Betacam...

A

airforceguy

Active member
I am shooting on a betacam and have an old betacam player/recorder/editing system. I need to get my footage from it to my harddrive. My video output jacks are BNC/coaxial.

What is the cheapest and easiest way to do this?

I can not find a BNC or coaxial capture card on the internet.

What are my options?

Please help
 
Betacam...

I am shooting on a betacam and have an old betacam player/recorder/editing system. I need to get my footage from it to my harddrive. My video output jacks are BNC/coaxial.

What is the cheapest and easiest way to do this?

I can not find a BNC or coaxial capture card on the internet.

What are my options?

Please help
 
http://www.adstech.com/products/API-555/intro/api555_intro.asp?pid=API-555Outputs on a Betacam deck (monitor or component) are done on BNC connectors. All you need are cheap ($3/each) adapters to convert BNC's to RCA connectors if using a device with only RCA connectors for capture.

B00008OE6E.01-A2IBER2H2T56QY._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

BNC-RCA adapter, Find them at Radio Shack or any odd-find electronics store.

Hope this helps. Good luck!
 
Cheapest-easiest... hmmm... probably a BNC->RCA adapter cable, then RCA output to your DVX, using the DVX to convert to firewire (presuming you have a firewire port, right?)
 
I am not using a DVX, I am using a Betacam player/recorder/editing system. With that said, can I go BNC to RCA to Firewire? And if so, how much picture quality will I lose? It may be worth it just to do my rough edit...
 
From there maybe a Dazzle converter or something via USB? Or any capture card that has an RCA input? What is an inexpensive capture card do would recommend?
 
Yes, you will lose a lot of picture quality if you're using the "BNC monitor" output. Does your deck have "BNC component" outputs? Check out the ADS Pyro A/V Link if you don't have a camera with firewire.. Does your computer have firewire?

Also, please be considerate and don't post identical messages across multiple boards. Those who are most likely to help probably read every new post that comes across here, so multiple messages do little to "get the word out" anymore more than a single post. (Just a little tip)
 
Sorry for the double posting, I'm still a virgin on this site.

I do not have firewire or a capture card as of yet. I was kind of waiting to see what I will need it. My deck has 2 BNC outputs, a DUB/U-matic output, and a DUB/componet output...
 
If you have the dub component cable that attaches to the component output and breaks out to a standard beta component output that will give you the best quality. Then you'll need a converter that will take that component signal and convert it to firewire. Then you'll just need a cheap firewire card on you computer to import the signal. The converter box will also take the audio output and combine it into the firewire stream.

You other option would be to take the composite signal from one of the BNC connectors and input into a cheaper converter that only takes composite.

Component would be better.....
 
Okay, I found it. BUT! The component output on my deck is a 12-pin female output. Remember, this thing is at least 35 years old. Is there an adaptor I can use? Will an adaptor degrade the quality?

By the way, thanks for all of you guys help, I really appreciate it. I've been waiting to shoot this project for a couple of years now. It has taken me that long to buy my equipment one piece at a time. So right now, being able to get my footage into my computer is the question of the week, I shoot in August...
 
airforceguy said:
The component output on my deck is a 12-pin female output. Will an adaptor degrade the quality?
Click to expand...
Do you realize you are asking a group of digital camera operators about analog tape player we've likely never seen or used? It is highly unusual for a BetacamSP player to NOT have component output unless it's a portable kind-of player, like that one. I hope your project doesn't need to be edited longer than thirty minutes as that deck does not accept large tapes....

Generally speaking, the likelihood of finding a part for recording format Sony discontinued three years ago is slim to none. You could rummage through eBay for the next six months and *maybe* find a spare oddball accessory if that provides some 'glimmer of hope' but really, think about finding a different deck.

Here is the general quality you can expect from a BNC monitor output going into an ADS Pyro AV/Link and a Firewire card (recording in miniDV quality on the computer)

grab.jpg


If the mess of chroma spill and low resolution doesn't bother you, then go for it!
Have you given any thought to the amount of hard drive space video consumes!?
 
afg - The 12pin connector you are talking about was normal on the very old decks like the 40. There should be a special cable with the deck, hopfully you have it, that is 12pin male (connects to the deck) and breaks out to 3 BNC connectors (component).

If you do not have this cable then you have no choice but to use the composite output or find another deck. Which leads to possible another problem... the 40 will not play BetaSP tapes, only the much older Beta version if my research is correct. And as thisiswells said, it only takes the short load tapes with a max capacity of 30minutes. Hopefully that is how your old footage is recorded?????
 
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