connect HD for vegas
 

I have tried the trial version and it seems that the supplied version of cineform on vegas 6 will just do fine for my system. My computer specs meets the criteria but I have XP service pack 1 instead of 2. Are some of you in the same boat as me? Connect HD sounded promising until I tried it but I guess I'll stick with the supplied cineform on vegas. The turn around of the conversion seems the same.

You feel that you can edit multiple tracks with m2t's and have some what close to a real time editing experience? I must be doing something wrong because I feel there is no way I would even attempt it without the Cineform HD intermediates or Gearshift.

Jon

Fred, sounds like you are using Vegas (or GearShift) to do CineForm conversion, that is very slow. Using HDLink (the tool at the heard of Connect HD) you conversions will be smaller, higher-quality and happen in real-time for a modern PC (conversion speeds are 3-4 times faster.)

What I was trying to say is I used supplied cineform codec in vegas 6 to do my conversion then I tried the trial version of Connect HD. The results are the same as far as the speed in converting it to a much easier file to edit with. The higher quality from Conncet HD is a plus but the conversion speed I am getting is the same as the supplied cineform in Vegas 6. My computers specs meets the requirements for Connect HD except I have XP serice pak 1. Is there anyway I could get the conversion speeds everyone is getting with Connect HD?

Yes, you can get the higher conversion speeds by not using Vegas to capture and or convert the HDV material. Connect HD comes with it own tool for capturing and/or converting M2T files (HDLink.exe) that is much faster and has many other workflow benefits over those features built into Vegas. The resulting AVI can then be added to the Vegas timeline. HDLink is located in your StartMenu under Programs->CineForm->Connect HD.

P.S. Service Pack 1 only makes HDV cameras harder for XP to use/see, otherwise Connect HD runs on SP1 just as well as SP2. If your HDV camera work with SP1, then Connect HD will work.

my XP SP1 computer cannot see the sony HC1 HDV camera ( period) .. it does see the FX1 HDV camera ...

i have HD connect on PIV 2.8ghz desktop XP-Sp2 .. i just captured a 55 min HDV tape using HD connect ( convert to cineform then delete m2t) - it took 45min more after the tape had stopped for it to finish the convert to cineform...the finished clip was 35gigs ...

a 38 sec 122MB m2t clip using connect HD takes 1:15 to convert - finished CF clip size is 335MB ... same m2t in Vegas takes 3:02 to convert - finished CF clip size is 398MB ....

3/9/06 just rendered same m2t clip in Vegas on a AMD 4200 dual core = 1:28 to convert

thats the point I was trying to get across. the times I'm getting is very similar to just converting using Vegas only.

My specs are: XP/P4 2.8 HT/2GB RAM/500GB HD.


So at this point I think the Connect HD will not be a benefit for me. I will stick to using Vegas to convert m2t files

Fred,

I don't know how you reach that conclusion as those numbers show Connect HD is 2.4 times faster on an 2.8 P4 (below the ideal system.) If you use the Connect HD's single pass capture, you get the AVI without capturing the M2T first, where in Vegas you first much capture the M2T then convert. Therefore the Connect HD is in-fact around 3 times faster, without counting the time for the manual steps within Vegas that are not needed using Connect HD.

Alright I re-confirgued my OS still XP and got rid of some software that I don't need. The conversion times had improved using Connect HD so now I am getting the results thats indeed being said. For a 11 minute clip Connect HD converted it to avi and kept the original m2t in 17 minutes. Same clip converted in Vegas it took about 33 minutes. I will be activating this after the trail version is over. Thanks for the feed backs guys!!

To David Newman
 

David, I purchased the Adobe PPro 1.5 Suite with Aspect a few months ago. I also have Vegas 6.0D. I believe you said that Aspect would work with Vegas as well as Adobe. Is this true? Does it have the same performance and feature set as Connect HD does with Vegas? If so, how do I get it to work with Vegas. In PPro it show Aspect HD transition and effects, etc. I have not used it yet - just finished my last SD project, so now I'm anxious to start on my HDV shots with the Sony HC-1. Thanks.

Aspect HD contains HDLink which is a large part of Connect HD. An AHD user can capture within Premiere to CineForm AVI or capture with HDLink, both tools will produce files that can be used in Vegas. So you are all set.

Also, the speed and size difference points out how badly Vegas is hobbled by it's continued use of the VFW pipeline. If and when Vegas finally updates to a directshow approach (like ConnectHD), it will make a similar jump in rendering speed and efficiency.

My workflow and how HD Connect improves the process

Without HD Connect, capturing straight from vegas and editing the m2t
*****I never edit m2t files, I always use the cineform avi intermediate this is an example*******************

1) Capture via vegas to m2t
2) import m2t's, I always edit at least two camera angles
3) make edits
4) render to whatever format you want

With HD Connect, capture via HD Connect(HDLINK) to Cineform's AVI intermediate and edit

1) Capture via HD connect(hdlink)
2) Open vegas and import clips that I just captured
3) make edit's
4) render to whatever format I need

The best part of HD connect for me is that it's impossible for me to edit m2t clips, on multiple tracks and have a good editing experience, the computer is always behind schedule, it just doesn't work. With HD connect, it gives me a DV type editing environment. Rendering times still take forever, but the actual edit time is greatly improved over editing straight from compressed m2t files.

Jon

Connect HD vs HDlink?
 

What does Connect Hd do for Vegas editors beyond having the HDlink capture utility?

I'm asking this because I have Aspect (which includes HDlink). I want to be able to use Both PPro 1.5 and Vegas 6. I understand that Aspect contains its own transitions and color correction for use in Premiere. I also understand that using the HDlink utility will give me files that can be edited with either Vegas or PPro.

But, does Conncet provide more functionality with Vegas then just the HDlink capture?

As you have Aspect HD you already have everything Connect HD has (and a lot more.)