I am thinking of buying an hv 20 or 10/30 as a playback deck for my A1 footage. I have a Blackmagic Etreme HD card with HDMI input. Right now, I can only capture with the A1 using the component output into the card. (or firewire directly into FCP) Would using the HV with its HDMI output be a better solution? I am shooting in HD but final project is delivered in Beta SP. My SD footage right now is captured via component as prores hq. Thanks!

Yes, capturing through the HDMI will be better because it won't have to go through a Digital-to-Analog-to- Digital conversion. It will be all digital.

Of note though is the HDMI on the HV will always transmit 29.97, even if you shoot in 24F.

If your source footage is 24F, your better off capturing with firewire as it won't add a 3:2 pulldown.

Hope that helps!

Unless I'm missing something, you will never get better quality than transferring your video to the computer via 1394. It's a bit for bit copy of the digital information on the tape. There might be valid reasons for transferring via the HDMI connection, but it won't give you any better quality.

I agree with Tripp. It only makes sense to use HDMI if you are doing a tethered capture and bypassing the HDV tape compression. If you are capturing from tape you should use FW.

Richard

Well I am wanting to capture via my BM card which doesnt support firewire, only HDMI. It seems that I will save a ton of time by capturing through the card as prores hq rather than via firewire and then having to convert in FCP. Am I off base?

Here's a question. I know it has been asked in some other threads, but I don't believe anyone really weighed in on it. How would the HV40 (or HFS10 for that matter) going HDMI out to a nanoFlash compare to a stock XHA1? For both rigs, the cost would be about the same, but you would get high quality CineForm codec 4:2:2, etc., from the HV/HFS setup. Anyone know of any comparisons done in respect to this. I've seen some that compare the stock HV/HFS to the stock XHA1, but not an HDMI CineForm or similar feed from the former.

Any thoughst?

Also, I know the HDMI is not 24F, but can you reclaim footage shot in 24F through pulldown in post, or can you only capture 29.97 (or is it 60i)?

Well I am wanting to capture via my BM card which doesnt support firewire, only HDMI. It seems that I will save a ton of time by capturing through the card as prores hq rather than via firewire and then having to convert in FCP. Am I off base?

Actually, Final Cut Pro has an option to capture HDV footage and convert to ProRes upon capture. That will save you far more time than capturing through HDMI and having to do a reverse telecine afterwards to bring it back to 24P.

This is all under the impression you are shooting 24P of course.

If 60i, then yes, you can capture through your HDMI card and capture straight to ProRes.