IEEE-1394

[Brett]

What are the main differences between a PCI card providing IEEE-1394 ports and a product like the Raptor?

When working with DV format on the PC is it possible to view a 'captured' video clip (.avi) in media player as it is with a Marvel captured avi? Is hardware acceleration required?

When working with DV in premiere is it possible to view the video in the monitor window and as a series of 'thumnails' in the timeline?

In short does DV work as well as MJPEG captured with a Marvel?

Are there any major differences in how NLE works between Win98 and NT4/5?

Many Thanks
Brett

[Grigory]

Hi,

What are the main differences between a PCI card providing IEEE-1394 ports and a product like the Raptor

Raptor is specialized DV video IEEE1394 solution. It has all software designed specifically for video applications and for integration of this card with most popular video editors.

Generic IEEE1394 cards may have equal or less video-oriented features than Raptor. How many and what features are present, depends on specific card. Raptor has support to all necessary video editing operations.
So, to compare specific card with some card, you have to compare features.

When working with DV format on the PC is it possible to view a 'captured' video clip (.avi) in media player as it is with a Marvel captured avi? Is hardware acceleration required?

The very basic IEEE1394 card can take DV data stream inside PC. Depending on specific model, the software (or hardware) codec is used to provide preview capability while capturing.

Raptor uses separate analog video digitizing channel to do preview on PC monitor. When you make DV capture, camcorder always produces analog video in its output. So, you can either use this signal to do preview on TV, or feed this signal inside Raptor and see TV picture on PC monitor.

Other cards may decode DV stream with internal codec. If the codec uses CPU, the preview quality may be not very good. Anyway, you can preview on camcoder LCD screen or on TV.

Inexpensive cards certainly use software codec for previews, so the preview quality is much worse than for RR_G.

Canopus analog overlay channel works very well, much like RR_G preview, except Matrox cards, which have overlay problems on my PC : image is tearing.

Captured DV avi can be played well with most software DV codecs.

When working with DV in premiere is it possible to view the video in the monitor window and as a series of 'thumnails' in the timeline?

YES. Most cards use software decoder in editing. This decoder produces all necessary images.

[i] In short does DV work as well as MJPEG captured with a Marvel? [i]

DV itself works much better: image quality is better, camcorder control is an internal feature of DV interface. Depending on your system, you may have better or worse PC screen preview, but always perfect TV screen preview and A LOT LESS STABILITY AND VIDEO QUALITY PROBLEMS in your work.


Are there any major differences in how NLE works between Win98 and NT4/5

Although many may say that NT is better, I don't think so.

Most video editors will work better under NT in standalone mode.

If you introduce any hardware driver, in very many cases it is designed worse for NT then for 9x. Most inexpensive digital video devices are originally designed for 9x. NT drivers are very often extras, which appear to be less stable or less configurable. When NT get driver error, the blue screen occurs.
9x has better IRQ sharing ability, resource control, works faster with graphics cards and with movie playback. NT is still not multimedia-oriented OS.

I think that carefully configuring your system and learning weak points of win9x and editors under 9x, your can get better results.
NT is stable, when it works with software.

When you add multimedia hardware, NT stability becomes a question, and you may lose a lot of hardware-related features.
3D Games are not a single area where 9x is definitely better.

Grigory