Budget System Set-Up: What do you think?

Dennis Liu · September 15th, 2004, 03:08 AM

Got it. From now on I am going to watch all my raw footage on mini-DV by plugging it into my TV first. Then I'm gonna select and do planning there first before transferring the footage onto computer (since in the mean-time I can't afford to buy another CRT to put beside my computer and have it plugged up all day).

About the deck - I dont' mind getting one since I'll be using it a lot to play it back and forwards on my TV plus transferring to and from computer, plus anything else like watching the films right off mini-DV (instead of transferring it to VHS) when I'm at home.

Guess I'm gonna get the DVD Architect AND Vegas packages, is it worth it for the price? I've used Vegas 4 in some other places before (not extensively though), and I liked it. One major question: Does it work well with the Canon XL1 and esp. Matrox P650 graphics card (esp. with multi monitors)?

Thank you,
Dennis

Aaron Koolen · September 15th, 2004, 03:48 AM

Vegas should work fine with the P650. I use a Matrox G550 with dual monitors without a problem. You don't get all the usual problems that you might with other software because Vegas is a software only NLE, it doesn't use video hardware overlays or anything fancy like that.

Watching everything on a TV, recording time code etc and then batch capturing could be fine and could teach you some discipline, but if you're doing a short piece, it might be more convenient just to capture a few tapes, and edit there. That way you've got everything at your fingertips if you need to grab stuff that you didn't think you needed at first. It's only when you come to colour correction and other image manipulation do you want to see what it's like on a TV - preferably a broadcast monitor so most of your "editing" can be done on an LCD IMO. It's sort of like, your editing can be done with computer speakers, but if you want to do "mixing" then you're better off with something a bit more pro.

Aaron

Chris McKee · September 15th, 2004, 05:28 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Dennis Liu : Got it. From now on I am going to watch all my raw footage on mini-DV by plugging it into my TV first. Then I'm gonna select and do planning there first before transferring the footage onto computer (since in the mean-time I can't afford to buy another CRT to put beside my computer and have it plugged up all day).
-->>>

Watching your raw footage on a regular TV monitor isn't nearly as important as using the TV to preview your effects/colour correction/etc. Go ahead and use your computer monitor to log/capture/edit... but being able to see what your finished video will look like on a TV is extremely valuable.

Dennis Liu · September 15th, 2004, 01:48 PM

Ok I'll keep that in mind. I guess since I can't do it real-time, I'll have to take a bit longer.

1. Watch on TV.
2. Edit on PC with LCD.
3. Output to mini-DV, watch on TV again, this time noting colour etc.
4. Do colour correction again on LCD.
5. Watch on TV again.

I guess it'll be a process of trial and error.

Thanks for all the advice,
Dennis

Glenn Chan · September 16th, 2004, 07:25 PM

Dennis, you may be able to hook up your TV to your editing system as follows:

Cabling:
Computer's firewire port --- 6pin-4pin firewire cable --- camera/camcorder/deck --- camcorder A/V cable (plus maybe the S-video cable) --- television.

Setup:

camera: Most cameras can convert from DV/firewire to analog video out on the fly. Some models of cameras cannot. If your camera does have this feature, set "A/V <--> DV" such that it converts from DV to A/V.

NLE: Set it to output video over firewire/DV.

TV: Select the right input.

You will be able to instantaneously see your video as it looks like this way.

Dan Euritt · September 16th, 2004, 08:07 PM

what i do is just capture everything to the nle regardless of how long it is, then play it back from the nle for previewing... you want to avoid tape shuttling as much as possible... i would not plug a nice camera like the xl1 into an editing bay, but the footage you shoot with the xl1 should be playable in any other camera/tape deck.

September 15th, 2004, 03:48 AM	#17
Aaron Koolen Trustee Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 1,727	Vegas should work fine with the P650. I use a Matrox G550 with dual monitors without a problem. You don't get all the usual problems that you might with other software because Vegas is a software only NLE, it doesn't use video hardware overlays or anything fancy like that. Watching everything on a TV, recording time code etc and then batch capturing could be fine and could teach you some discipline, but if you're doing a short piece, it might be more convenient just to capture a few tapes, and edit there. That way you've got everything at your fingertips if you need to grab stuff that you didn't think you needed at first. It's only when you come to colour correction and other image manipulation do you want to see what it's like on a TV - preferably a broadcast monitor so most of your "editing" can be done on an LCD IMO. It's sort of like, your editing can be done with computer speakers, but if you want to do "mixing" then you're better off with something a bit more pro. Aaron __________________ My Website Meat Free Media

September 15th, 2004, 03:08 AM	#16
Dennis Liu Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 136	Got it. From now on I am going to watch all my raw footage on mini-DV by plugging it into my TV first. Then I'm gonna select and do planning there first before transferring the footage onto computer (since in the mean-time I can't afford to buy another CRT to put beside my computer and have it plugged up all day). About the deck - I dont' mind getting one since I'll be using it a lot to play it back and forwards on my TV plus transferring to and from computer, plus anything else like watching the films right off mini-DV (instead of transferring it to VHS) when I'm at home. Guess I'm gonna get the DVD Architect AND Vegas packages, is it worth it for the price? I've used Vegas 4 in some other places before (not extensively though), and I liked it. One major question: Does it work well with the Canon XL1 and esp. Matrox P650 graphics card (esp. with multi monitors)? Thank you, Dennis

September 15th, 2004, 05:28 AM	#18
Chris McKee Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 47	<<<-- Originally posted by Dennis Liu : Got it. From now on I am going to watch all my raw footage on mini-DV by plugging it into my TV first. Then I'm gonna select and do planning there first before transferring the footage onto computer (since in the mean-time I can't afford to buy another CRT to put beside my computer and have it plugged up all day). -->>> Watching your raw footage on a regular TV monitor isn't nearly as important as using the TV to preview your effects/colour correction/etc. Go ahead and use your computer monitor to log/capture/edit... but being able to see what your finished video will look like on a TV is extremely valuable.

September 15th, 2004, 01:48 PM	#19
Dennis Liu Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 136	Ok I'll keep that in mind. I guess since I can't do it real-time, I'll have to take a bit longer. 1. Watch on TV. 2. Edit on PC with LCD. 3. Output to mini-DV, watch on TV again, this time noting colour etc. 4. Do colour correction again on LCD. 5. Watch on TV again. I guess it'll be a process of trial and error. Thanks for all the advice, Dennis

September 16th, 2004, 07:25 PM	#20
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Dennis, you may be able to hook up your TV to your editing system as follows: Cabling: Computer's firewire port --- 6pin-4pin firewire cable --- camera/camcorder/deck --- camcorder A/V cable (plus maybe the S-video cable) --- television. Setup: camera: Most cameras can convert from DV/firewire to analog video out on the fly. Some models of cameras cannot. If your camera does have this feature, set "A/V <--> DV" such that it converts from DV to A/V. NLE: Set it to output video over firewire/DV. TV: Select the right input. You will be able to instantaneously see your video as it looks like this way.

September 16th, 2004, 08:07 PM	#21
Dan Euritt Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 1,132	what i do is just capture everything to the nle regardless of how long it is, then play it back from the nle for previewing... you want to avoid tape shuttling as much as possible... i would not plug a nice camera like the xl1 into an editing bay, but the footage you shoot with the xl1 should be playable in any other camera/tape deck.