This might sound ridiculous... Adobe Premier
 

I need help.
I own an FX1, bought it for a project. I need to import the footage from tapes to PC. I have newest version of Premier. Where do I start? Please, be patient with me, any help appreciated. I have never used the firewire or Premier before. What do I do to start?
Thank you in advance.

First thing I would do would be search the Internet for 'premiere CS3 tutorial' or something similar. I believe there are some tutorials on dvinfo, actually.

The 'proper' term for importing files into the computer is capturing. Might want to search for that to figure out some of the basics.

If you're planning on working seriously using this nifty new gear of yours (with that sort of investment, I would! =D) you may want to check out Cineform's AspectHD plugin for Premiere. It may sound like a lot of money for a plugin for software you've already shelled out money for, but there's plenty of good reasons. Less waiting for renders, better quality, a small and wonderful program for capturing from your FX and exporting back, etc etc.

There is a free program that captures from firewire cameras that I used until I purchased AspectHD, it's not nearly as spiffy and featured, but it gets the job done, and supports scene detection (makes a different file for each clip you recorded, not a big long file the size of the tape) called HDVSplit. Might want to look that up.

If you have any more questions, you may want to check out the Premiere board on this website, named Attend the World Premiere! or something like that. Lots of helpful people to answer any specific questions you can't figure out through tutorials, but definitely check out as many as you can find first. It's how we all started. :)

Carl

VERY SIMPLY, (and not knowing if you're recording in HD or DV):

- load up Premiere,
- turn the FX1 on Play mode (tape rewound to beginning),
- connect your firewire cable to the PC and to the FX1 (assuming you have this obviously, firewire cards are a few $$ and easily slot into your PC)
- click on capture (it'll recognise the FX1 without you changing any settings)
- hit play and record

hope that's ok, it's the very basics but will allow you teo get that footage on to your PC

KC-

If you are capturing HDV, try HDVSplit, a freeware program. Basically, you hook up camera to computer via firewire, start the program, indicate what folder you want footage stored to, and press capture.

If you are capturing DV with the FX1, you will have to do that from inside Premiere pro, by selecting it from the menu under the first pulldown.

Another challenge
 

I thought I had a PC to Camcorder wire. I just looked at it and it's an Apple cable with Apple logos on it. Where do I get a cable for PC and do I need a firewire card? If I do where do I get it from?

yes, you need a firewire card.

check out your local computer store, or newegg.com, they're under $20 nowadays.

Once you get the card, chances are that cable is a firewire cable, and will plug it in. Firewire = iLink = ieee1964 .... all the same thing, different brand names.

C

1964 is my wife's birth year, hehehe... Firewire is IEEE 1394... a little older...

K.C.,

Might I suggest that you start by going to your local computer store, you may want to take your PC with you too. If your computer does not have a firewire card in it already, it is probably very old. It may not be a very good computer for running the latest Premiere and an HD camera.

Please let us know your experience in shooting and editing video. If you have done it before, how did you capture it, what did you edit it on?

Mike

Doh!

I must be getting rusty :D

C

Thank you all for replies,
 

Mike, I worked in Port Saint Lucie for a few months when our NY based Yellow pages co. "yellow book" took over blue books in florida, I had good time then.

This is the computer I have, it's quite decent I'd say, I just upgraded HD to total of 700gb.

http://www.superwarehouse.com/Sony_V...RB40/ps/617486

Please, excuse my lack of knowledge about firewire card. I see I-link input in front of the computer next to usb and card inputs, is that all I need?

K.C.,

I-link may indeed be it. Should look like a rectangle port opening like the USB except that one end has a point or triangle shape. That is the 6 wire firewire port. The specs on the computer conflict a little, as the top part, connectivity, mentions USB but no firewire. Then in the interfaces' section it lists a 4 and a 6 wire IEEE 1394 port.

Either way, just look for those ports. The 6 wire will look as I described it and the four wire will look like the firewire port out of the camera. Either one, 4 or 6, will work for capture, it just depends on what cable you have. I believe your apple cable will work as long as is is a 4 wire to 4 wire or a 4 wire to a 6 wire. The specs are the same I believe.

I have a friend here who is a retired engineer for IBM and was on the team that developed the firewire. He hates it when you call it that. He says it is a IEEE 1394 cable!!!! :)

Turn on your computer, plug in your camera-then turn it to the VCR or play mode. The computer should find it. Don't use any of the basic Windows programs like Movie Maker, just say thank you and open up your NLE. Hopefully your NLE will find your camera when you go to capture your footage.

During the capture or in the capture window, you should be able to control your camera from the computer.

Let us know what happens.

If it has been a while since you've been to Port St. Lucie, you would not recognize the place anymore.

Good Luck----Mike

And one more comment. The specs on the computer says it has 512mb of ram. That will not do for HD. You need to double that as a minimum and better yet to go to 2gb of ram. The specs seem funny though, as they list the ram type as notebook type. Is that true? Notebook ram and not desktop!

Even with that, the computer is on the edge of what you really need. You may need something like CineForm to help you out in editing.


Mike

Mike
 

I have 1gb of ram now, if it shows sluggish performance I'll increase it to 2gb, it's cheap nowadays.

Do I need this guy?
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...9&tab=Features

Or this one?
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...9&tab=Features

6 to 4 usually is for desk top, 4 to 4 is usually for laptop. Essentially, the 4 end is same size as port on you your FX1. So you can compare the imput port on the computer to that. The six pin female port looks a bit like a USB port.

K.C.,

As Chris said, the 6 to 4 is what most use on desktops, but that is because most desktops don't have a 4 wire port. If you have a laptop and plan on using the camera with that, the 4 to 4 would work on both if you do have a 4 wire port on your computer. Either one would work on your desktop.

Let us know what your plans for using this system are. As I said before, your system is about bare minimum right now and performance will not be very good.

Also, if you want to order from Sony that is fine, but you can get a cable for much less at your local Best Buy or Circuit City.

Mike

Hey Mike, any 1394 cards that I have bought for my PC have the large 6 pic inputs.... are you saying there is way to hook the 4 pin into the six pin slot ? I never even considered trying that ...

No, his computer specs list one 4 pin and one 6 pin.

Mike

Ah, thanks. I haven't bought store bought in years, and build my own and buy cards for it. Sorry about confusion....

Thank you both
 

When I first purchased the camcorder I was planning to start wedding videography, and still do. Also, I learn indian music and I did record about 6 of my teacher's performances which I'll need to edit asap since he's been asking me for a while now.

About the cable, I saw a 4 to 4 pin original cables on ebay for $6 shipped (original sony), I'm gonna get one of those.

Will let you guys know what's up as soon as I get it and start the project.

First challenge
 

I watched through a few Adobe Premier Tutorials on capturing video.
Got an I-link 4 to 6 pin connector connected.
Started AP interface on pc, turned on the FX1 camcorder, but the software interface shows that the device (in device control panel) status is: OFFLINE, which is not allowing me to hit RECORD button. What could be the cause of that? The blue light on camcorder comes on once the cable is connected.
:(
I'm ready to give up.

You've been at this a couple of days, some of us have been trying to figure this stuff out for 15 years or more....

1. When you turn the camera on VCR, and connect the firewire to the computer, which blue light at the Firewire connection lights ? HDV or DV.

2. When you start Premiere to capture HDV you need to select a project that is HDV 1080i 30(Sony60i) If the DV light is on, that means the camera was set to record in Standard definition, or it is set to down convert. In any event if the DV light is on, you need to select DV wide screen.

3. Once Premiere is totally started, select the "File" pull down menu, and select capture. You you should now be able to fast forward and reverse and play footage on the screen that shows by activating on screen camera interface buttons. If you press the red button, it will start recording from the point on the tape you are at.

Chris
 

I hope it doesn't take me 15 years :)

I used regular DV mode to record the event, why would i chose WIDE SCREEN option though if I wasn't recording in WIDE SCREEN?

I'm trying to figure out why it says OFFLINE in camera status.
:(

First you need to make sure your firewire port is working properly. Go to Start, then right click on My Computer and select Properties. Under Hardware go to Device Manager. Are there any question marks in a yellow circle? If so, that device is not working, you have to troubleshoot.

Second, even if your card works properly, having Windows recognize your camera is a hit and miss thing... sometimes Windows is stubborn. Follow this procedure: Power down both computer and camera. Connect camera to PC, then first start the computer, once it's up and running fully, turn on the camera. The PC should come up with "Found new hardware" message, and install the driver automatically, after which the "Your new hardware is now installed and ready to use" message.

Now if you go to My Computer, your camcorder should be listed as Sony Camcorder - and you're in business. If not, you're in trouble... I once had to reformat a PC to have Windows recognize the camera (was working before, then it quit). You may need specialized help...

And don't forget to get some sleep... working till 3 AM (your last post's timestamp is 2.56 AM) is a problem all by itself... a fresh look next day may be just what you need.

K.C.,

It is usually a matter of the order of starting the programs and connecting the camera etc.. For example, PPro usually will not find the camera is it was not hooked up until after the program was started.

Hang in there.................email sent.

Mike

Offline means that the camera is not being read by the program. Usually, in Premiere, that means you camera is set to output one format (HDV or DV), and Premiere is set to receive the opposite. Either that, or you have a bad firewire connection.

I had assumed you shot footage on the FX1 in 16:9, but you can certainly choose the Standard 4:3.

By the way, what is the "newest version" of Premiere ? Pro 2 ? CS3, Elements ?

One more question, is your Windows system up to date. What OS are you in. I assumed XP, and you should have Service Pack 2 installed, if I recall from days of yore, regarding FX1 drivers.

The most common cause of the "offline" message when I use PPro is, as Chris said, I've set up a DV preset project when outputting HDV from the cam, or vice versa. Or, depending on your Premiere version, it's possible you have "capture" or "device control" (page/tab 2 of the capture window) set to "DV" when you need "HDV" or again vice versa. Everything has to match or Premiere gets cranky.

Also make sure not only that all the presets match, but that the cam is turned to VCR mode, not Camera mode. That'll getcha every time...

As I have a desktop PC and power is being carried by the 6-pin FW cable, I always connect everything with all the power turned off at both ends. Then after I power everything on and launch Premiere and hit F5 (for capture) the program almost always sees my cam immediately. On the rare occasions it doesn't, I just close and reopen the capture window and it usually finds it then. If all else fails I power down and then restart the cam (always in VCR mode, natch) and that generally works.

Hi,

I am curious why some of you suggested using a plug in such as (HDVsplit) for capture purposes of HDV. You would think the newest version of Premiere that KC owns would be capable of that on it's own.

Capturing and editing HDV with an FX-1 means being a bit careful. You need to put your camera in VCR mode. Insert tape to be captured, dbl-checking that "HDV 1080i" shows up in the upper left of your viewfinder. That way, you know it actually is HDV footage, because the FX-1 can play and record DV as well.

Next, go to the Cameras' menu and select the 2 way arrows pictogram. Select "VCR HDV/DV">Auto or HDV. Select "i.LINK CONV">OFF and "A/V-DV OUT">OFF. Press the menu button to get out of menu and unplug the ieee 1394 cable from the camera and re-plug in. (Sometimes it won't reset w/out removing the cable, just a quirk). Check that the blue "HDV" is lit up above the shot transitions buttons and that the upper led above the 1394 cable port is lit up.

With the ieee 1394 cable plugged in to both the computer and camera, fire up Premiere, create a new project and, if CS3 is anything like CS2, select the Adobe HDV folder in the preset options window and select either 1080i 25 or 30, (i.e. PAL or NTSC). From there, you should be fine.

If you are not ok, there are threads on installing the "avc/subunit" driver, I believe it is called, that allows the Windows OS to talk to the camera. But that issue is an awfully old one, you should be fine.

There are several reasons why one might want to use HDV Split instead of capturing with Premiere. Here are three of them:

1. I have an old PC that cannot capture using Premiere Pro 2.0 - in fact I can't even install the software because the AMD microprocessor is not SSE enabled. I use this PC to capture to an external USB hard drive, then I edit on my editing PC, which, by the way, does not have a firewire card.

2. If you're capturing with PremPro, you have to stop all other activity on that PC. Using HDV Split, I can continue doing whatever I need to do, while the HDV tape is captured in the background.

3. CPU usage. PremPro is a major CPU user, while HDV Split barely uses a fraction of your CPU - something useful for those with older computers. Before switching to PremPro 2.0 I edited HDV in PremPro 1.5, which needs to decompress to CineForm "on the fly" - the CPU was way to slow, so the whole thing crashed after a few seconds of capturing. Capturing with HDV Split allowed me to capture and then import the file - it was slow, but it worked.

Not everyone uses the latest and greatest computer for editing... And by the way, HDV Split is not a plugin, it's a stand-alone piece of software.

Thanks Ervin,

Then I guess it would be safe to say that HDV split is a more efficient program, particularly for those with slower machines. Does it utilize a different file format, or compression decompression ratio? I can't understand why a relatively expensive full featured program such as Premiere isn't capable of this obviously necessary task, as efficiently as these secondary programs.

My guess: When you load up Premiere, you have a lot of stuff running in background memory and cpu, just waiting to give you instant gratification when you want it, so there is a lot of overhead to clash with the capture process.

Chris summed it up nicely - Adobe Premiere is a huge program, it does a lot of things. But in order for it to be ready to do all of that at the click of the mouse, it has to load a lot of stuff, stuff that keeps your CPU busy and eats up your RAM even when you don't use them; they just sit there on standby.

Regarding your other question: no, it does not use any other file format, the resulting file will be an MPEG2 transport type file with an extension of m2t. Capturing a tape to the computer (DV or HDV) is basically not a decompression process, it's rather a file transfer - just like you would transfer a file from an external hard drive or flash drive, there is no alteration of any kind - not within a PC. Now if we would talk Mac, the file is wrapped around, forming a QuickTime file, but that's another story.