What is the correct way of capturing?

rllagas2002 wrote on 8/8/2003, 11:32 PM

i think there's something wrong about the way i capture that's why i got low quality on my clips.

1. For VHS, i captured video via VCR's ANALOG OUT and ANALOG IN in my canupos ADVC1394, captures via winproducer software bundled with it. Video is saved as MPEG file.
- when i place mpeg file on the timeline and render it as again mpeg file...is there any loss of quality? is there any recompression?...maybe this is the reason i got a low quality.
- is it better to use the VCR's svideo out and capture card's svideo in?

2. When i capture video from my minidv, i still use the anlog out of mini dv and analog in of capture card.
- there's a dv out from my minidv and dv port on the capture card but when i tried it. i cant capture anything (audio and video)...i am trying to findout if my set up is not correct.
- same thing with 1...i use mpeg file for edits.

3. Now i got my new 120g drive, i would like to try capturing using vegas4. This i believe will save the file as avi?
But i'm not sure again if i use the above hardware setting, will i get better quality?

My objective is to minimize loss of quality from capturing to rendering to burning VCDs.
What should be the best way to go thru this...

thanks in advance.
rall

Comments

jetdv wrote on 8/9/2003, 12:08 AM

Why are you capturing analog? Capture via FIREWIRE to a DV-AVI file - NOT as MPEG. You'll be much happier with the results.

rllagas2002 wrote on 8/9/2003, 9:52 AM

jetdv,

i can only connect the VCR to analog input of my capture card. Is there a way connecting it to the firewire?

By the way, i tried capturing via analog in with AVI file and played with media player...it was great...quality is as good as the source. However, when i render it as MPEG1 (because my objective is to burn on a vcd).. the quality result is thesame as the quality i rendered from MPEG capture....i mean as my eyes can compare them....

Can I burn VCDs other than using MPEG1 file?

rall

jetdv wrote on 8/9/2003, 11:04 AM

Doesn't the Canopus convert it to a standard DV signal?

To record from a VCR, I connect it to my deck, let the deck convert it to digital, and capture from the deck via firewire. I know the Canopus ADVC-100 does the same thing, Does the card you use do that?

Grazie wrote on 8/9/2003, 2:45 PM

Ah! So you capture to the deck first, then capture from that . . . So your cammy isn't used to mess about with the tape itself . . can't you just pop the tape into the deck? Apologies, I thought you had a DV and miniDV tape draw?

Grazie

jetdv wrote on 8/9/2003, 2:54 PM

Actually, I let the deck pass thru the video. No tape step in between.

BillyBoy wrote on 8/9/2003, 9:05 PM

I think it really depends on the device. Example my Canon lets the signal 'pass through' which is kind of a mismatch name wise since in the passing through it changes the analog signal to a digital one. I guess it refers to more to letting the signal pass through meaning the device (in my example the camera) doesn't have to record to a tape as a middle step, but it can if there is one in it.

rllagas2002 wrote on 8/10/2003, 9:34 AM

Hi jetdv,

i'm actually converting vhs to vcd or dvd whatever my customers want (i only do this for extra $$$)....sometimes i also re-edit them...... but since dvd players are yet to be used as home players in our country....most of them want it to convert to vcds...(no dvd player yet)....now what i do is converting them directly to MPEG1 file(using the bundled intervideo software)...which i can burn immediately to VCDs....but i'm not really satisfied with the result....i don't really get a good quality...so, i guess it's in the MPEG1 encoding isn't it.....i mean even if i captured it as AVI or MPEG1... the result looks thesame.

if i burn them on dvd....i get thesame quality as the vhs source.

Would it help if i buy the DECK you mentioned? if yes may you recommend a good specs. What is this deck actually....is it for professionals like you.( i'm not yet doing this full time so if it is so expensive, i may not get it for the time being).

billyboy,
please teach me.....i have a dv output from my canon and a dv port as well in the capture card....could this be better if i use it for capturing....i also have a firewire port on the capture card.....but to be honest, i don't really know where to use it... my minidv camm doesnt have firewire.....it only has a dv,svideo,and analog in/out.

Thanks for all the responses....

rall

Chienworks wrote on 8/10/2003, 10:47 AM

rall, i'm a little confused. What is your "Canon" if it isn't your MiniDV camm? I can't imagine any MiniDV camera made in the last 10 years not having a firewire port. Maybe you just haven't recognized it yet. Your Canopus converter and firewire card probably both have the larger 6 conductor firewire jacks. The MiniDV camera probably has the much smaller 4 conductor firewire jack. It's probably about 1/4" (6.3mm) x 1/8" (3.1mm) with a slight bulge sticking in on one of the longer sides. You'll also need a 4-to-6 cable to connect it to your computer.

BillyBoy wrote on 8/10/2003, 11:08 AM

The DV out should be the firewire. Like Kelly already said, most digital cameras these days have a little 4 pin DV connector and most DV ports on a firewire card on the computer end have a 6 pin. All you should need to connect your camera is a 4-pin/6-pin firewire cable. Look for them in the CAMERA area of larger electronic stores like BestBuy if they they don't have them in the computer section.

To make it work you need to set up in Preferences/Optons in Vegas. You should get some kind of visual clue in the camera viewfinder that says DV In/OUT or some such thing. You may or may not have to fiddle with the menu choices on the camera to see the option.

Once the camera and computer are hooked up via the firewire Windows should give some audio cue and also a pop up Window and the camera should be seen as a device in Window's Explorer.