Capture firewire from a digital switcher to computer - is ..

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Hey, trying to answer this question...

I'm using Vegas 4.0 , their video capture software and a Videonics MXProDV
switcher.

What I've been doing is capturing a show to a miniDV vcr from the firewire
output of my switcher then taking the tape across the room to my editing
station and playing the tape into my editor from another firewire miniDV
vcr.

I've decided this is wasting time and adding extra wear on the machines.

So my question. Before I order a 25' firewire cable or move equipment
across the control room to test my idea, can I just run the firewire from
the switcher to the computer and make a "live" capture. Vegas' capture
software seems to want to take over a camera to capture video so I was
wondering do I need different capture software or will is see an switcher
and just let me record it? It won't have and timecode since it's coming out
of the switcher, so that might be another problem.

Thanks for any help,
Philip Scoggins

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Philip Scoggins" wrote ...
> What I've been doing is capturing a show to a miniDV vcr
> from the firewire output of my switcher then taking the tape
> across the room to my editing station and playing the tape
> into my editor from another firewire miniDV vcr.
>
> I've decided this is wasting time and adding extra wear on
> the machines.

So how important is it that you capture the video in real time?
If your computer crashes or you forgot to make enough disk space,
can you yell "CUT!" and pick up from the previous shot 10 minutes
later? I've never had anything like that happen with a VCR. I
wouldn't dream of doing this with a public, live show, but then
I'm the kind of person who always wears a seatbelt, etc.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

It's short segments. Approx 2-5 minutes each and would be no problem to let
them run the last take again it the computer crashed.

So... does anyone know if this is possible? I talked to a tech at videonics
yesterday who told me it was impossible and that no switcher currently has
this capability... But it sounds like something that someone would have
figured out how to accomplish.

Philip

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote in message
news:10eca6adfaif853@corp.supernews.com...
> "Philip Scoggins" wrote ...
> > What I've been doing is capturing a show to a miniDV vcr
> > from the firewire output of my switcher then taking the tape
> > across the room to my editing station and playing the tape
> > into my editor from another firewire miniDV vcr.
> >
> > I've decided this is wasting time and adding extra wear on
> > the machines.
>
> So how important is it that you capture the video in real time?
> If your computer crashes or you forgot to make enough disk space,
> can you yell "CUT!" and pick up from the previous shot 10 minutes
> later? I've never had anything like that happen with a VCR. I
> wouldn't dream of doing this with a public, live show, but then
> I'm the kind of person who always wears a seatbelt, etc.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Philip Scoggins" wrote ...
> It's short segments. Approx 2-5 minutes each and would
> be no problem to let them run the last take again it the
> computer crashed.
>
> So... does anyone know if this is possible? I talked to
> a tech at videonics yesterday who told me it was impossible
> and that no switcher currently has this capability... But it
> sounds like something that someone would have
> figured out how to accomplish.

I have no idea why this is not trivial. You could just plug it
in and try it. (That is certainly what I would do.)

You may have to use capture software that doesn't assume
that it has a camcorder to control. There seem to be several
free or low-cost candidates for that.

Dunno why it would have anything to do with any "capability
of the switcher"? A Firewire/DV stream is a Firewire/DV
stream whether it is coming from a switcher or from a VCR.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Their tech said that they strip off some of the data that the capture
software is going to want to see... timecode and others things that he
didn't specify.

The editor is across the control room from the switcher and I didn't
want to unhook either and move to test. I figured someone here would
have tried this before.

Philip


Richard Crowley wrote:
> "Philip Scoggins" wrote ...
>
>>It's short segments. Approx 2-5 minutes each and would
>>be no problem to let them run the last take again it the
>>computer crashed.
>>
>>So... does anyone know if this is possible? I talked to
>>a tech at videonics yesterday who told me it was impossible
>>and that no switcher currently has this capability... But it
>>sounds like something that someone would have
>>figured out how to accomplish.
>
>
> I have no idea why this is not trivial. You could just plug it
> in and try it. (That is certainly what I would do.)
>
> You may have to use capture software that doesn't assume
> that it has a camcorder to control. There seem to be several
> free or low-cost candidates for that.
>
> Dunno why it would have anything to do with any "capability
> of the switcher"? A Firewire/DV stream is a Firewire/DV
> stream whether it is coming from a switcher or from a VCR.
>
>