Component In vs. SDI in for HDV to DVCProHD

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

Component In vs. SDI in for HDV to DVCProHD

Posted by Rcpics on April 13, 2007 at 2:27 am

Hello All,

I was hoping to get some insight from experienced users for a setup I’m looking into. I’d like to be able to load HDV-sourced material into FCP as DVCProHD, and not capture and run all the footage through Compressor. The footage will be shot on a Sony HDV camcorder, not sure which one yet, and I’m looking to buy a new deck (currently have a DSR-11). I would like to either..

A) Go from a Sony HVR-M15U out via component, to component in on an AJA or BlackMagic DecklinkHD card, with deck control via firewire. Neither of which I currently own.

OR

B) Go from a Sony HVR-M25U out via HDMI, to the HDMI IN of a Blackmagic Intensity. I have the Intensity, but I don’t use it for anything, really.

I have a Matrox MXO and love it, and it’s got component/SDI out covered. If I got the Decklink, I wouldn’t necessarily need its output capabilities…although balanced analog audio out would be nice. But the big question for me is, how would the component compare to the HDMI? It seems that with component, I’d be going digital-to-analog, then analog-to-digital again, whereas with the HDMI, I’d be staying digital the whole way. Would there be any noticeable degradation with the D/A – A/D conversions compared to the HDMI route…given that the footage is shot well?

The costs of going either way pretty-much come out the same, in terms of purchases. I don’t know if the HDMI route would be equivalent of going SDI, but if it was, how notably inferior is the component method, if at all?

Thanks in advance.

Rich Rubasch replied 19 years, 1 month ago 2 Members · 3 Replies
3 Replies

Rich Rubasch
April 13, 2007 at 2:31 am

HDMI rocks. It is the way to go if you want maximum quality. See Bob Zelin’s review of the Convergent MI box.

I have it on an M25U deck and it is brilliant.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media
Rcpics
April 13, 2007 at 10:20 pm

Thanks, Roch. I’m actually looking into one of the Covergent converters as well, possibly to go firewire/HDV to SDI. Was just wondering if someone had done some comparisons between SDI or HDMI in and Component for HDV to DVCProHD.
Rich Rubasch
April 14, 2007 at 2:49 am

I think it has bee pretty well documented that componend and HDMI are different. This goes back to the DVCAM…the SDI output was always cleaner than the component or Firewire inputs….not sure why, it just looked a little sweeter.

Bob Zelin certainly saw somenting with the HD MI from Convergent.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media

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