[Michael Dilieto]

Thank you very much for the response. Just to go a bit further and confirm, I want to mention that I didnt realize I was in the AJA Kona forum.

I am comparing buying a Canopus ADVC 300 to a AJA IO on Ebay with both in the 350.00 range. I know that the Canopus ADVC 300 will import into FCP in a .DV format which is how I import my footage now from my camera using DVcam tapes. I also have a camera without firewire and need to import that footage into FCP as well, so, I am thinking that using the Canopus ADVC 300 will be the “middle man” for importing old VHS, 8mm from an old camera, and DVcam from an older camera into FCP for editing and conversion to DVD.

But then I saw the AJA IO going for so litte now (300.00) and just wanted to make sure I was comparing similar products for my main priority which I think I am, although, I am thinking that the AJA IO will import from many additional sources that the Canopus wouldn’t be able to; like from older editing decks with SDI cards installed, as well as from older beta cameras, VHS cameras, and anything else that was common place analog for the last 20 years.

Last question,

What is the difference between importing Dvcam footage from a newer editing deck via firewire like a DSR-20 into FCP which will give you .dv files after the import, and say using a AJA IO box to stand between a Mac with FCP and an older DSR 80 editing deck with an SDI card?

And, if there is no difference, would I even need an SDI card in the DSR 80 editing deck, or would the AJA IO box even import that tape footage without even haviung an SDI card because I am thinking that the IO box even converts those signals also?

Thanks again!

[Michael Dilieto]

How much degradation to the video is there when you use software to convert .MOD files to h.264 or .MOV for importing to FCP?

Also which format do you reccommend converting too? I have a small JVC camera that records in .MOD (nightmare) format.

Thanks!