-
Capture system for XL H1?
Is there a reliable Capture system for the XL H1? and how do I get this uncompressed footage from the camera? AND, is this system field tested?
-
4 Replies
-
Of course you can always capture HDV from firewire. To capture uncompressed you would have to capture to a deck or computer directly from the SDI port, which does not have embedded audio on the XL-H1. If you record to tape and then capture, the footage has been compressed and is then being uncompressed by the camera.
I use a Sony MU25 which has HDMI out to a HD Connect MI from Convergent Design, which converts the HDMI signal to an HD-SDI signal with embedded audio. From there into FCP through a Kona 3 SDI input. I capture in Pro Res which is much easier and more efficient editing codec. The pictures are great and I avoid the long conform process.
Jim
-
Yes, Jim is right…. to actually capture uncompressed real HD video from the XLH1, you must record “live” out of the HD-SDI port… that is, you record into your computer WHILE you are shooting, not recording to tape and then capturing via HD-SDI. That obviously would yield greatly-compressed HDV, not uncompressed HD.
It goes without saying that this setup is best for studio use… doing it on location is not nearly as practical.
Like Jim we previously used AJA Xena/Kona for capturing this way, but I didn’t find those systems quite robust enough for my liking… I was too used to my old Canopus systems (standard-def, running Premiere) where everything was realtime and I rarely if ever had to render anything. In an effort to return to that speed and ease we recently gutted our newest system replacing the AJA guts with Matrox AXIO LE. So far it seems to work wonderfully and handles uncompressed very well with little or no need to ever render anything. Unfortunately that came with a price and the AXIO was several times the cost of the AJA system that it replaced, but so far has been well worth it.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
But the Canon XL-H1 does not have embedded timecode or audio in the HD-SDI stream, so you would also need to capture that apart from the HD-SDI cable.
-
Jim: Can the Sony MU25 playback and record Mini DV tapes at 1080i/30F ?
Miami, FL
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up