I need some advice, but first, here's the basics:

I often work with a local indie who has Avid MC and Mojo/DNA. He has a client who wants 6 hrs of DVCPro tape written to standard mini-DV tape. (I don't know why, but that's what the client wants). This is the 1st time he's had to do this thus he has no means to write to mini-DV, short of copying hours of SDI output to HDD, then copying to DVD, then me writing those hours of footage to mini-DV on my machine (and I'm not likely to get paid for it). So, I loaned him a JVC combo mini-DV/S-VHS deck with a 1394 port so he had something that would write to mini-DV.

I don't know Avid at all, and have never used it, nor have I used SDI. (I use adobe CS2, and that's what I know best). But he has a Pana DVCPro tape deck that outputs SDI. The SDI goes into Mojo, but from there I don't know where the signal-out from Mojo goes...probably to his computer running MC. (I can't imagine where else it might go). He doesn't know how to get the signal to the JVC mini-DV deck so it can be recorded to mini-DV, and I don't know enough about Avid MC to make it happen. (He's sometimes impatient, and stubborn, particularly when computers don't act the way he wants them to, and I don't want my deck getting fried. Despite that, he's been good to me and given me the bulk of my work, and I'd like to help him out). The only alternative to this is to record directly to my HVX, but I'm not sure when he'd be done or how long I'd be without my camera, am worried about what may be unnecessary extra time on the heads, and neither of us is sure that can be done, or will even work.

After connecting to his setup, the JVC deck will play a mini-DV tape, which shows on his monitor, (so we know the deck is at least recodnized by MC), but we can't seem to route the signal from his DVCPro deck to the JVC deck to record.

If I understood him correctly, Mojo must somehow be configured through menu settings to output DV25, and then (maybe another setting) to route it to the mini-DV deck. I don't know Avid menus, and that's where I think I need the help.

Can anyone help me help him get the signal to the mini-DV deck? Please, be specific and go easy on any Avid terminology, e.g. menu commands to use, because I don't know the system at all and he's likely to discount whatever advice/input I might offer because I know neither his system nor Avid.

My perspective is this: I can relate to input and output signals pretty well, and the more complicated the "plug", the more data is being transferred; the simpler the plug, the less data in the signal. From what I read, Mojo can easily handle this, but neither of us know how to tell Mojo how to do it, or how to set-up MC to do it.

I'd be grateful for any and all input/help (and the lessons learned in the process). I'm perfectly willing to send more info if that would help.

Thanks a lot, and your patience with my inexperience is greatly appreciated.

Why are you going through the AVID/Mojo in the first place. Why not just hook up the two decks together?

but per the indie, his DVCPro deck (which would serve as the "player" deck) ONLY puts out SDI, and the JVC deck (which would serve as the "recording" deck) only has plugs for composite, 1394, or S-VHS. Is there some way to hook these 2 machines together? He's given me the impression my mini-DV deck (consumer equipment) won't understand the SDI signal that his DCVPro deck ("professional equipment") is outputting.

As you can tell, I'm in unfamiliar territory.

but per the indie, his DVCPro deck (which would serve as the "player" deck) ONLY puts out SDI

The DVPro deck has no firewire port for capture? Firewire should be bidirectional on a deck. If you play a tape in the deck, it should output through firewire as well. You could hook up directely firewire to firewire.

But without knowing the model of the deck, it's hard to know.

Denis,

This is an easy fix. All you need to do is transcode your DVCPro clips (DVCPro25 or 50, I assume) to DV 25 clips.

Go to "clip" at the top and then down to "transcode/consolidate". It's pretty self explanatory and straightforward. You can transcode a sequence with handles or individual clips. Then you will be able to go out to the JVC via firewire.

As a note: The Mojo can't do a realtime transcode.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have more issues.

The DVPro deck has no firewire port for capture? Firewire should be bidirectional on a deck. If you play a tape in the deck, it should output through firewire as well. You could hook up directely firewire to firewire.

But without knowing the model of the deck, it's hard to know.

...but AFAIK, there is no firewire on the DCVPro deck. I haven't seen the back of the machine, and I don't know what model it is, other than it's a few years old.
All I do know is what my friend told me: it outputs only SDI, which he inputs to Mojo, then Mojo over firewire to Media Composer in the computer.

Thanks for taking a stab at it, though.

Denis,

This is an easy fix. All you need to do is transcode your DVCPro clips (DVCPro25 or 50, I assume) to DV 25 clips.

Go to "clip" at the top and then down to "transcode/consolidate". It's pretty self explanatory and straightforward. You can transcode a sequence with handles or individual clips. Then you will be able to go out to the JVC via firewire.

As a note: The Mojo can't do a realtime transcode.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have more issues.

I'll pass this on to my associate and let you know what happens. It may be a couple of days, though.

Interesting...I thought that was something that Mojo was intended to do. But, as I said, I don't know Avid, but I appreciate the help.

Thanks, again.

but I very recently learned more details from my associate. It seems he agreed to take on this project (from whoever the client is) without being positive he could complete it, and knowing he had no means to record to miniDV. (Though he knew I'd be willing to loan him my miniDv deck).

He's been waiting for the client to hand over the DVCPro tapes, but he's been waiting an entire week now. The client did not provide the tapes yet, or found someone else to do it. My associate hasn't heard from him since saying the tapes would be shipped to him "2nd day".

I've passed-on your helpful tip to him for future reference.

Sincere apologies for the "wild goose chase"...(that's such an odd phrase...is there such a thing as a "tame goose chase"...or even a tame goose? Domesticated, maybe, but tame? Henceforth, I'll simply call such useless exercises a "goose chase" and save myself some typing).

Anyway, apologies for "crying wolf". Many thanks...for your help, and for my first lesson in Avid.

Those DVCPro tapes finally arrived. My collegaue captured them to Media Composer, then turned the task of making it work with my JVC -SR-VS30U over to me. He never even read the book about how to make it work. (He's much more knowledgeable than me about producing and shooting, but obstinately stubborn about reading instructions, particularly about anything computer related).

Anyway, I got it to work. Turns out that the MC docs listed the procedure (I think beginning on/about page 94). It took me a few hours cause I had never worked with Avid before, but essentially what I did was:
-connected a 1394 cable between Mojo and the JVC unit.
-read the MC docs about how to capture DV and DV25
-clicked some buttons (DNA/1394), Output/Digital Cut, and maybe one or 2 more. (I'd have to read the docs again to be sure, but I know we had to be specific about how Avid was configured for decks).
It lead to some tense moments, because he seemed convinced his "professional equipment" would not play with my "consumer" deck, but eventually they got along.
Turned out that the SR-VS30U is even listed as an option in Avid. Original attempts did not capture audio, but he made some other menu or option selections and got it to work. No pre-record transcoding was done, AFAIK. We did this Thurs, and he might even be done by now, so I should have my deck back soon.
I spent a total of about 8-10 hrs. working on that, and my only "reward" will be my first exposure to Avid. Not sure it was worth it, since I use Adobe CS2.
Anyway, THANKS to all who helped.