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how to capture analog video
I am attempting to capture video from a HI8 tape into Final Cut Pro. I am using a digital 8 camcorder which converts the analog signal to digital. Connecting the camcorder via firewire to my powerbook, I am able to import video, but frames are continually dropped.
I unchecked the option to cease capture if frames are skipped. When I capture now, frames freeze up on the capture video file and the picture is frequently interrupted. On the camcorder screen, the video is playing back seamlessly.
Is there something Im missing? Are there some capture settings I need to adjust in order to capture the video as smoothly as they play in the camcorder?
Thank you for your time.
Ben
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4 Replies
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Ben,
I’m guessing that you’re attempting to capture to your Powerbook’s internal drive…. right?
If that’s the case, that’s most likely your problem. Sometimes it works, and for some people it always works, but it’s not recommended. Your trying to run your OS, run FCP AND write to the drive at the same time.
Hopefully your Powerbook has a card slot. What you need is an external drive with a Firewire 400 or 800, or eSATA interface. You also need a pcmcia cardbus adaptor for whichever of those interfaces you choose. Even if your machine has two firewire ports built in, they are on the same buss so don’t try to use them for both the camera and the external drive. The pcmcia adaptor will give you a seperate path for one of those signals.
The drive gets connected to the adaptor, the camera into the built in firewire. (You can reverse this if you’re using a Firewire 400 adaptor, it doesn’t matter). Keep in mind that many drives come formatted as FAT32 so they will mount on both macs and windoze machines. Reformat the drive as HFS+ NOT journaled.
You should use the DV Easy Setup in FCP, then capture away, your dropped frame problems should be gone.
Regards,
David -
Thank you so much David.
I have an external drive, so I guess now I just need to look at those adapters. I will give it a try.
I appreciate your advice,
Ben
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Another possibility is that your tape has breaks in it. It would fix it to dub to a DV tape and start anew.
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Is it possible for the tape to have breaks in it even if on the camera screen it plays back perfectly smoothly?
I wonder if it is overload on my powerbook like David suggested, or if it is some kind of invisible break in the tape? When capturing video from DV tape, I never have this problem.
Does capturing analog video from an old digital 8 camera create more traffic somehow on the firewire? If not, then I must assume there are some kind of invisible breaks in the tape like you suggest. Nevertheless, I have purchased a cheap pcmcia card like David suggested.
Thanks for your suggestions… they are MUCH appreciated.
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