I have a gig where i need to shoot a golf tournament, edit and present the video in the same day. To avoid wasting time transferring footage from tape to the computer, I'm looking into capturing directly onto my laptop, a light 12" dual-core model, through a firewire cable (I'm still recording to tape as backup). I usually use OnLocation, but when I replicated field conditions (frequent start/stops, going in and out of standby, etc.) it crashed.

I looked at HDV Split, but it doesn't support DV control, which means that every time I need to start shooting I'd have to open the laptop lid, click the record button, and put it back in my bag.

Is there reliable software with a relatively small footprint that I could use to capture HDV from a firewire cable?

Thanks.


J.

I looked at HDV Split, but it doesn't support DV control, which means that every time I need to start shooting I'd have to open the laptop lid, click the record button, and put it back in my bag.

Is there reliable software with a relatively small footprint that I could use to capture HDV from a firewire cable?

Not entirely sure I understand that first paragraph, but as for the second, Ulead's VideoStudio can do as you wish.

If you connect a Camcorder which is switched to a shooting mode and hit the "record" button on the software, it records whatever the camera is seeing, whether the camera is rolling tape or not.

Stopping the tape from rolling does not stop the PC from recording, as the camera is "seeing" stuff even tho' it isn't rolling tape.

To stop the PC from recording you have to dive into the software and click on "Stop".

It even gives you capture preview (if a bit jerky) to boot.


CS

Not entirely sure I understand that first paragraph, but as for the second, Ulead's VideoStudio can do as you wish.

[...]

To stop the PC from recording you have to dive into the software and click on "Stop".

DV Control lets your camera control another camera or, in my case, the computer. Because I'm also recording to tape as a backup, every time I press the record button the computer starts or stops recording.

I need software, other than OnLocation, that supports DV Control.


J.

Misunderstood the question.

To "MY" knowledge there is no such software. I shall leave it to others to inform, otherwise or not.


CS

I was going to suggest Scenalyzer, but I don't think it able to be controlled from the camera.

See Scenalyzer LIVE home page (http://www.scenalyzer.com/main.html)

~Wayne