Apple intermediate codec versus plain HDV at DVinfo.net

Petri Kaipiainen · November 18th, 2007, 11:03 AM

Just got my new Mac/FCP combination up and running (it took 1.5 days to install those 11 DVDs...).

XH-A1 HDV capture was set up as instructed, it does not work, no camera says FCP. If I choose Apple Intermediate codec I can capture from tape, but there is no capture window, just a plain monitor running the video and captured footage is split into clips automatically. As I have 1.75 TB of HD this is not a problem and just fine, the system is transfering the video to HD as I write.

Has anybody any idea why the normal capture does not work, only AIC.

Does using AIC have any bad effects anyways, I suppose a frame based codec would be what I want for editing anyway?

I use PAL 50i, by the way.

Paul Joy · November 18th, 2007, 05:21 PM

I'm not sure if it's a problem to use AIC, but there's no reason why ou should not be capturing as 1080 50i HDV from the xh-a1.

Here's a few things that you could check...

> Have you run the 'Easy Setup' for the format you're tring to use (HDV 1080 50i)?
> Is the camera recording in that format?
> Is the camera trying to downconvert the footage?
> Have you tried connecting and starting the camera before launching FCP?

Paul.

Andy Mees · November 18th, 2007, 06:55 PM

there's no reason your native HDV capture should not work
that siad, AIC should work for you just fine ... and you can also use FCP6.0.2's new capacity to record HDV direct to Apple's ProRes codec in realtime

Petri Kaipiainen · November 19th, 2007, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Joy

Here's a few things that you could check...

> Have you run the 'Easy Setup' for the format you're tring to use (HDV 1080 50i)?
> Is the camera recording in that format?
> Is the camera trying to downconvert the footage?
> Have you tried connecting and starting the camera before launching FCP?

Paul.

As the AIC works and HDV is being fed to the Mac, there should be no wrong settings in camera. I did what the FCP manual advices to do with XH-A1, but maybe some (working) combination of settings was not tested before the AIC capture started working and I desided to use that. Have to look into this after this capture project is finnished.

First time I use FCP, had PPro 1.5 previously.

Luke Tingle · November 20th, 2007, 04:36 PM

I have the same problem.
FCP5, G5 1.6, XH-A1
Log and Capture window does not open, just asks if I want to capture the HDV footage(no log window or anything). Also when I capture this way I get a very weird image blurring affect, parts of the frame shift etc.
Now I just capture with DVHS and convert to AIC with mpeg streamclip. PITA but it works correctly unlike FCP.

Brian David Melnyk · December 4th, 2007, 02:40 AM

same problem for me! i shot XH-A1 HDV 30f and can only capture AIC without the log and capture window (real time), or DV NTSC 720 anamorphic (which i don't want to do!)with the log and capture. when i try to capture HDV, the video is not shown in log and capture, though i can control the camera and see the footage in camera. when i try capture 'now', FCP tells me there is no camera (or HDV deck). capturing AIC seems to use about 30 to 40 gig/hour, and as i have 16 hours of footage, this seems unrealistic. in the camera VTR video standard, i set it to video standard HDV but when playing it shows: video standard --. could it be a problem with the camera? or FCP?

Brian David Melnyk · December 4th, 2007, 06:27 AM

OK, this is my first post with an actual solution, not a problem. feels strange...
anyway, i tried to convert the AIC media files to HDV 1080i in Compressor so i could actually have enough hard drive space, and Compressor told me that the Codec could not be found. So I then used Pacifist (a shareware program i downloaded for analyzing and installing software with more precision) to verify the FCP studio 2 installation disc (skipping the content DVDs), cross-checking ONLY the HDV codec package with files on my computer. It told me that 27 files were missing, so i used Pacifist to install the HDV codec package, restarted my computer, and now am happily capturing HDV through the Log and Capture window with plenty of hard drive to spare. I didn't verify all of the FCP disc (if it ain't broke...) but will not hesitate to do so at the onset of any other problem. hope this helps you.

Greg Boston · December 4th, 2007, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian David Melnyk

OK, this is my first post with an actual solution, not a problem. feels strange...
anyway, i tried to convert the AIC media files to HDV 1080i in Compressor so i could actually have enough hard drive space, and Compressor told me that the Codec could not be found. So I then used Pacifist (a shareware program i downloaded for analyzing and installing software with more precision) to verify the FCP studio 2 installation disc (skipping the content DVDs), cross-checking ONLY the HDV codec package with files on my computer. It told me that 27 files were missing, so i used Pacifist to install the HDV codec package, restarted my computer, and now am happily capturing HDV through the Log and Capture window with plenty of hard drive to spare. I didn't verify all of the FCP disc (if it ain't broke...) but will not hesitate to do so at the onset of any other problem. hope this helps you.

Wow Brian, that's a great tip. It's one of those things that many folks might not think of trying. Good job!!

-gb-

Brian David Melnyk · December 5th, 2007, 07:20 AM

thanks, Greg. does this mean i can graduate from 'new boot' status? perhaps to 'dress shoe'?

November 18th, 2007, 11:03 AM	#1
Petri Kaipiainen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Espoo Finland Posts: 380	Apple intermediate codec versus plain HDV Just got my new Mac/FCP combination up and running (it took 1.5 days to install those 11 DVDs...). XH-A1 HDV capture was set up as instructed, it does not work, no camera says FCP. If I choose Apple Intermediate codec I can capture from tape, but there is no capture window, just a plain monitor running the video and captured footage is split into clips automatically. As I have 1.75 TB of HD this is not a problem and just fine, the system is transfering the video to HD as I write. Has anybody any idea why the normal capture does not work, only AIC. Does using AIC have any bad effects anyways, I suppose a frame based codec would be what I want for editing anyway? I use PAL 50i, by the way.

November 18th, 2007, 05:21 PM	#2
Paul Joy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 627	I'm not sure if it's a problem to use AIC, but there's no reason why ou should not be capturing as 1080 50i HDV from the xh-a1. Here's a few things that you could check... > Have you run the 'Easy Setup' for the format you're tring to use (HDV 1080 50i)? > Is the camera recording in that format? > Is the camera trying to downconvert the footage? > Have you tried connecting and starting the camera before launching FCP? Paul. __________________ Blog: www.pauljoy.com Company: www.videotrader.co.uk

November 20th, 2007, 04:36 PM	#5
Luke Tingle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 88	same here I have the same problem. FCP5, G5 1.6, XH-A1 Log and Capture window does not open, just asks if I want to capture the HDV footage(no log window or anything). Also when I capture this way I get a very weird image blurring affect, parts of the frame shift etc. Now I just capture with DVHS and convert to AIC with mpeg streamclip. PITA but it works correctly unlike FCP.

November 18th, 2007, 06:55 PM	#3
Andy Mees Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 645	there's no reason your native HDV capture should not work that siad, AIC should work for you just fine ... and you can also use FCP6.0.2's new capacity to record HDV direct to Apple's ProRes codec in realtime

December 4th, 2007, 02:40 AM	#6
Brian David Melnyk Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Winnipeg Canada Posts: 532	same problem for me! i shot XH-A1 HDV 30f and can only capture AIC without the log and capture window (real time), or DV NTSC 720 anamorphic (which i don't want to do!)with the log and capture. when i try to capture HDV, the video is not shown in log and capture, though i can control the camera and see the footage in camera. when i try capture 'now', FCP tells me there is no camera (or HDV deck). capturing AIC seems to use about 30 to 40 gig/hour, and as i have 16 hours of footage, this seems unrealistic. in the camera VTR video standard, i set it to video standard HDV but when playing it shows: video standard --. could it be a problem with the camera? or FCP?

December 4th, 2007, 06:27 AM	#7
Brian David Melnyk Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Winnipeg Canada Posts: 532	OK, this is my first post with an actual solution, not a problem. feels strange... anyway, i tried to convert the AIC media files to HDV 1080i in Compressor so i could actually have enough hard drive space, and Compressor told me that the Codec could not be found. So I then used Pacifist (a shareware program i downloaded for analyzing and installing software with more precision) to verify the FCP studio 2 installation disc (skipping the content DVDs), cross-checking ONLY the HDV codec package with files on my computer. It told me that 27 files were missing, so i used Pacifist to install the HDV codec package, restarted my computer, and now am happily capturing HDV through the Log and Capture window with plenty of hard drive to spare. I didn't verify all of the FCP disc (if it ain't broke...) but will not hesitate to do so at the onset of any other problem. hope this helps you.

December 5th, 2007, 07:20 AM	#9
Brian David Melnyk Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Winnipeg Canada Posts: 532	thanks, Greg. does this mean i can graduate from 'new boot' status? perhaps to 'dress shoe'?