DV NLE: a reality adjustment

[jeff b]

The NLE paradigm has always been that you need to compress analog video signals to get them onto a desktop computer. Then, after you've edited the digitized video files, you need to be able to decompress them back into an analog signal. This has produced a general acceptance of the idea that desktop video capture cards are a 'you get what you pay for' situation, wherein the more expensive the capture hardware, the better the quality will be. Quality has always been the big issue.

That whole paradigm has been completely shifted with DV, mini-DV and D8, however, because the camcorder now does all the compressing and decompressing. The whole idea of a dedicated capture card with hardware compression and decompression has been eliminated by shifting the compression and decompression into the camcorder, itself. Now all you need is an IEEE-1394 port on your computer, and these are extremely cheap.

Currently, I know of two IEEE-1394 products being sold that come with video editing software. The SIIG IEEE-1394 DV CAM KIT, and the ADS Pyro Digital Video 1394DV Firewire Card. For an additional $199 (USD), either products' accompanying software can be upgraded to MediaStudio Pro version 6.

For the amateur desktop NLE user, this is a very significant development. Now with the generic IEEE-1394 port and MSP6, the end user can have the same level of excellent quality in a finished DV project as you can get from ANY of the more expensive hardware based products.

In the past, the issue has always been about the QUALITY of what you ended up with in an NLE project, and the more expensive the systems, the better that quality ended up being. That issue is no longer part of the mix when looking at how the more expensive 'DV Solutions' stack up. The quality of the native DV goes completely unchanged from the camcorder to the computer and back again, no matter whether you're using a generic IEEE-1394 port or an RT2000.

This is a reality adjustment for anyone who has been doing NLE for more than six months. It's a whole new ball game!

[fluggo99]

Now if only I had that one extra PCI slot...

[RBryant]

jeffb,

so, if I already have a G400Max and a Rainbow Runner G, then all I have to do is buy one of these 80 dollar cards in order to use my miniDV camera? Man, I was dreadin' spending hundreds on a DV Raptor or something... all I need also is MSP6?

Are there any drawbacks to getting a Pyro as opposed to a DV Raptor (if I already have all of the ananlog functionality via the RRG)

Thanks!

[DrMordrid]

If you already have analog capture capabilities via your Marvel and are satisfied with their quality then yes, all you need is the FireWire card and MSP6.

Given that you can use reghacks to activate the Marvels YUY2 mode and would therefore be able to do MPEG-2 captures from within MSP6 on a PIII system you end up with even more options.

Neat 'eh?

Dr. Mordrid

[jeff b]

I'm still running my Mystique220/RR-S alongside the SIIG card, but it's beginning to look like I'll be retiring the RR-S at some point pretty soon. It's because the quality of the DV is so much better, and because MSP6 renders DV files like lightning. I was a bit surprised to see how fast renders were, when I first started working with VideoStudio a couple of months ago. MSP6 continues to amaze me with the updated smartrender and the blazing speed of rendering effects, titles and transitions.

I get no dropped frames while capturing and playing back DV to the camcorder, where I usually get a few dropped using MJPEG and RR-S. It's like night and day, actually, when comparing how much better the quality is and how much easier it is to get things done. I recently finished my last project using the analog MJPEG RR-S, and will do the next project entirely DV. I may never do another analog based project again...

[A_BIT]

Has anyone actually tried playing an analog 8 tape in a D8 camcorder (not recording to D8 first) and "capturing" the footage via 1394. Does it work with the cheapo boards and MSP? If so then I am in for a Pyro!

I have a ton of old tapes I still need to capture.

[Serengeti]

I've been known to be wrong, but can't you "transfer" edited video onto a DV camcorder the same way you transfer it off?

If so... isn't the entire 'dropped frame' issue a dead horse? So the performance of MSP6 isn't really that important to the situation here. You could do the same with Premiere or any video editing software, so long as you had a 1394 plug and a DV camcorder to transfer to, you'd have perfect video, right?

[jeff b]

When I first installed the SIIG card and used the SIIG drivers along with VideoStudio 3.0, there were throughput problems on playback that made 'stutters' back out to the camcorder. So, it isn't a completely dead issue. Once I switched over to the Win98SE drivers, this problem went away. I'm sure that throughput problems could easily crop up for various system configurations, though, and this shows up as a kind of 'hang' on one frame, rather than the analog phenomenon of dropping frames. As long as the 'hang' lasts, you'll get a still frame showing, and a buzzing sound in the audio which is that one frame's worth of audio being played over and over again. It's quite unnerving the first time you have it happen...

[Keith Wiebe]

A_BIT, Yes, you can just play the tapes back in the digital 8 camcorder and output firewire to the computer. I do this all the time with my Canopus Raptor but one thing there will be some "noisy" frames if there are any defects on the original tape like where one was handholding the camcorder and shaking it slightly. It's as if the camcorder can't keep the digital conversion going when this happens. It happens to me only when handholding the camcorder and being a little "shaky" such as jarring the unit around and perhaps a field got messed up slightly. Other choice is to record it to D8 first and play that back. I have recorded to VHS and back to D8 and it solved the problem. Editing with the Canopus is much better than the Matrox Rainbow Runner.

[A_BIT]

Keith,

Thanks for the info. I've heard so many good things about the Raptor that I beleive it's a 1st class product. I was hoping that over time, the Raptor's price tag would go down, as is the case with most electronic products. From what I have seen the price will not budge. Probably testimony to how good it is. As an amateur, I have to be careful how much I keep tossing into this hobby. Now I'm wondering why one of the cheapy boards wouldn't do the trick with MSP6. After all, it's just file transfer right?

-Anthony

[Keith Wiebe]

I would like to know if anyone has the ADS Pyo working properly with MSP 6.0 yet? It sounds good on paper but in reality it probably isn't quite there yet. I know the Canopus Raptor works properly now and that says a lot. (I never did get the Rainbow Runner to run without a slight hickup here and there and the Raptor works everytime). I've heard of complaints of the ADS Pyro causing darkening of scenes during transitions, etc. (same problems as early RRS drivers). I've also heard that maybe the Pyro won't exceed the 2 gig limit so one is restricted to 6-7 minute files upon playback also. Just some questions.