How much better does it look?

[Andrew Mcleod]

The main difference is resolution.

HDV is 1440 x 1080 – where as HD is 1920 x 1080.

Uncompressed HD from a HD camera or Deck contains more image information.

HDV – Compressed sampling rate is 8 bit 4:2:0 — where as Uncompressed 8 or 10bit is sampled at 4:2:2. To the human eye this looks brighter color is richer.

The Decklink HD Extreme permits the capturing from Analog audio source while capturing Digital video. SDI video with a seperate audio tracks.
https://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/connections/index.asp?prodID=18

The connectivity it offers your machine is also worth considering the majority or cameras and decks are then available for you to work with, while still keeping the firewire port.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDV

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4:2:2

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Andrew McLeod
Blackmagic Design

[Finishedworks]

Thanks, but will DV footage look better capturing through the card or outputing?

[Deleted User]

Hello,

DV is fixed 5-1 via firewaire capture. If you capture via SDI uncompressed then you will see less compression on the edges and it’s more robust to be working with for instance compositing and multi layer complex projects.

Leo

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Finishedworks,
I think that if you are capturing MiniDV or DVCam through the Firewire the only think you will get is a very big file for the same footage.
DV is already compressed and the only think you going to do is to write the same luma and chroma information in 422 instead of 411 or 420. I think the results will be the same, if the MB card do it during capturing or its do it after through Premier o FC.
I work with a SONY PD-170 and WHEN YOU REALLY SEE THE QUALITY is when I capture directly from the video output (composite) of the camera.
When I try chroma-key for example instead of recording in tape a DV signal and capture it through Firewire, I record directly in the computer through the BM. I record he video out because is the best signal you can get from your camera (the S-video would be better because is components, but I don’t know how to branch it to the BM). The same signal you are recording but prior to be compressed. A real Broadcast video signal. BM make a wonderful job filtering the components and and YOU CAN NOT BELIVE THAT THE IMAGE COME FROM YOUR OWN CAMERA.
So as I tell you, to download DV footage you better do it through Firewire and upgrade later if you need. There is not technical reason to get any improvement and the size of the files there are 8 folds bigger.
Just to add that I’m very happy with my BM (and the Pro monitor that I’ve plugged).
Salud’
Rafael

[Kaspar Kallas]

There is one thing: most decs prefor croma smoothing over SDI or Component, meaning that croma saples aru upscaled using gaussion or other smoother algoryth loosing the jaggies in extreme red for example in PAL (4:2:0) – you would achive the same thing by droping your timline in uncompressed and using croma smooth filters

-Kaspar

[Rafael Amador]

Yes that the truth. The chroma filtering improves the quality. I just meant that is more practical capturing DV. You get the same quality when rendering 10 bits UC. You keep your hard-drive light and, the most important, your footage keeps the original TC.
Salud.
Rafael