Question:
How do I capture SD dv tape to a PC (hopefully in smaller .mov instead of larger .avi) and get the file size small enough to ftp to my mac for editing in Final Cut Pro?

Current Situation: The PC is using Pinnacle, but I'm up for getting a different capture program. Our captured video is between 3 and 5 minutes. Its filmed against a green screen and I need the resolution to be clear enough for me to chromakey when I get it to Final Cut.

My goal is to get 100 mb or smaller.

We tried doing a conversion with QuickTime Pro. On my mac, I can scale down an avi to a smaller .mov, but it doesn't work as well when we try it on a PC.

In Premier Pro on a PC, I tried taking an avi and exporting it as a .mov but the files sizes were identically large.

We have a workflow for spot-news guys in the field, who are shooting avchd and need to ftp from the scene; they are doing a rough edit then converting to mp4 for ftp to the office, where we do a final edit for the web and output to the .mov we upload to the server.

Depending on your purpose and output size, the mp4 may give you enough quality to edit into your final output format. Now, there are people who will criticize that mp4 is not a edit codec, and they're right, but if you are outputting to web the conversion to and from mp4 may give you the compression you need and retain sufficient quality.


(If you have a recent nVidia board, you can purchase their conversion program called Badaboom,which uses the multiprocessors on the video board to make a very rapid conversion...afaik this is a pc-only solution, not sure if there is a Mac verson. )
Battle Vaughan / miamiherald.com retired videographer

Thanks Battle. I'll try the mp4 again. The last time I wasn't to thrilled with it, but maybe it was the footage. Our reporter has to film himself so the camera has to be set to automatic.

Check your settings that you're not converting to an i-phone preset or something, some conversion programs (like badaboom) have presets for specific devices....suggest you make as big a conversion as your ftp rate will permit...