Sony gv-d300 Mini DV deck VHS dub
 

I'm trying capture from a VHS through my mini deck into FCP but it won't go directly through. The deck will record the VHS to a mini DV tape, but Final cut won't capture/see the VHS. So I have to spend double the time, first record to min dv then capture from that.

What am I doing wrong? Is there a setting I'm missing in FCP or is this a limitation of the deck? I remember being able to do it with my vx2000 but I no longer have it, upgrading to the Z1 (no longer has rca input needed to plug the vcr into)

Try changing the device conrol setting in the FCP batch capture window to "Non-controllable Device." Also make sure that the DV deck has AV > DV out enabled. I have not had a chance to use that deck (lucky guy) but if it's like other Sonys it will have an option to act as a pass through converter. I believe the option is called DV out. Change that from no to yes, and the analog input will be streamed to the Firewire output.

i tried your suggestions but with no success

switched fcp to Non-controllable Device but "no communication" status

looked at the deck's menu and the manual, no options to control av/dv input output.

i guess it can't be used as analog to digital bypass conversion box but it doesn't make that clear in the manual.

thx

Missing Time-Code
 

I have a GV-D1000 mini-DV VCR and a GV-D200 Digital8 VCR, of this same series. The probable reason that FCP won't recognize the VHS transfer through an analog/digital conversion from your GV-D300, is the lack of time-code on the signal. Even though the pass-through analog signal is converted to the DV CoDec, it won't carry a time-code until you re-record it on DV tape first. I believe some NLE programs are able to add their own time-code to an uncoded signal, as many people have been able to do an A/D direct pass-through computer capture, using non-professional digital camcorders. I've done this on my Ulead Video Studio program. Perhaps FCP is also capable of this, if you change a setting. Approach the problem with the missing time-code in mind, when you explore the different options FCP gives you for capture. But, you might have to do that extra process of re-recording to DV tape first, if you can't get FCP to cooperate. You might go to a couple of other forums on this group that focus on NLE and get some answers about FCP settings.

It's interesting that you could do an A/D pass-through from a VX2000, but now can't get it to work from the GV-D300. Were you using FCP then and were all the settings the same? I've never tried doing this with my VX2100, but I'll have to give it a test. Of course, I don't have a Mac and FCP. Perhaps some of the Sony Pro DVCAM VCRs will add time-code to an A/D signal?

With my mini-VCRs and a full-size JVC DV/S-VHS dual-deck VCR, I can do an A/D pass-through from an analog tape to my stand-alone DVD recorder. This recorder will accept the signal through its FireWire input. It shows the picture on its outputs, but won't record it to its HDD or a DVD, because of the missing time-code. If I re-record the analog input to DV tape, that puts a time-code on it and then the DVD recorder will capture it to its disks.

The GV-D300 does not have analog-digital pass through. The newer GV-D1000 does have this feature.

Okay, that explains why he could do this with his VX2000, but not the GV-D300. That mini-VCR was connecting, but of course wasn't sending an analog signal, which was the only one that existed until he re-recorded it onto DV tape.

thx for the info. so much knowledge here. :-)

I was able to borrow a vx2000 for the day. It's funny that such an expensive deck doesn't have the capability to do a pass through. I was very close to buying a Canopus but $200 for analog conversion. I mean if i did this on a regular basis it be ok, just hate having to add to the large pile of equipment i already have.

Pete, the reason the GV-D300 doesn't have analog/digital passthrough, is because it was designed and built some time ago-----probably 10 years or more. This feature wasn't commonly included in video equipment until a few years after that. Back at that time, NLE for video was something done by only a few people who weren't professionals and sitting in a very expensive editing suite. A fast computer processor an individual might have had in those days, may have been about 200MHz or maybe not even that much. The one I got just 9 years ago, had 160MHz (with a 1GB HDD and 10MB RAM) and my friends were remarking how fast that was, as some of them were still using computers with no more than 25MHz.

ok that makes sense