Capturing footage from DVCAM

[Bullpup]

The DSR-500 shares the same basic specs as the newer DSR-570.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

DVCAM and Standard DV SP are virtually IDENTICAL formats (DV25) and transfer via FireWire the same way.

FCP treats these formats exactly the same, so no problem with it at all.

And virtually ANY Sony or Panasonic deck or camcorder (even the home video models) will play DVCAM tapes perfectly (the DVCAM tape-motion is faster than DV SP, but these units adapt their speed to match).

The thing you WILL need, if these tapes are the large size (and not just mini-DVCAM), is a deck or camcorder that can hold full-size tapes and has FireWire control.
I’m guessing that the “extra long” you refer to means they are using the large-size tapes that can record for about 3 hours per tape.

[Timothy Gunn]

Thank you both for your great feedback. I believe they are the big tapes that can hold 3 hours of footage. If I acquire a deck for the bigger tapes, will I need to do any kind of weird set-up in FCP? Do I just treat this as I would miniDV footage and use a regular capture setting?

Thanks for the help!!!

If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

[Timothy Gunn] “If I acquire a deck for the bigger tapes, will I need to do any kind of weird set-up in FCP? Do I just treat this as I would miniDV footage and use a regular capture setting? “

For instance, a Sony DSR11 (very low-cost, highly reliable deck) is a full-size-tape-capable DV deck and it just connects via FireWire and works with exactly the same settings as a miniDV SP camcorder connected to FCP… no special settings needed.

There are many full-size-tape-capable DV FW decks from Sony that have a FW connector… they will all work for you with DV SP or DVCAM tapes.

The camcorder used to shoot the tapes MAY have a FW connector on it. If so you might be able to use it for capture if its available.

[Bullpup]

I have several DV cameras including a DSR-500 and none of them record at an EP or SP mode. There is DV and DVCAM, the later of which is supposed to record and play at a FASTER speed than DV, which is is odd to me because both formats are supposed to be 25mbs. But the deck you use will know if the tape was recorded in DV or DVCAM speed and will play them at the correct speed, outputting virtually the same signal to your computer, regardless.

[Zolotroph]

[bullpup] “There is DV and DVCAM, the later of which is supposed to record and play at a FASTER speed than DV, which is is odd to me because both formats are supposed to be 25mbs. “

Sony’s DVCAM format was designed to provide increased reliability and greater protection from tape dropouts. While the actual signal that is recorded to tape is identical to standard DV, it’s spread out over more tape, making it less sensitive to errors caused by dropouts and tape damage.

The greater the recording density of a tape format, the greater the potential number of frames that can be affected by a dropout. As I understand it, HDV is a step backwards in this sense because its long GOP compression means that a tape dropout might destroy multiple frames where it may have only destroyed one or two with DV.

-zolo