actual date/time code as part of the filename. This is the biggest feature/ reason I use SCLive. I wish all capture apps worked this way. It makes it very easy to work with, chronologically.

When the clip is on the Vegas timeline, you can tell from the active take exactly when the clip was shot.

Scenalyzer is the best. The upcoming (beta) version is even bettter.