Decklink Extreme, FCP 5 and HDV Codec

Blackmagic Design

Decklink Extreme, FCP 5 and HDV Codec

Posted by Eda on May 21, 2005 at 12:38 am

Hello,

Ok, we’re crazy. We have upgraded to FCP 5 and Tiger in order to edit a multicam HDV project. All of the
HDV content captured fine, but we have one tape that is HDCAM. We are trying to bring that in via a
Declink Extreme card at HDV compression so that we can put them al together as a “multi clip”.

However, no matter what settings we use, we are unable to get the HDCAM footage (from a Sony HJ3? deck)
to digitize at HDV resolution. It drops frames even before the Raid drives light up.

We’ve tried using the HJ3 SDI downconvert output, composite, and component to no avail.

The computer is a MDD Dual 1.25 G4, with 1.5 gig of ram. UL3d SCSI dual channel 8 drive array.

Are we dreaming, or can this be done? We can capture the HDCAM footage and Uncompressed 8 bit with no
problem, but the frame size is wrong (720 x 486 instead of 1440 x 1080). We did test using Compressor to resize
this footage into the HDV codec, and it works, but it is very slow, and the timecode is no longer accurate, which
is a problem for us.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
eda

Eda replied 20 years, 12 months ago 4 Members · 5 Replies
5 Replies

Jonathan Smiles
May 21, 2005 at 7:10 am

Eda,

Realtime conversion to HDV, will not work!

Set your HDCAM deck to output anamorphic 16:9 not letterbox on it’s SD-SDI output.

Encoding into HDV will be very slow on a G4.

My suggestion talk to someone with a G5 with a DeckLink HD and get them to do the HDCAM to HDV transfer.

If your in the UK I can help.

Jonathan Smiles
Managing Director/CEO
Digital Safari Ltd
UK – Specialist Reseller
dCinema – HD – SD
https://www.digitalsafari.co.uk
Olivier Jean
May 21, 2005 at 7:13 am

Hi,

What makes you think you can capture HD footage at HD resolution with a Standard def Card??

Using the Downconvert Sdi out to the J30, the card is doing exactly what is is supposed to do
CAPTURING AT STANDARD DEF Resolution.

Get yourself an Decklink HD card with a G5 dual 2 GHz and this should work, althought i do not know
if the G5 Decklink HD combo can Transcode on the fly to HDV Long GOP Codec.

The boys from BM should be able to answer that for you.

Regards
Olivier Jean
Powermedia Systems
Sydney Australia
Olivier Jean
May 21, 2005 at 7:15 am

Hey Jonathan,

you beat me too it lol…
i knew you’d be lurking around lol

Regards
Olivier Jean
Powermedia Systems
Sydney Australia
Chityee Foh
May 21, 2005 at 10:43 am

Hi Eda,

I believe there is only one way to capture HDV (directly) right now, and that is using IEEE1394 (Firewire/iLINK).

SDI will only carry ITU601 (720 X 486) and HD-SDI at 1920 X 1080.

Note that you have stated yourself that the SDI is “down converted” and that is from 1920 X 1080 to 720 X 486.

And no, using the current and new HD J series with IEEE1394 wouldn’t do either. That model’s IEEE1394 only output DV and not HDV.
Eda
May 21, 2005 at 1:59 pm

Thanks all for the suggestions. I will give them a try. (We have an HD suite that hasn’t been upgraded yet
due to scheduling, so I may just try going the software conversion route, and see how that works.

Thanks again!

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