XDCAM HD 330. Does it output audio with the firewire video?

[Mark Maness]

Let first ask this…

Why are you using an HD camera to do a SD project if you have no reason for using HD?

If you want an SD signal, you need to record in DVCAM mode with the camera, either cropped or letterboxed. At that point, when you transfer the footage as DV, you’ll get your audio with your video files using the Sony transfer software.

It will do HD, DVCAM, or DV. It will import the audio tracks you select in your preferences.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com

[Chris Borjis]

[Wayne Carey] “Why are you using an HD camera to do a SD project if you have no reason for using HD?”

One I reason I would do that is to get a better looking final image.

[Dan Riley]

I have no choice in the matter of the camera for this one day of testimonials.
I’m just trying to make it work.

So, if the shooter sets the camera to DV, 4 by 3, will I have audio and video
out LIVE through the firewire port while he is recording? If not, will I have audio and video
out the firewire port when he plays back the disk AFTER recording?

Or are you saying this camera does not output audio and video through
the firewire port that can be recorded as a DV or DVCAM stream?
It only outputs files via firewire? And those files can be DV quicktime files?
And I have to have Sony Software installed to use them?

Dan

[Mark Maness]

[Danrnw] “So, if the shooter sets the camera to DV, 4 by 3, will I have audio and video out LIVE through the firewire port while he is recording?”

I can’t answer this to be perfectly honest, but are you trying to setup a “live” camera shoot?

[Danrnw] “If not, will I have audio and video out the firewire port when he plays back the disk AFTER recording?”

Well…. Yeah… How else would you be able to batch digitize footage? Besides using the Video and Audio Out connectors.

[Danrnw] “Or are you saying this camera does not output audio and video through the firewire port that can be recorded as a DV or DVCAM stream?”

AGAIN… Yes, this camera does output via firewire in order for you to batch digitize…

I have to ask this… Why are you trying to record thru the camera? To what? You can record to DVCAM onto XDCAM HD discs. Its 25 m/bit stream in actual DVCAM codec, of which, you can batch digitize in FCP using firewire or composite video and audio out connectors.

[Danrnw] “And those files can be DV quicktime files? And I have to have Sony Software installed to use them?”

Yes, the files are DV Quicktime files AFTER you use the Sony Transfer Software. You do not have to have this software installed IF you are going to use the DV Easy Setup. If you use this, just connect your firewire connection and batch capture as you would with a DV machine. The Sony transfer software is the much better option to use since you can pull files off of the drive faster than batch capture, but if you are more comfortable with the standard way of doing this…. albeit… do it the way you like.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com

[Dan Riley]

I guess I’m not being very clear.

This shoot is in Palm Springs. I’m in Seattle.
I don’t have a way to use the disks here in Seattle.
When the shoot is finished, I need to have video and audio
somewhere in a form I can take back and use at my edit suite that’s an
uncompressed DigiBeta house, SD only (for now).

What I was thinking was, since I have FCP on my Macbook Pro, could I
“capture now” from the firewire connection to that camera with DV?
Could I do this during the actual interviews or do I have do this after the fact,
using the disks playing back in to FCP? I do not care about timecode.
If it starts over every time that’s ok in this case. It’s only one camera.

I assumed, like all other cameras with firewire ports, that you can either
get audio and video out the camera to FCP EtoE, recording or not,
or you could play back the disk out firewire and record it to FCP that way.
But the shooter said when he tried it on his PC (not a Mac) he did not
have audio, only video. So I figured this was a setting he had wrong.
That’s all I’m asking here. Can you see SD video & audio without the camera
recording, or does it only work with the disk playing back?
And if the guy who owns the camera can’t get audio out via firewire,
is this his fault or is there some problem with the camera and audio?

Thanks,
Dan

[Steve Eisen]

Don’t confuse yourself. Record your footage onto XDCAM Disc using DVCAM mode. You can connect the camera to your MB Pro via firewire and transfer the footage into FCP. It is that simple. And YES, you will get both audio and video.

Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Director-At-Large
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group

[Dan Riley]

Thanks.
I figured it was as simple as other cameras. But not having actually used it . . . .

I called Bexel here in Seattle and they now have the PDW F70 deck available too.
So if the FCP-MBP doesn’t work quite right, I can always rent that deck.
It has SDI out too. But at $300 a day I’d rather not have to do it for this one interview.

As far as the XDCAM HD goes, I WANT to start using and trying it out when we go HD,
but we haven’t done that yet.

Thanks,
Dan

[Steve Eisen]

This article can help you out.
https://seminars.apple.com/seminarsonline/fcssony/apple/

Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Director-At-Large
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group

[Dan Riley]

Thanks Steve, but I’ve read all about the camera. I’ve been to the Apple/Sony
road show etc. My question was just this…..will the camera output video and audio
when it is not recording, out via firewire, SD- DV, so I can record it in FCP with
“capture now”. So far no one has told me yes or no.

I’ve decided to rent the deck and capture the disk playback from SDI out
into FCP. I will also try a dump of the files and play around with that process too,
but that will only be for testing. As long as I can get SDI out of that deck,
I’ll be happy.

Dan

[Andy Mees]

the answer is “yes”