Video Capture sofware for a MAc

[Mathew Hamilton Green]

Hi

I ahve a 15" 667 Mhz 512 mb G4 Powerbook with a 30gb drive - which i am about to upgrade to 100gb. I was wondering if there was anything out there that could capture video on the Mac from my camera via firewire.. I am thinking about using my laptop as a onset monitor like DV Rack..
Any suggestions?

mat

[Brandt Wilson]

Hi Matthew,

I haven't tried in in a while, but if memory serves, you can use iMovie, Final Cut Pro or Premiere, as all have device control.

[Daniel Kohl]

You can use B-TV from bensoft as well. It's shareware. I have been using B-TV for a long time, and am quite satisfied.

http://www.bensoftware.com/

Evological also offers some good software for this purpose.

http://www.evological.com/videoscope.html

[Mathew Hamilton Green]

Hi
Thanks for your help..
I want to use some software to record straight form my z1 on set -rather like the DVRACK software for the PC. I want to use my Powerbook as a monitor and a DTE solution. BTV Pro works ok but i have only tested it on my Hi8 Cam via a Hollywood Bridge. Will test the other software later..
mat

[Mark Randall]

I'm glad to hear you like DV Rack (and sorry to report that we do not yet have a Mac version available).

You can use some editing software to do direct-to-disk recording, unfortunately it won't be able to slave to the Record button on your camera (so you have to stand next to the laptop and hunt/peck the UI). Also, the UI isn't designed for field recording so you have to do a bit of navigation (pull-down menus etc.) in the multi-clip recording process. In my experience editing software also won't start recording a new clip at the click of one button then allow you to start recording another sequential clip (not missing a frame in between) with the names of subsequent clips automatically set and incremented. Then there's to whole scopes and automated quality monitoring aspect if that's of use to you.

By analogy, I can use Windows Notepad to word process but I don't get spell check, track changes, formatting control, page numbering, line spacing and a bunch of other features that make a word processor what it is - built to do that specific job.

--- Mark

[Boyd Ostroff]

True, but for the price BTV Pro is a pretty handy application. It will do timelapse and has a full screen monitor mode. It also has a variety of scopes available.

I used to have a powerbook just like yours Mathew and was very fond of it. Unfortunately the power supply got fried while it was connected to a "big iron" 10,000 lumen projector with faulty wiring. My company replaced the powerbook with a new model, then repaired my Titanium and gave it to another employee. A couple months ago we gave it a decent burial; the hinge on the screen broke and caused the LCD panel to fail.

You may not be happy with Apple's pro applications on that machine; it just squeaks by FCP 5 spec for DV, but it won't do HDV or run Motion or DVDSP. I also remember my Titanium had some firewire issues. You might at least toy with the idea of selling that machine and getting a newer model instead of upgrading it with a bigger hard drive.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Boyd Ostroff

You may not be happy with Apple's pro applications on that machine; it just squeaks by FCP 5 spec for DV, but it won't do HDV or run Motion or DVDSP.

If your using a mac you have too get FCP. Mac software and OS is so easy to use and is tightly integrated. I just wish their hardware wasn't so dam expensive. I've had bad experiences editing DV with laptops. Do yourself a favor and get G5 powermac.

[Greg Boston]

Quicktime 7 Pro will do direct firewire video capture. $29.99 is the cost for upgrade to QT7 Pro. Check Apple's website and the Quicktime tab to get more information.

-gb-

[James Rhodes]

Hey Matt

Check out this site it may be what you are looking for.

http://www.gallery.co.uk