Video Capture Properties

Frenchie wrote on 8/10/2009, 8:49 AM

I am capturing some old dv tapes I have.
In Sony Digital Imaging video capture properties, an option is available to change output to up to 640x480.
Am I correct to assume that this will improve quality on my 1080P TV at the end?

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 8/10/2009, 8:58 AM

I'm not sure where you are seeing that option. You should be using the SD VidCap program to capture DV over firewire. This is the best possible capture you can get from DV tapes. There will be no options or changing the image in any way, since the firewire capture merely copies what's on the tape to a file on the hard drive. Even if there were a way to change something along the way, it would only result in degrading the image rather than preserving quality.

For that matter, DV is 720x480, so 640x480 is actually less resolution. But it doesn't matter anyway since your DV captures will be an unmodified 720x480, the same way the camera recorded them.

Frenchie wrote on 8/10/2009, 9:11 AM

This option comes from within Sony Video capure version 6.0e.
The old camera ( sony dcr-trv19) I am using to connect to does not have a firewire. It is usb. I had to download its driver in order for it to interface with my desktop. All this bring in the next question, when you say using the SD Vidcap program, are you referring to the built in capture within Vegas, or is it another program? Thank you so much for your input.

Chienworks wrote on 8/10/2009, 11:09 AM

That camera should have a firewire port right next to the USB and A/V ports. That's what you should be using to capture. USB captures from that camera are going to be pitifully poor webcam quality at best. There's really no point in using USB at all. You'll end up with poor quality files that are hard to edit.

SONY's DV capture method is to use their Standard Definition vidcap60.exe program which can be found in the same directory as Vegas' .exe file, or when you choose DV from the capture menu. It sounds like this is what you are using, but i've never seen that option. Then again, i've never tried capturing from a DV camcorder through USB.

Frenchie wrote on 8/10/2009, 4:20 PM

Thank you so much. That's great advice and observation. This is not my camcorder, I didnt realize it has in fact a firewire port. Re-captured the av with clearly better quality. Your help is much appreciated.