$105 (USD) mini-DV capture/NLE package

[Jerry Jones]

Nice to see you were able to get
both VideoStudio 3 and 4 working!

I'm also amazed you were able to
do the Type 1 and 2 conversion for
editing in MediaStudio Pro 5.2.

When you attempted to Preview in
MediaStudio... did you rule out the
possibility of overlay by checking
to make sure the proper codec was
selected?

You may be right about it being the
Mystique...

Also... did you try keeping the camcorder
connected to the Firewire board during
that process while having the analog
output of the camcorder connected to an
external TV set? I'm wondering if you
could get a decent preview that way...
even if overlay weren't possible.

[jeff b]

Jerry: Well, I am a little puzzled about not having the preview window come up when I play my preview in MSP with the Type 2 files. This doesn't happen with any other codec, so I'll see if I can finagle around a bit on that one. The DV-Soft codec does have configure options, both in preview properties and in create video rendering options, which opts for output to the desktop only, output to the DV device only, and output to the the desktop AND the DV device. But this has no hook to the 1394 driver, and is simply an independant codec for rendering, just like any other. Consequently, none of those three options make any difference.

It may be that there would be some clever .ini file entry that could be made here to spruce things up a bit, and at least get the preview screen to work.

One thing that I did notice about the behavior of the Type 2 files I've imported from VideoStudio to MSP is that they pop onto the timeline in filmstrip mode WAY faster than the MJPEG clips. And when rendering out to a new file, the unchanged portions of each clip are a much faster smartrender cycle than MJPEG clips, too.

This basically indicates to me that when future versions of MSP are all tooled up for good 1394 device control, this could easily be a lot faster software codec work than the hardware codec work is currently, using the Rainbow Runner and hardware MJPEG codec.

It will be interesting to see just how much faster a hardware DV setup like RT2000 will be when it goes head to head with a software 1394 setup, once all the updates and ugrades have settled out, and this whole arena of DV has gotten out into the market for a couple of months.

[Grigory]

I have some info that may be useful.

Adaptec DVsoft codec has strange behaviour under win9x. For example, it plays distorted video in mediaplayer window, but not in old mplayer.exe application.
Premiere 4.2 uses MCI driver from old media player and I can preview video well.
However, the programs that use directshow for previews, sometimes give no picture or very strange picture with PAL DV at DVsoft codec.

I don't have this card, but only a codec from adaptec site. I use it sometimes to edit Canopus DV codec video on non-raptor PC.

Maybe, these preview mystery is related with this codec?

Anyway, the ability to work with standard editors is great.

Grigory

[Jerry Jones]

I used an Adaptec 8920 board for
a short time and -- as I recall --
I was successful in getting a small
video overlay window, but only for
scrubbing along the MediaStudio Pro
timeline.

Now that I think about it... the
Adaptec codec did not permit timeline
playback. So what you're experiencing
is normal. However, the Adaptec version
2.0 DV Deck software had a feature called
multiple clip playback that let you
seamlessly link together DV .avis.

Now that I remember that... I'm so
happy I switched to the Canopus DV
Raptor. The Canopus "Smart Play" plug-in for
MediaStudio Pro works so much more
elegantly. Timeline playback. Large
on screen previews. It's great.

Another thing I remember was that the
MediaStudio Pro "Video Capture" program,
which is a Video-For-Windows capture
module normally does not see DV board
capture devices. (I'm only able to
activate it with the Canopus DV Raptor
due to the fact I've downloaded the
free Canopus software analog capture
driver---which is a Video-For-Windows
driver.) However, a person using
MediaStudio Pro in the UK advised me he
was able to use the MediaStudio Pro
capture module with his Adaptec board
under Windows NT 4.0. Apparently, the
Windows NT 4 made a difference where
the Video Capture module was concerned.
He even sent me a screen capture to prove
it.

[Jerry Jones]

I don't remember... does Ulead VideoStudio 4 have batch capturing capability built-in?

[dragmore]

Well guys i've been following this interesting thread from the beginning.
Why should we pay more than it's needed to do high quality editing???...

today i bought the JVC 9600 DV cam and a Pyro 1394 controller (109$) as my start into the digital nle world, thx guys for all help i've got from you guys!!

By the way. Edit DV 2.0 supposedly supports dual cpu's in the app and the DV codec and with win2k out now, i'm really looking forward to test it, but have any of you guys tested the 1.0 ver? Does it support 3rd party 1394 controllers?

Dragmore

[A_BIT]

How to get a new ADS Pyro 3 port 1394 card with Ulead Video Studio for FREE!-

Buy.com has it in stock for $95 U.S. Open an E*TRADE account and you get a $100 Buy.com gift certificate.

This link is for the ADS Pyro product, and it has a link to the E*TRADE site.
http://www.buy.com/comp/product.asp?SKU=10211621

[dragmore]

Doesnt help, I'm from Norway, Europe..

Buycomp only ship to the americas

Dragmore

[Jerry Jones]

Dragmore,

A couple of new things make EditDV
worth a look by PC users.

In the past, I would've said that if
you want to use EditDV... buy a Mac.

It was designed for the Mac platform
and Digital Origin has a reputation
for doing less than great stuff for the
PC platform. Note Jan Ozer's latest
review of entry level DV cards in
PC Magazine wherein even the lowly
Pinnacle Studio DV whipped the Digital
Origin IntroDV:

http://www.zdnet.com/products/storie...397519,00.html

But having said this, EditDV version 2.0
is being focused on by Digital Origin in
a big way:

a) plug-in support for applications
such as BorisFX

b) expanded hardware support

I have received "intelligence" suggesting
EditDV 2.0 -- by Mid 2000 -- will
be enhanced to work with the Canopus
DV Raptor! Lack of support for other than
Digital Origin hardware has been the main
drawback of EditDV, historically.

Personally, I have no reason to switch
from Ulead Systems MediaStudio Pro 5.2.
I'm using it with the Artel BorisFX 3.5.5
compositing plug-in and it's trouble free
and works very, very well with my Canopus
board.

I'm keeping a close eye on the new MediaStudio Pro 6 to ship in late
February.

However, the EditDV 2.0 software could
very well turn out to be a Premiere
killer due to rendering speeds found by
DV Magazine to be 3 times as fast as
Premiere and an AVID-like interface to
boot. The DV Magazine review is on the
Web in PDF file format, which means you
must have Adobe's free downloadable
Acrobat Reader to view this file:

http://www.dv.com/magazine/1999/1099/roundup1099.pdf

[jeff b]

I could have sworn that the test clips I imported into MSP a few days ago carried the transition crossfades right back through DVSoft encoding, back into VS4, rendered to Type 1, and out to the camcorder....

Today, a longer project that I've been working on since around mid-november took a nose dive on that score.

I'm unhappy to report back here (after saying otherwise) that today I can't get any effects (color clips, titles, simple crossfade) to render out in DVSoft from MSP, import to VideoStudio 4.0, render to Type 1, and then play thru 1394 back to the camcorder. It's all there on the desktop, playing back quite nicely throughout each stage of rendering, but apparently the MSP 5.2 effects just won't play out on that final step to the camcorder, for whatever reason.

What I had done a few days ago, and which led me to make such sweeping statements about having all the goodies of MSP available with this process of rendering back and forth, was a short test clip with a crossfade. I know that worked then, but I can't get that result today.

Whether there's some tweak or other that can make that stuff work again is moot, since the mere fact of it NOT working now makes that process of rendering back and forth pointless.

Grigory was right about the DVSoft codec being a bit funky, and so we'll have to put the MSP 5.2 issue with all of this into the trash can, unfortunately. That kind of inconsistency makes it worthless.

What we're left with is the 4 gig limitation on a single file (just under 20 minutes), limited effects, and some edge of a learning curve on the VS4 or VideoWaveIII user interface in doing this cheap solution for mini-DV in and out of the computer.

[Jerry Jones]

Well... I was reading your posts
with a lot of interest as I don't
have the cash to experiment with these
cheaper boards.

I have to say my Canopus DV Raptor at
$430 has been flawless with MediaStudio
Pro 5.2 and I'm very happy with it.

But I know a lot of people who constantly
ask me how to get a more inexpensive working video editing system and I've been watching the progress of these Type 1 boards and their software with interest for that reason... especially for those folks who just don't want to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

But the fact is: the Canopus DV Raptor or DV Rex are still the best *DV* board/software
solutions available for use with Ulead
MediaStudio.

http://www.canopuscorp.com/dvraptor/Index.html

[Jerry Jones]

A couple of questions:

a) As I understand it, you *are*
successful playing back your
videos edited in Ulead VideoStudio 4,
including transitions, right?

b) Does VideoStudio 4 give you the ability
to overlay graphics created in other
programs?

[jeff b]

Jerry, to answer your questions: Everything is still working with VideoStudio4, including transitions. I haven't, however, done any kind of overlay in VS4 other than titles.

I really don't know if there's any way to do something like Alpha channel keying or color keying with VS4. At least, I haven't found anything in the program that jumps out at me along those lines. Without some kind of control along those lines, all you can do is transition between clips using the effects library, which appears to have the same collection that's in MSP.

[Jerry Jones]

Another question:

My Canopus DV Raptor requires me
to have my camcorder connected for
smoothest overlay window playback.

Does your SIIG board require you to
keep your camcorder connected as well?

Or can you edit without the DV device
connected--using VideoStudio 4?

[Jerry Jones]

Do you have to have your DV camcorder
connected to edit with VideoStudio 4?

I do with my Canopus DV Raptor.

Also: I'm a little confused by all
of the codecs available for use with
the SIIG board.

a) Adaptec?
b) Microsoft?

Which codec seems to perform best
with the SIIG/VideoStudio 4 combination?