BetaSp to DVCAM via Avid DVX 2.0

[Michael Peele]

Why involve Avid DV Express at all? I assume it is to be able to connect to it’s analog inputs.

Have it transfered to DV and capture using FCP and your DV camera/deck. This solution is easy, should be low cost (especially if you do it yourself), and allows you to have deck control and timecode, providing a path for redigitizing.

-or-

Use a DV deck (DSR-45 works well) connect outputs of BetaSP to DSR-45, set DSR-45 input to Component (or S-Video) and do capture nows in FCP. This solution is done without deck control and no timecode, so there is no easy redigitizing. Most current DV cameras and decks are capable of this setup (Analog in DV out).

Have fun,
Mike

[Bryce Whiteside]

The Sony DSR-45 can take external timecode so I would dub component & timecode out of the Beta to component in and timecode in on the DSR-45. All timecode would match and redigitizing would be no problem.

HTH,
Bryce

Don’t worry Mr. B. I have a cunning plan…

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Final Cut Pro HD
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[Hal Beery]

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Yes. We have a DSR25, no capture card (i.e. AJA) just firewire.
The colleague only shoots BetaSP and has the Avid DV Express studio. I don’t know what deck he is using. My producer has an audio engineering gackground and felt that if the BetaSP footage were captured uncompressed in the Avid, that the files on the Avid computer would be better utilized (transfered to external hard drive) than a tape to tape transfer. That’s how he would do it in the digital ProTools HD world.

For discussion sake, and my edification, would you prefer the DSR45 solution to having a Kona card, etc.?

Thanks
HalB

[Bryce Whiteside]

Avid DV Express on my last inspection only captured DV 4:1:1 sampled footage. It would be a wash quality-wise.

There is no need to move up to the Sony DSR-45 unless you want the least amount of generational loss. I don’t know if the DSR-25 has component inputs to dub from BetaSP. If it only has composite and S-video input you will be taking a generational dub hit. You could rent a DSR-45 for the dubs and simple play them back in your DSR-25 if you don’t have component inputs on your DSR-25.

Personally I would want a AJA Kona, but that is based on a best scenario situation and not a budgetary one. I also requires more storage horsepower and throughput.

Food for thought,
Bryce

Don’t worry Mr. B. I have a cunning plan…

PowerBook 1.67 Ghz ATI 9700 128 MB 2 GB
Final Cut Pro HD
DVD Studio Pro 3
Motion

[Michael Peele]

Hey,
I think maybe you last question kinda nails the situation down.
If you have BetaSP as source, you have main solutions for working with it in FCP. I would not recommend trying to capture on the Avid and edit on the FCP.
1. You can convert the BetaSP footage into DV – either by transferring to tape or using an analog to DV converter.
2. You can capture your footage using a capture card (Kona/Cinewave) or breakout box (IO) into a uncompressed/slightly compressed format.

Your best solution will depend on the type of editing you plan to do.

Highly effected(affected?)video will generally respond better if it is captured uncompressed. This applies even to DV that is captured uncompressed. The uncompressed file format holds more information than DV and allows for more control over the video. For many editing situations, the difference will not be noticable, or can be adjusted for.

Editing in DV requires less space and no extra hardware (except some storage). BetaSP transfers to DV will, if done correctly, be quite close to the original and that quality will persist without degredation throughout the editing process.

If you do decide to use DV, try to have the dubs done on a DV deck that has component inputs – every bit of quality you can feed to the DV deck helps. Once you have the tapes, you can use your DSR-25 for the rest of the editing process.

And if you edit DV and are not satisfied with the quality, you can always export an EDL, and bring it to the Avid, and recapture on the Avid (you will need to then apply effects). BTW, does your buddy actually have the UC capture solution for the Avid? If not then there is no reason to use the Avid.

DSR-45 vs. Kona? I prefer to have both. 🙂 But, most my work gets done in DV format and the Kona lies dormant except for certain work. And remember, with an UC capture card comes the need for drives that can support ~30MB/sec (DV uses ~3.5MB/sec) – basically they need to be bigger and faster (and more expensive).

Hope that helps,
Mike

[Hal Beery]

I’m not at all familiar with the file types in Avid. So I can’t respond to my producer/director in that way. He insists, although he doesn’t know the file types either, that once the BetaSP is captured in Avid, that the dgitized source tape files should be suitable for use in FCP.
IS THIS TRUE? can FCP utilize an Avid movie file (captured video file)???

Thanks for all the feedback
HalB