capture DV to MPEG2 clips

[dlombard]

I'm sure this is out here somewhere but I can't seem to find anything current....for a mac...

I need to be able to capture a DV stream form my HVX200 to mpeg2 clips which will then be burned seperately to different DVDs in as short a time as possible.

Basically I'm capturing multiple intervies and need to be able to hand these folks a dvd with their own clips on their own discs within a very short amount of time.

I will be using a Mac Pro to capture and burn the dvds so I won't be using any capture cards, just a standard DV port which means that I'll be looking for a software based application. So does anyone know of any Mac programs which do this?

It seems like the right PC solution would be Video Studio Pro x2 but again, I'm using a mac here so if anyone can point me toward a similar product I would be eternally grateful.


-dl

[AdamT]

I don't believe real time conversion is possible without some kind of hardware card. If your MacPro is fast enough, you could capture in DV, then run the file through Compressor. It's actually pretty damn fast when set to encode with all the processors fired up.

[palmdalian]

I used to do the same exact thing as you are trying to do. I searched for weeks looking for Mac software that did it, but it just wasn't there. I ended up settling for a solution that worked even better for me:

I got a cheap Windows computer (it didn't have very powerful specs at all) and I captured using Graphedit (a free program that comes in the Microsoft Directx SDK). I was then able to capture to M2V and AC3 clips in realtime, which DVDSP accepted without a hitch. I networked the Windows machine with my Mac, and didn't even have to copy the files over. The only time it took on the Mac side was Muxing the audio and video, but it was extremely quick.

It was nice because you could be burning a DVD, and not worry about dropping frames on the capture because the processing was distributed. If you are interested at all, I can give you more specific details on how it is done. It's not the prettiest solution, but it definitely works.

[dlombard]

Thanks AdamT. I'd like to stay away from copressor though. My hope is to be able to knock out 8 three-minute dvds (each with distinct content) in about fifteen minutes...am I crazy?

palmdalian (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/member.php?u=34204) - Thanks a lot. It's really weird that this doesn't exist for mac. from what I gather, most PC programs like Video Studio Pro x2 make use of the Directx module to do the M2V processing. What's up mac?

Just out of curiosity, how much more quickly were you able burn a dvd....is the time savings really that substantial?

As much as I hate the idea of getting into a Windows based system, it might be a cheap solution to the problem... cheap pc laptop vs mac pro. I just hate multiple platform problems.

I've also considered another option entirely which might be even more simple...Does anyone have any experience with an mpeg2 camera like the sony dcr-sr45 or 100. Seems like, depending on the clip management software, you could go from capture to burn pretty quickly...any thoughts?

[groveChuck]

I'm not sure I understand your shoot's workflow; different interviews going to separate DVDs?
Are each client's interviews being shot together, one after another?

If so, a really lame, but possibly effective solution, would be to shoot straight to a DVD recorder, one that accepts firewire or component.

Shoot that client's interviews (each interview being a "program") then finalize it, hand it to them.

[dlombard]

yeh- I guess I could be more clear about what I'm doing, that might help.

Basically, it's for a group of 8 actors doing three sets of commercial copy.

first guy in does his first piece...then leaves to go learn a second piece while the second guy comes in to do his first piece ...and so on.

Ultimately, I'll end up with 3 pieces from each actor which cannot be shot consecutively because the actor has not yet learned them. At the end, each actor will have his own dvd with his own clips which he can take home and critique. Of course the simple thing would be to just hand everyone the same disc with the full session on it but of course no one likes the simple solution. One actor..one disc...three clips.

Most importantly, I'll need to be able to manage each of the clips so that the correct three make it onto the correct dvd. I don't know enough about stand alone dvd recorders to know if this can be accomplished. Can it?

[groveChuck]

I think it SHOULD work...
Each guy has a DVD.

John does his 1st bit on the John DVD; take it out, put in DVD 2.
George does his 1st bit on the George DVD...
Paul does his 1st...etc
Then John does his 2nd bit, on the John DVD.

Each actor would have a DVD with 3 clips on it.

Just finalize each disc on the machine that recorded (takes less than a minute) and they'll play on any DVD player.

It can be hard to find a DVD recorder that accepts firewire, but they're out there for under $100.

Just make sure it recognizes the camera before you go on the shoot.

Kind of lo tech, but it might do the job, and it's definitely quicker than compressing/burning DVDs.

Hope this helps
Chuck

[DGW]

How about this idea? Transfer the footage to your mac via FCP or quicktime pro and supply them with a .mov file which they should be able to view on a PC or a MAC. If your not editing the footage other than selecting the right clip this should be a very fast process. Using P2 clips will make this even easier (FCP will import it as a .mov file almost instantly). Might help if they don't require a DVD. Just a suggestion!

[dlombard]

Grove- That sounds like a great solution. Does it require DVD RW? Also, I'm dying to see Ringo's audition piece!


DGW- That might work for me too. I'll have to check with the group to see if the're into it. Originally I suggested that I host the clips on my site and send them links but the women were a little leary of having their unpolished work out there for anyone to circulate. So I went the other way and suggested DVDs to sort of lock down the files. But your idea is more versital in that it gives them the option of keeping the file on disc or converting to another format for uploading to ipods or youtube where the brave would be able to receive feedback from displaced friends and mentors.

Again, thanks for taking the time on this you guys.

-dl

[dlombard]

I'm double posting here because I just found a cheap capture program called BTV (http://www.bensoftware.com/) which captures video from most sources (including firewire), works on mac's, is really cheap ($20), and seems to get the job done pretty well. I tried the demo and dv.mov clips are a breeze.

It uses the quicktime pro codecs to compress in whichever format you want but only seems to make .mov files. I haven't found any options so far for creating .avi's or other extentions.

Another bump for me is that quicktime pro does not include mpeg-streamclip nor an mpeg2 codec...why is this? anyone got the lowdown on the matter?

[groveChuck]

A DVD recorder will work with DVD -R or +R discs, but check with specific manufacturers.
Best Buy has a Toshiba that has firewire and component in/out, upconverts and does dual layer for $119.
I think you can get no names for under $100.

As you said, files would be more flexible if they're not committed to DVDs.
(good luck getting 4 actors to agree on anything!)

If so, maybe give them thumb drives?

Sorry, Ringo didn't pass the audition ...

Chuck

[David Saraceno]

That Toshiba has composite in and component out.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8708589&st=Toshiba+DVD+recorder&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1199496320397

[groveChuck]

Good catch.
I saw one site that said component in/out, but Best Buy says composite in and they're probably more reliable.
It also has firewire.

[palmdalian]

Thanks AdamT. I'd like to stay away from copressor though. My hope is to be able to knock out 8 three-minute dvds (each with distinct content) in about fifteen minutes...am I crazy?

palmdalian (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/member.php?u=34204) - Thanks a lot. It's really weird that this doesn't exist for mac. from what I gather, most PC programs like Video Studio Pro x2 make use of the Directx module to do the M2V processing. What's up mac?

Just out of curiosity, how much more quickly were you able burn a dvd....is the time savings really that substantial?


Sorry, if I wasn't clear. The encoding is being done on the Windows machine in realtime via DirectX modules.

The time savings was definitely substantial for our purposes. I forget the numbers, but it took something like 8 minutes to burn 1 hour of footage.

After reading what you intend to do, I don't know if my route is the best one for you. The reason why we had to capture to M2v was because we made custom menus in DVDSP for each performance. If you don't need a fancy menu or anything, one of those DVD recorders might be best.