[Jeff Brown]

I think you _do_ need TC on a separate layer if you want to have “timeline timecode” instead of per-clip TC.

-jeff

[Jeff Brown]

— thanks to all for clearing up my sloppy terminology (DV, etc.)
;>)
-jeff

[Jeff Brown]

Good advice from Mark.
There are also some very useful primers here:

https://www.adobe.com/motion/primers.html

footnote:
DVCPro is essentially DV with a higher bitrate (50 Mbps instead of 25 Mbps). A very good standard-def format. DVCProHD is, um, hi-def, and quite a nice hi-def format. By the way, as you delve into all this, an important distinction is bps vs. Bps (notice the uppercase “B”). A lowercase “bps” refers to bits per second. Uppercase – Bps – refers to bytes per second. There are 8 bits in a byte, so Bps is eight times “bigger” than bps. Makes for some extra math when calculating storage and the like. An example: DVCPro at 50 Mbps (megabits per second) is approximately 6.25 megaBytes per second.

-Jeff

[Jeff Brown]

You can get an in-line attenuator. For specifics, the sound tech should be able to tell you– unless the site services are supplied by the hotel, in which case you may be on your own.

There is also the possibility of getting a feed from the PowerPoint machine instead of using a 2nd cam. Then you do a live switch instead of an edit later. Pros and cons to each.

-jeff

[Jeff Brown]

You have DV (DVCAM) footage, so use DV/DVCAM capture. Everything else will transcode, or flat out not work. You lose nothing going in FireWire, in fact, you’re doing it just as you should (!) You can’t really add to what’s there by going “uncompressed”.
There are some special cases (like extreme color-correction) where uncompressed _might_ give you better output, but it won’t give you better input.

(others may disagree)
-jeff

[Jeff Brown]

Try not using “interlaced”. For PNG, that is a web-relative setting; has nothing to do with video. It’s akin to JPEG-progressive; relates to how an image is displayed when called up in a browser.
That said, I’d use PSD files over a transparent background. That seems to give the best alpha translation when going into Premiere.

Footnote: DPI is irrelevant for video.

-jeff

[Jeff Brown]

What kinds of projects are you editing [project settings]? — I think you need to be editing a DV project for DV preview out.

-jeff

[Jeff Brown]

My guess would be it’s using the Apple ProRes codec. Now available for windows:
Apple ProRes.

In QTime Player, the “Info” window will sometimes tell you what codec was used for the video stream.

-Jeff

[Jeff Brown]

I would avoid h264 or other MPEG based codecs. As you have found, they are slow. If you don’t have hardware I/O (like AJA or BlackMagic), then the most “native” codec would be DV as Vince suggests. HDV might work for HD workflow; but I have no experience with HDV (I use hardware I/O).

-jeff

[Jeff Brown]

I doubt there would actually be a difference with the clip on a separate track. That being said, it’s something I would try & see. Bugs come from strange places…

-jeff