Liquid 7.1 input of 24p and 60p with FOCUS HDD

[Steve Mullen]

My bad! When I said Liquid stopped capturing 24p.

The fact was that the 24p files I had "input" were imported from the Focus HD100 using the DD mode.

Rechecked today -- the Import function imports 720p24, 720p30, 480p60, and DV 4:3 and 16:9.

Moreover, all can be dropped in the same Timeline!

Using the Focus in AV/C mode -- I can capture 720p30, 480p60, and DV 4:3 and 16:9. But not 720p24.

JVC claims, correctly, an HD1 can play 24p via FW.

And, both iMovie HD can capture the 24p from the HD1. But not Liquid in either Logging or EZ Capture.

So the Focus seems to be working fine in DD mode.

Stephen, can you use the Settings button on the EZ Capture Tool to see what it reports for your HD100.

I'm interested in what framerate it reports.

If it reports 29.97 -- can you change it to 59.94 (at 1280x720) have the new setting stick?

[Stephen L. Noe]

According to the developer, whatever comes over the firewire is what is captured with EZ capture and the settings do not matter. It is just a file transfer.

The settings DO matter if you are capturing "Live", or in other words you are capturing through a break out box. In the case of ChromeHD Breakout Box you'd be capturing HD-component or HDSI. In the case of the Pro BreakoutBox you'd be capturing componenet/composite/Svid in SD only. In the case of the USB-700 BreakoutBox you'd be capturing composite/Svid SD. In these cases you have control over the capture codec and rez.

Of course I recommend using the media managment and capturing tapes via the logging tool (F6) where you have control of reel names, scene names etc.

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Stephen L. Noe

According to the developer, whatever comes over the firewire is what is captured with EZ capture and the settings do not matter. It is just a file transfer.

That's what I would expect too. Although it clearly does "process" the data stream.

I now have two -- non HD100 -- devices that will not support 24p capture. However, the TC is being displayed fine.

I too have talked with the developer and he is still working on the FW driver.

Logging and batch are problamatic with Batch. Often it can not locate the IN point. Plus, if scene detection works, that's much faster than logging.

[Stephen L. Noe]

Originally Posted by Steve Mullen

Logging and batch are problamatic with Batch. Often it can not locate the IN point.

Exactly right, on the button. Batch capture is something the beta team is focused on. I think it is the "preroll" that causes the problem with finding the in point. Either way, it is identified and they are working at it. Coincidentally, that issue is the same for ProHD as it is for regular DV25, in other words it is not exclusive to HDV. Either way they (FAST team Munich) are working on the solution (this week as a matter of fact).

Can you list the devices you've had success with in feeding firewire 24p?

[Steve Mullen]

Nothing not an HD100.

Stephen, can you use the Settings button on the EZ Capture Tool to see what it reports for your HD100.

I'm interested in what framerate it reports.

If it reports 29.97 -- can you change it to 59.94 (at 1280x720) have the new setting stick?

[Stephen L. Noe]

Once again, the settings do not work for firewire and are only for "Live" capture. Liquid software is the same whether you use the Pro Box or Chrome Box. If you're capturing HD-SDI then you can select the settings or if you are capturing Component, Y/C or CVBS you can control the input as well as codec. For 1394 capture it is just a file transfer and you have no control over it.

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Stephen L. Noe

For 1394 capture it is just a file transfer and you have no control over it.

The Settings box -- under EZ Capture -- reports the model number of the 1394 source. It also reports information about the device including framerate. It is clearly involved with the 1394 capture driver.

If the information displayed is about the nature of the device, but not the nature of the tape played in the device, this could cause the driver to claim the data was invalid when it is not.

Note, the driver does not report it can't get data -- it reports that the data is "invalid." To make that report, it must be checking some aspect of the data against some other information.

Since we know the data on the tape is correct -- that likely means that Liquid may be wrong about what it "expects." If it were a "simple file transfer" it would not report such an error. Without the source code we really do not know what the driver does or doesn't do. :)

The Settings button I'm talking aboout is part of the EZ Capture Tool whereas Live Capture is only available under the Logging Tool. I'm not using the Logging Tool. You are thinking of the Logging Tools Setting function.

[Stephen L. Noe]

Click here for screenshot

Now that's the same 24p tape I showed on the last example. Once again I can change the setting 10 ways to sunday but when the tape rolls in 1394 capture mode, Liquid will read the tape and ingest whatever is coming over the firewire.

Test for yourself. Setup whatever parameters you like and then press the play button. Now, as the tape is playing over firewire, open up the settings dialog and you'll notice your settings have been flushed in favor of what is coming over firewire.

By contrast I can select the ProBox and have my settings stick. I typically never use EZ capture unless I'm capturing Live via 1394 or Component in from the ProBox. That's really what it was designed for and the player buttons were added in Version 7 to control a firewire device. BTW you can slave the HD-100 to your control buttons and vice versa when the camera is in "camera" mode (non VTR).

I must admit I've never had anyone ask so intensely about EZCapture.