Hey guys, been a long time since i've posted, anyway...

this has probably been discussed a thousand times and i'm sorry for asking again, but i'm trying, really really really trying to capture some footage that was shot with my JVC GY...

The final product is going to be on dvd so I don't know why we shot it in HDV, but we did and can't go back so anyway, onto my question.

I'm using a Vegas 6 setup, trying to capture the footage as just plain ol' .avi's so i can edit it down. I've tried HDConnect but i've ran out of my trial period and can't afford to buy the program. I've tried using the built in capture program in Vegas, but the m2t files are too large.

Should I just capture it all as M2t's and then render them out as avi's? If i'm not mistaken the camera can't do an automatic downgrade of the footage from HD to SD right? a friend of mine uses a Sony HDRFX1 and it does that conversion in the camera. Could i use his camera to capture the footage as SD avi's?

I'm freaking out here... and i'm sorry that this is probably a question that's been covered a million times, but i had to ask and you guys are the experts ;)

any help would be appreciated.

Matt

If i'm not mistaken the camera can't do an automatic downgrade of the footage from HD to SD right?
It can, but only through the analog outputs.

If i hooked up my Component out on my JVC into the Component in on a Sony HDV deck, could i re-record my footage onto a DV tape in standard def with a letterbox, or better yet, could I just hook the deck up firewire and directly capture the footage (playing off the JVC) onto my computer?

Matt, your best bet is to borrow or rent the JVC HD50 deck. It can downconvert to SD through FW and you can select formatting (letterboxing, etc.). I don't think that what you are suggesting with the SONY camera would work at all.

Matt, your best bet is to borrow or rent the JVC HD50 deck. It can downconvert to SD through FW and you can select formatting (letterboxing, etc.). I don't think that what you are suggesting with the SONY camera would work at all.
As far as I know or have experienced, the HD-BR50 can only downconvert to analog outs, just like the camera. It does have the extra options of anamorphic or letterboxed, which is nice, and it will add window burn-in TC.

If i hooked up my Component out on my JVC into the Component in on a Sony HDV deck, could i re-record my footage onto a DV tape in standard def with a letterbox, or better yet, could I just hook the deck up firewire and directly capture the footage (playing off the JVC) onto my computer?

Matt,
I don't know about you Sony HDV deck, but my camera, a Sony DSR-250P (DVCAM) does convert analog to digital (DV) on the fly. It's probably the way to go.
Sergio Barbosa

As far as I know or have experienced, the HD-BR50 can only downconvert to analog outs, just like the camera. It does have the extra options of anamorphic or letterboxed, which is nice, and it will add window burn-in TC.
Tim, you are right, I remember now that I used the component inputs on Mojo to get SD out of the deck... So, unless Matt's Vegas has any way of inputting component, this would not be the path.

Matt, I don't know where you are located, but maybe there is someone living close to you from the forum who want's to convert the files for you into DV.
The Cineform update I got from AspectHD last week, has now features in the HDlink software to capture in HDV and to convert into DV with high quality settings and to 4:3 or 16:9. No special software needed anymore to up- or downconvert.