Filming hdv straight to hard drive at DVinfo.net

Daniel Stevenson · May 9th, 2007, 11:03 PM

Does anyone know if you can capture hdv footage straight from camera to the hard drive through firwire? i.e bypass the tape?

When I try in quicktime (through file:new movie recording) it only captures in dv even when ilink conv is off and vcr is in HDV. I am using the Sony HDV handycam (HDR-HC1E).

Can it be done in FCP? Or do I need specialist software?

Cheers

Daniel

Dylan Pank · May 11th, 2007, 08:07 AM

VirtualDVHS will do what you want. It's not particularly user friendly, there's no live preview, and it seems quite buggy. However it's free, and will record a pure m2t file to the HDD.

Download it from here. Be aware that this is a directly link not a page - the page is here: http://developer.apple.com/sdk/.

I think there's a new version of you sign up to the Apple Developer Connection but I don't know what the differences are.

You could get preview playback by starting to record to the HDD, then playing the file, as you record, in VLC. However there'll be a delay in playback, and I'd only recommend it on a fast computer on with a lot of RAM. plus it's fiddly.

Daniel Stevenson · May 11th, 2007, 06:07 PM

thanks dylan, i'll have a look. Will the m2t file be compatible with fcp?

Dylan Pank · May 12th, 2007, 02:44 AM

No, you'd have to use MPEG Streamclip to convert it.

Chuck Fadely · May 13th, 2007, 09:05 PM

I've done a good bit of "live" capture from a Canon at 1080i60 using Final Cut 5.1.2 into a Powerbook with an extenal 800fw drive.

The only issue is that it takes 15-30 seconds for the recording to actually begin after you've clicked "capture now".

I think maybe you need a tape in the camera to do it?

Chuck

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Stevenson

Does anyone know if you can capture hdv footage straight from camera to the hard drive through firwire? i.e bypass the tape?

When I try in quicktime (through file:new movie recording) it only captures in dv even when ilink conv is off and vcr is in HDV. I am using the Sony HDV handycam (HDR-HC1E).

Can it be done in FCP? Or do I need specialist software?

Cheers

Daniel

Daniel Stevenson · May 15th, 2007, 11:43 PM

Thanks Chuck, what codec were you using?

Chuck Fadely · May 16th, 2007, 06:10 AM

My live capture was at 1080i60 and 30f into a 1080i60 project, set up using HDV 1080i60 Easy Setup.

David Garvin · May 16th, 2007, 03:09 PM

iMovie will do this.

James Miller · May 17th, 2007, 10:30 AM

I Movie captures HD in AIC format not HDV. This is what I have found.

To get the cleanest picture capture using VirtualDVHS convert the .m2t file in MPEG Streamclip to AIC or HDV, edit in FCP.

David Garvin · May 17th, 2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Miller

I Movie captures HD in AIC format not HDV. This is what I have found

This is correct, afaik. Is this an issue? IOW, do you prefer HDV to AIC?

James Miller · May 17th, 2007, 01:04 PM

I prefer AIC it's faster to work with when you do a lot of effects/colour in FCP. And converting .m2t to AIC seems a lot cleaner, However lets see what FCP2 has in store with Prores.

May 9th, 2007, 11:03 PM	#1
Daniel Stevenson Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 60	Filming hdv straight to hard drive Does anyone know if you can capture hdv footage straight from camera to the hard drive through firwire? i.e bypass the tape? When I try in quicktime (through file:new movie recording) it only captures in dv even when ilink conv is off and vcr is in HDV. I am using the Sony HDV handycam (HDR-HC1E). Can it be done in FCP? Or do I need specialist software? Cheers Daniel

May 11th, 2007, 08:07 AM	#2
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	VirtualDVHS will do what you want. It's not particularly user friendly, there's no live preview, and it seems quite buggy. However it's free, and will record a pure m2t file to the HDD. Download it from here. Be aware that this is a directly link not a page - the page is here: http://developer.apple.com/sdk/. I think there's a new version of you sign up to the Apple Developer Connection but I don't know what the differences are. You could get preview playback by starting to record to the HDD, then playing the file, as you record, in VLC. However there'll be a delay in playback, and I'd only recommend it on a fast computer on with a lot of RAM. plus it's fiddly.

May 11th, 2007, 06:07 PM	#3
Daniel Stevenson Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 60	thanks dylan, i'll have a look. Will the m2t file be compatible with fcp?

May 12th, 2007, 02:44 AM	#4
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	No, you'd have to use MPEG Streamclip to convert it.

May 15th, 2007, 11:43 PM	#6
Daniel Stevenson Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 60	Thanks Chuck, what codec were you using?

May 16th, 2007, 06:10 AM	#7
Chuck Fadely Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 306	My live capture was at 1080i60 and 30f into a 1080i60 project, set up using HDV 1080i60 Easy Setup.

May 16th, 2007, 03:09 PM	#8
David Garvin Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Central, OH Posts: 207	iMovie will do this.

May 17th, 2007, 10:30 AM	#9
James Miller Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sussex, UK Posts: 317	I Movie captures HD in AIC format not HDV. This is what I have found. To get the cleanest picture capture using VirtualDVHS convert the .m2t file in MPEG Streamclip to AIC or HDV, edit in FCP.

May 17th, 2007, 01:04 PM	#11
James Miller Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sussex, UK Posts: 317	I prefer AIC it's faster to work with when you do a lot of effects/colour in FCP. And converting .m2t to AIC seems a lot cleaner, However lets see what FCP2 has in store with Prores.