View Full Version : HDV S-video capture? possible?


Jamie Francis
August 13th, 2005, 10:16 AM
My firewire capturing on my FX1 seems to have blown out. Wondering if I can get a program (?), and get full quality HDV thru SVideo. I have an Svideo input on my PC. I have no idea if this is possible. Anyone?

thanks

Douglas Spotted Eagle
August 13th, 2005, 10:37 AM
It's not possible. The Y/C connection can't carry the information.
Your next best bet is to use the component out, and get a component-capable card like a Decklink, Kona, or BlueFish

Jamie Francis
August 13th, 2005, 10:53 AM
Thanks Douglas. Can you get full quality using the component output? and how much would this run me? for the card/cables, etc.

Steven Gotz
August 13th, 2005, 11:30 AM
It would make more sense to get the FX1 fixed.

Boyd Ostroff
August 13th, 2005, 11:32 AM
I looked into this briefly and at least on the mac it might cost in the $1,000 to $2,000 range. Some people feel that the quality is even better. But you won't be capturing HDV (or at least I don't think that's supported) but something that requires a lot more bandwidth and storage space.

If your firewire port is blown I think you may want to bite the bullet and get it fixed, going the component route isn't gonna be a cheap way.

Here's a possible low cost alternative, it it won't give you HD, only DV:

http://www.adstech.com/products/API-555/specifications/api-555_spec.asp?pid=API-555

You could shoot in 1080i HDV and set component downconvert to 480i and the box would give you firewire DV output at 720x480. I think your FX1 is a little different from my Z1; the Z1 lets you downconvert component to either 480i or 480p. I think the FX1 only supports 480i.

Douglas Spotted Eagle
August 13th, 2005, 01:59 PM
I thought you meant the firewire port on your computer, not camera. No way would it be worth it to replace the firewire port on your camera with a component capture card. And...your FX1 should still be under warranty, no?

A hardware card will cost you a minimum of 500.00, plus the storage and controller you'll need to capture it all.

Wesley Wong
August 18th, 2005, 01:10 AM
wondering if anyone here can confirm that the component output from the Z1 is uncompressed 1080i ?

Douglas, I don't find any component capturing on those HD cards, only HD sdi. How do you make those work ?


Thanks.

Boyd Ostroff
August 18th, 2005, 05:48 PM
Here's a possible low cost alternative, it it won't give you HD, only DV:

http://www.adstech.com/products/API-555/specifications/api-555_spec.asp?pid=API-555

Quick followup: I just got one of these to see if it would capture 480p from the Z1's component video output. Unfortunately, it won't sync up at 480p.IT does capture 480i component, but the results are much noisier than using the camera's i.Link port. So this doesn't look like a very good solution unfortunately.

Stephen Finton
August 18th, 2005, 06:50 PM
wondering if anyone here can confirm that the component output from the Z1 is uncompressed 1080i ?

Douglas, I don't find any component capturing on those HD cards, only HD sdi. How do you make those work ?


Thanks.

It is merely an uncompressed representation of the original compressed material, including any glitches. If your Grandma wore a new dress, she wouldn't be any younger.

Boyd Ostroff
August 18th, 2005, 06:59 PM
Obviously that would be the case when playing back a tape, but what about when capturing live video from the camera? There has been a lot of disagreement about this in the past.

Wesley Wong
August 20th, 2005, 12:22 AM
It is merely an uncompressed representation of the original compressed material, including any glitches. If your Grandma wore a new dress, she wouldn't be any younger.

that's what I disagree. component out to a HD broadcast, while having a live image, will definitely not show dropouts on tape recording, if any, so it means that it isn't a compressed representation (hdv) of the HD capturing, unless it is played out from a tape in the transport , to the monitor.

what will always be compressed, is the HDV compression imagery through the firewire.


and Miranda DEC bridge converts this to a HD sdi output. from the Z1's compressed firewire out.

Boyd Ostroff
August 20th, 2005, 06:47 AM
To add a little more fuel to the fire, see this thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=44273

The output from a Sony Z1's component cables will only give an *uncompressed* look at full refresh rates, but will not show you what the HDV compression is doing to your footage.