Dear Players,
My partner wrongly recorded a wedding video in HDV format which should be recorded in DV. Is there any best way to convert the footage to DV. I am editing in PC platform. Thanks.

Which camera?
I know Canon HDV cameras usually have a downconvert option (in the menu under signal settings), so that the camera will play SD out of the firewire when capturing to your computer.

To my knowledge, all HDV cameras, at least all Canon and Sony models, will downconvert HDV to DV via 1394, and in fact that is the factory default output usually.

With camera in VTR mode, check the menus. One thing to look for is "VCR" which may be in HDV or AUTO mode - set to DV. There will also be a "i.Link Convert" or "DV convert" option or similar wording that when checked will downconvert the output. After making these changes, make sure to power OFF the camera AND close the edit program. Restart the camera so the computer now sees it as a DV device rather than HDV, and only then should you launch the edit program.

DV output will of course be 16:9 widescreen, and just capture as you normally would then. The only drawback is that if you like to use "Scene Detect" during capture to break up the files, it doesn't work with downconvert, it just comes in as one continuous file.

Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

And just in case you want to do this with software instead of the camera, check out MPEG Streamclip. It's free and does a great job.

Oh great, I do have both Sony (FX1) and Canon (XL-H1). I will try it by tomorrow. Thank a lot guys! It would save me tone of hour to render and to edit in HD.

Hey Kent. Put the camera in vtr mode, go to the first menu "system setup", select "HD down-conv" and change to "on." The default setting is off. Output through the firewire port will be downconverted.

dear Jeff

I tried your instruction on my Sony but there is no out put allowed. I got back to the setting of I-Link Conv. the setting is HDV-DV on, but there is still a message "changes NOT allowed", "Unplug i-link cable" even the cable is already unplugged. Do you know why?

Jeff, my experience with the FX1 is exactly the opposite on a number of fronts.

To my knowledge, all HDV cameras, at least all Canon and Sony models, will downconvert HDV to DV via 1394, and in fact that is the factory default output usually.On every Sony tape cam I've ever owned, i.LINK CONV was turned OFF right out of the box. Page 60 of the FX1 manual specifies that this is the factory default setting. One thing to look for is "VCR" which may be in HDV or AUTO mode - set to DV. No, if the tape was recorded in HDV mode, the VCR MUST be set to AUTO or HDV or you'll get nothing but a blue screen. This setting is telling the VCR what the tape is, not what to output. And in fact, Page 60 of the manual specifies that you can only turn i.Link Conv ON when VCR HDV/DV is set to AUTO or HDV. The only drawback is that if you like to use "Scene Detect" during capture to break up the files, it doesn't work with downconvert, it just comes in as one continuous file.Premiere behaves just the opposite; while there is no scene detect when you're outputting HDV from the cam, it works fine when you're downconverting. All it sees is DV; it doesn't care how you got there. At least that's how it worked when I tried this with CS3 years ago.

Kent, can you tell us more about the circumstances of the recording and why you need to downconvert? That error message on the cam sounds bizarre and I can find no documentation about it anywhere from Sony.

If you need to downconvert because you are mixing DV and HDV footage, you can do this in editing. If it's because your PC can't handle HDV, downconverting in-cam upon capture is best, but if you can't make that work there are the software tools mentioned above. If it's just because you are not delivering HD as a final product but your PC is good, just edit in HDV and downconvert before you burn the disc.

Tell us more and we can offer more suggestions. Specifically, what cam shot the HDV footage? If it was not shot on the FX1 it's possible the Sony is reacting poorly to it.

Again:

Disconnect the FW cable
VCR HDV/DV to HDV
i.Link CONV to ON
Power off cam
Power off PC
Connect both ends of FW cable
Power on PC
Power on Cam
Launch Editor (which editor are you using?)
Make sure you have set up a DV project
Make sure your editor is set to capture DV
Make sure you have device control set to DV

If you don't do all of these steps in this order, it might not work.

Edit: Found these very old threads here.
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-hvr-z1-hdr-fx1/48012-configuration-changes-not-allowed-unplug-i-link-cable.html
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-hvr-z1-hdr-fx1/71526-changes-not-allowed-unplug-i-link-cable.html
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-hvr-z1-hdr-fx1/65816-down-coverting-changes-not-allowed-unplug-i-link-cable.html
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-hvr-z1-hdr-fx1/59489-argh-help-fx1-ilink.html

According to these and a few other threads, you can safely ignore the error message.

By the way Kent my input was only for the Canon.