hv20 support viewing hd video through firewire?
 

With my old Sony DV cam, I could plug it into my computer through firewire, and plug the composite cable to my tv. That allowed me to edit on Vegas and use my tv as a preview monitor in real time.

I am curious whether the HV20 can do the same, except plug in the TV through HDMI or Component cables...and have an instant HD playback preview.

Is this possible?

Sorry Jason, no. None of the HDV cameras can do that. It is my rudimentary understanding that what you are editing on the time line of your editor has to be processed to a different streaming file in order for it to be run back through your camera. You are stuck with the editors preview for those purposes, unless you render to tape out...

Chris is right. I just wanted to add that there are some special editing cards (I remember Matrox offering one for a considerably low price, the 'Parhelia' it was, I think) allowing external output even for HDV editing.

wow, that's a shame.

does this have to do with copyright laws?

See the Matrox card here.....

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/cr...helia/apve.php

It is my guess it has to do with techical issues of "transcoding" if that is right word, back in real time to a HDV compliant signal that can be processed back out of the camera. My guess is based on fact that when I want to record a finished product back to camera, it goes through a lenghty transcoding process.

This brings up a new question. So when you say that you record it back to the camera, does that mean that you can play it back on an HDTV and use it as a HD player? So you could play videos using this instead of a blu-ray or hd-dvd player?

Yes, either through the component out or HDMI port.

It is my impression that many HDTVs feature VGA in... connect it directly to the computer as your 2nd display! That would be my first idea. Plus it saves the computer the MPEG2 encoding needed for HDV transport. Any drawbacks to this approach?

Pieter

I use the component out on my computer's video card (I specifically got a card that supports HDTV out) to go back to my 32" LCD HDTV to preview my edit while working in Vegas. I get full screen/full rez previews that way. Just set up the HDTV as my second display in Windows. Works fine. No need to go through a camera for HDTV preivews.

Some do, some don't. My HDTV has HDMI only. But it workes with an adapter from the DVI output on my video card.

Problem remains that in many editors, you don't necessarily get a full rez preview, without choppiness and transitions and effects may not play without some rendering.

Peter:

1. What is your computer setup, and editing program.

2. What Graphics card is that ? I ask because I may be in market for a new one.

Vegas 7 (hit ALT>Shift>4 for full screen previews)

I'm running a two year old system at this point. The graphics card is an old ATI X700 (256MB). Processor is AMD X2 3800+ 2GB RAM two 300GB SATA 7200 rpm dirves.

Now I'll admit if I put a couple of filters on my video or run multiple tracks playback slows (but it's still full rez). But the same would be true in the old days when you needed a firewire/camera connection to preview full screen on an external monitor.