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problem DV/DVCAM tape – can’t capture – any advice (Please)
Hi,
I have a Mini DV tape of edited footage I am trying to capture to author a DVD. It was originally edited using two DV decks and firewire. The capture keeps aborting (at least six or eight times in 45 minutes) with the following message:
“Capture encountered a problem reading the data on your source tape. This could
be due to a problem with the tape. Capture has been aborted and your clip has been saved.”The tape plays fine. I copied the tape to DVCAM and I still get the same problem. I tried both Apple Firewire and Apple Firewire Basic. I tried both batch capture and capture now. Capturing around the breaks will result in jump cuts. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank You Very Much,
Mitch
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10 Replies
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Hi,
Any chance iMovie could capture the footage?
If so any problems using iMovie footage in FCP?
Thanks Again!
Mitch
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Yes to iMovie capture.
You may need to render the audio tracks after you import the iMovie clip into FCP.
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When you made the DV-to-DVCAM copy did you have the DVCAM unit set to record “external Timecode”?
It should NOT be (you want the copy to have NEW continuous TC) if you want to try to lessen “timecode break” problems.
A straight FireWire copy, even to another DV (not DVCAM), should make these problems become a non-issue.
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Hi,
Thanks for the reply. The DVCAM tape does have new timecode. Also I don’t think there is a break in the timecode on the original tape.
Thanks again,
Mitch
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That’s, in effect, what happens during a “crash-edit” between two DV camcorders.
Its not a very reliable way to edit (although I have done it a few times myself).
There can be a small “glitch” at the edit-point that the error-correction can usually mask.
But the glitch CAN get to the FW output and FCP can sometimes “see” it and balk.
It can CERTAINLY cause a (virtually invisible to the eye) timecode glitch.
(Many “TC Break” problems in FCP do not appear as such when just viewing the tape.)The FW DV-to-DV copy can usually cause these glitches to become less of a problem and it the preferred work-around method.
If you still can’t get this to work (even with iMovie) then there is another sure-fire fix.
Copy the master DV to another DV tape… using the S-Video (analog) connection (and audio, if needed.)
This will “lose a generation” (although it will be virtually unnoticeable) but the glitches will simply “not be on” the copy. -
Try just capturing as a non-controllable device, so it ignores the timecode. You can then set the timecode back to the original if needed.
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Hi Matte,
Thanks for the explanation.
The iMovie capture worked for the glitches that caused FCP to balk although I think it might not have captured the audio correctly (I didn’t have time to check) on one segment.
There was also at least one place on the tape that iMovie couldn’t capture and FCP was able to capture that segment so if I can get all the audio (an analog audio only capture should work but then I would have to synch the audio) I should be set.
I prefer not to do an S-video video capture as the DVD will look better played via component if I do the FW capture.
Thanks Again!
Mitch
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Hi Bret,
Thats a great idea. I will give it a try. If it works it will be easier than editing together a mixture of iMovie and FCP clips.
I’ll post back if it works.
Thanks Again!
Mitch
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Hi
I prefer to use the basic DV capture utility in Sorensen Squeeze 3 in this sort of capture problem instance. It has no setting controls whatsoever, and seems to ignore a lot of problems that more sophisticated programs don’t – and it captures FCP-compatible QuickTime clips. -
Hi,
What worked best was to:
“Capture now” which aborts but saves the clip up to the point the failure occurred.
Examine the clip to see which was the last frame captured.
Do a batch capture starting two frames past the last frame. One frame past might have worked but I didn’t try that. With this footage the two missing frames are hard to notice.Thanks for all the ideas!
Mitch
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