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Capturing HDV footage from the past into Resolve
Hello,
When my Canon XH-A1 was my main cam, I used to capture using something called Neoscene into Cineform codec, so I could edit my HDV footage more easily. I have some 10 years old HDV tape that I need to capture. The XH-A1 doesn’t seem to be found by Resolve 16, I have the last update. I’m connecting through firewire . Also if I manage to make the connection between the cam and the PC, to Resolve, is there a way to capture within resolve in a codec such as Avid DN x HD? Thanks
Phil -
8 Replies
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Firewire is dead and buried. You can capture to Resolve by using a Blackmagic I/O device and capturing the signal. AFAIK the best quality image out of that camera would use the component signal.
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Thank you, Tero, I’ll check this. Yes, I haven’t used Firewire in years since all my cams now have cards. But you know, when it’s time to use that beautiful dinosaur that the XH-A1 has become.
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When I started a U3A video production group I needed a sensible camera, and blagged a Sony Z1E miniDV, which was excellent in it’s day. I also got a DV deck, an HD 700.
After various tries, I’ve ended up using the HDMI output from the HD700 to a BlackMagic Intensity Shuttle, and using BM Media Express for input. I couldn’t get DVR to see the Shuttle video, don’t know why.
Bernie
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If possible to capture via a DV cable it is preferable. DV (and HDV) are encoding methods. Your video data is encoded in camera to DV tape, when capturing via DV cable, you are simply copying that data to your hard drive.
If you capture via another method, the data is read and converted to a video signal which is then transfered to your computer and re-encoded via software, your data therefore goes through a double process which is potential for data loss.
I think Blackmagic express still works via DV and so does FCPX, and if I’m not mistaken even Premiere still recognizes a DV input. I forget which method I used, and haven’t check what my colleague was using recently, but we are stil capturing DV tapes every once in a while.
If you need assistant please explain what probems you are encoutering and your setup and I will look into it.
Cheers__________________________________________
Filmmaker, DoP & Colorist
Based in Geneva, Switzerland
c-sideprod.ch | earthling-prod.net | kinogeneva.chMacOS & Windows
Adobe CC / Davinci Resolve / Easy DCP
RED MX / DigiBolex / Sony FS5 / BMPCC4K -
I have just built a computer and installed a Firewire card in it. I have used Pinnacle in the past, and have installed it (Pinnacle 22) purely for capturing video from my XH-A1. It works.
Yes, Firewire is dead and gone, but there are/were a multitude of Prosumer cameras that used tape and still produce reasonable results.
I now use a Sony AX100 as my main camera and of course, importing the files is easy, but I still have a box full of old tapes that need to be captured.
I have been using Premiere Pro of recent times, and am in the process of switching to Resolve.
Cheers -
Hi Laurie,
I take it you are on Windows… Then the question is wether your Firewire card is recognized by your application (on Mac you can simply use a thunderbolt to firewire adaptor and that will be recognized by most applications). Which card are you using? Have you installed the correct drivers for your system?
I am not familiar with Pinnacle, do they not offer some kind of software with the card (like Blackmagic does with their Express software), that can be used just for the capture process?
Cheers,
Damien__________________________________________
Filmmaker, DoP & Colorist
Based in Geneva, Switzerland
c-sideprod.ch | earthling-prod.net | kinogeneva.chMacOS & Windows
Adobe CC / Davinci Resolve / Easy DCP
RED MX / DigiBolex / Sony FS5 / BMPCC4K -
I don’t really need assistance with this, nothing vital. But since Vegas 12, which is the last version of Vegas lingering on my computer can still capture the footage from my XH-A1 I find it upsetting Resolve can’t. I haven’t used Vegas in years now, since version 12 as you can tell, and I’ve become used to Resolved that I used with various cam. But you know, the footage of that old XH-A1 is so amazing that sometimes I wish I could actually treat it in Resolve. When I plug the cam into the computer Vegas 12 detect the cam without any problem and I can do it. When I tried in Resolve, it’s not detected, so it’s not that firewire is dead, it’s that Rsolve doesn’t support it.
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For any reasonably professional modern post workflow firewire is completely dead and there’s no new hardware being made. It doesn’t make sense to keep supporting it when there’s all kinds of new standards to implement. If this is something that one really needs (eg. archiving or onlining some old footage) then one should use a different workflow.
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