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Capture Codec (VX2100)
I’m trying to capture form a Sony DCR-VX2100. I’m not dropping frames or anything it captures well but the video seems a bit down tuned when I bring it up after capture.
Everything looks slightly fuzzy like it was over compressed. I’m curious if there’s a way to tweak / improve the capture process in Sony Vegas. Perhaps some high quality settings.
I’m currently using th microsoft capture codec / api in Sony Vegas. Is there another one I could download? I know my friend used the camera with Adobe Premier and the captures look much better.
Thanks!
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18 Replies
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[Matthew Jeschke] “I’m currently using th microsoft capture codec / api in Sony Vegas. Is there another one I could download?”
What exactly do you mean by that statement? Sony Vegas ignores the Microsoft DV codec by default and uses it’s own superior DV codec (unless you disable it). Or are you capturing HDV because the Sony DCR-VX2100 is an HDV camera that shoots both DV and HDV. Which is it?
Unlike analog video, HDV and DV are digital formats and the term “capture” is a but of a misnomer. What is actually happening is a bit-for-bit copy of what is on the tape is being transferred to your computer in a lossless transfer. Just like a file copy from one hard drive to another. Every bit that is encoded on the tape is the same bit on your computer. So there is no “high quality” capture setting. it’s just a bit-wise copy of the same quality each and every time.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
I’ve been unable to get sony vegas to do a HDV capture. It seems when I plug the camera in to the firewire port and try HDV capture it won’t detect the camera.
Kind of at a loss. Thanks much for the help. Google isn’t really uncovering much for me.
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The camera detection issue could be a firewall or operating system problem. What firewall and operating system are you running?
Intel i7 920, 12GB RAM, ASUS P6T, Vegas Pro 10 (x32/x64), Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, Vegas Production Assistant 1.0, VASST Ultimate S Pro 4.1, Neat Video Pro 2.6
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I’m not running any firewall (windows firewall is turned off). Here’s my setup:
– windows vista (32bit)
– sony vegas movie studio hd platinum 10 (wish I had gotten pro 🙁 ).
– Computer is fast enough to capture w/o ever dropping frames.I have the video on the camera set as follows:
– Record in 16:9 wide (I believe that’s 720×480)
– VCR Set to A/V->DV OUT enabledWithin Sony Vegas if I select HD capture it launches sony video capture 6.0 detects the camera and captures video through the firewire connection.
Everything captures fine but it always looks substandard. When I view captures from my friends computer (same camera) they look much better.
If I try to launch the HDV application in sony vegas, the app launches fine. It sees my firewire port, but won’t detect any camera.
Does the camera really support HDV capture mode?
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“Does the camera really support HDV capture mode?”
No. the Sony DCR-VX2100 is DV/AVI only. Not HDV.
I always used Scenalyzer to copy my video from my DV cameras.
Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com -
[Matthew Jeschke] “- Record in 16:9 wide (I believe that’s 720×480)”
If it is, you are recording to DV which is why your friend’s footage looks so much better because HDV has 5x more resolution than DV. He is recording at 1920×1080 and you are recording at 720×480. That explains the difference in quality.
[Matthew Jeschke] “- VCR Set to A/V->DV OUT enabled”
It looks like you have the camera in DV Downconvert mode. You have to switch the camera to HDV mode in order for it to capture HDV. That will only work if you actually recorded in HDV.
It sounds like the problem is with your camera settings. With all due respect, if you don’t even know if you recorded in DV or HDV mode, I think you need to learn how to use your camera first. Check the manual and learn how to switch between the two modes for recording. Then look up how to switch between the two modes for capture. If you only want to work in HDV, then figure out how to get it into that record mode and capture mode and leave it there.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
The VX2100 is miniDV only.
DCR-VX2100 Digital Handycam -
Sorry in advance for my novice. I’m relatively new to this but taking classes in it and reading up as much as possible. I really appreciate all the fantastic feedback / responses on here.
I had thought it seemed a bit odd for the VX2100 to support HDV. I had previously read the manual nearly from front to back and it made no mention of HDV.
So is DV still a direct bit for bit copy as well or does it do some sort of actual analog to digital conversion while it’s captured?
Thanks!
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Strictly bit for bit copy. Same as HDV and any other digital camera format.
Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com -
[Matthew Jeschke] “I had thought it seemed a bit odd for the VX2100 to support HDV. I had previously read the manual nearly from front to back and it made no mention of HDV.”
Oh yea so sorry, my mistake. I thought that was a DV/HDV camera. As Steven said it’s still a bit-for-bit copy so there is no higher quality capture than what you are getting via firewire.
I’m still not sure what you mean when you said, “I’m currently using th microsoft capture codec“, why did you say that? There is an option in Movie Studio to ignore the Micorsoft DV codec and it is on by default. Did you change this?
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com
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