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30p with DVX100a what am I doing wrong?
Hey everyone,
I need some help understanding something about this camera…it’s not mine, I borrowed it to shoot a small presentation for a family member.
I digitized using an easy setup for NTSC/DV and my SEQ has *none* set as field dominance…as well as my footage.
BUT…my video looks like crap! Here’s a screenshot:
https://www.jbtwist.com/CC/30p_issue.tif
As you can see…(it’s much worse with moving video) it’s really blurry along horizontal lines (her eyes, the steps, the card she’s holding)
Problem is, the picture on the camera’s viewfinder looks GREAT! I know you can’t trust it, but that’s what I was using in the field as my monitor.
Any ideas as to what I could be doing wrong? Or am I screwed?
-Jason
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8 Replies
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That is interlacing. Perfectly normal. You didn’t see it in the viewfinder as the viewfinder properly displays interlacing. Computer monitors, on the other hand, cannot. If you want to see what yuo really have, then you need to view this footage on an external TV or monitor.
Shane’s Stock Answer #8: External Monitor Viewing
If you are working with DV, this is simple. First connect your computer to a camera or deck via firewire, Then connect the camera/deck to your TV/Monitor via RCA or S-Video.
Then start up your camera and tv, then open fcp.
Go to the View Menu, choose > External video > all frames
VIEW>Video playback should be Apple firewire NTSC (If you are using an NTSC set)
VIEW>Audio playback should be Audio follows VideoTechinially, this should send synched video to your TV
If for some reason you can’t view your timeline on your external monitor, there are a few things to try:
1) Make sure that the camera/deck is connected and powered on BEFORE you open FCP.
2) In the Final Cut Pro menu select AUDIO/VIDEO Preferences and make sure your signal is being sent out thru Firewire DV.
3) Go to the menu and select VIEW>EXTERNAL>ALL FRAMES.
4) Click in the % box above the image and select FIT TO WINDOW.
5) Go to VIEW->refresh A/V devices
6) Make sure the Log & Capture window is closed
If you want it to play in both the canvas and the external monitor you need to go to the FINAL CUT PRO menu and select AUDIO/VIDIO settings and make sure MIRROR ON DESKTOP is selected under the PLAYBACK OUTPUT section.
If you are working with HDV footage, FCP 6 allows you to view this via firewire, but ONLY as downconverted DV. It won’t look the best, but you can see it. To do this,
If you need to view any format other than DV at full resolution, then you need to look into capture cards. Several standard definition and high definition models are available from https://www.aja.com and https://www.decklink.com. With these options you’ll need a proper monitor to view full broadcast colors, but all models allow for realtime standard definition downconvert, allowing you to view HD on an SD monitor.
The Matrox MXO is another option that is output only, but allows you to view your footage on an Apple Cinema Display at full broadcast quality.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Hey Shane,
First off, the footage was shot in 30p which…by the specs laid out for this camera, should create single frames with higher quality than interlacing.
Second…I did connect the camera to my television via the RCA connectors on the side of the camera. There is still this really bad blurring on horizontal lines.
-Jason
-Jason Brown
Director of Photography
Fusework Studios“I love the COW!”
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[Dave LaRonde] “You can simply set the field order for the footage and the edit tiemline to lower field first and your pictures will instantly look a whole lot nicer. “
Hey Dave, I’ve done this and still am experiencing issues. I have a feeling there may be larger problems @ work. This is an older cam and hasn’t been treated the greatest…I think it may be some issue with the internal workings of the lens and imaging devices. I’ve really tried every thing I can think of…digitized into my AVID…Premier and FCP…I can’t get it to look right, I was just hoping I was doing something wrong with the 30p setting…but doesn’t look like it.
Thanks…
-Jason
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Wondering if you were able to figure out your problem? I’m experiencing the same issue on my DVX100ap. On 60i, 24p, and 30p… no matter what I record in or change settings on both the camera or FCP, it interlaces at log and capture. And get this… I taped over something, and when it switches over to the stuff taped by the other camera that video is fine and un-interlaced. It makes me think as well that there is some setting I can’t figure out about how the DVX should record to produce properly synced fields and video, or my DVX is broken in some odd way? ANY HELP FROM ANYONE PLEASE! Thanks! I’d b so greatful!
– Thaddeus –
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It’s a cheap camera. I just lived with the problem (it was for a family member) I’ll never use that camera again…never could figure it out. Good luck…sorry I can’t be of more help.
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Nah, I used these cameras through college years back, trust me, these camera’s can deliver a nice image for standard definition. This isn’t a normal case, I’ve edited with Final cut with this type of camera tons of times before. I happened to buy this camera used and haven’t been able to prove that it works correct yet. I’ve recorded in every format and imported on all settings, most obviously 29.97 dv ntsc, because thats really the only way this camera should be imported. Something is up, a problem with our cameras… I’ve run it by other video editors also. If I ever figure it out I’ll let you know just for the sake of knowing. lol Anyways, thanks for responding. Peace.
– Thaddeus –
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Ok, well after some research and studying I can finally wrap my head around the issue. And yes, Mr. Dave LaRonde is correct. But let me explain the camera a bit more. What threw me off is that I thought I had recorded in 30p but the camera reset to a scene file with the progressive off, so I indeed recorded in interlaced. Since you indeed recorded in 24P, its a hybrid ghetto 24P that’s unfortunately interlaced and the best thing I know to do is throw the de-interlacing filter in final cut pro on it which isn’t awful but not cool to say the least when you’re looking for high quality. The DVX100 is only a mid level/prosumer camera, for the price it packs a punch, but it can’t do everything, it’s also getting dated a bit. Anyways, the only setting for progressive on the DVX100 that will actually turn out looking progressive in the edit down is 30P. If you wanted to telecine it down to 24 from there that’s the best you’d get. If this was all gibberish my apologies. I at least feel accomplished to have learned something useful. Best of luck to you and your projects. Take it easy.
– Thaddeus –
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Dow! I dunno why I thought u recorded in 24P given the thread title, but anyways… perhaps possible you experienced the same thing as me? Thought it was set to progressive but wasn’t… that’s my thoughts, peace.
– Thaddeus –
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