Capture Program

S

SJ_Lee

Active member
I know that the NLEs come with their own capture programs, but are there preparatory DV capture programs out there?

The problem with the capture programs inside the NLE, is that you're really stuck with the codec that the NLE uses.

So, my second question is... whether the preparatory DV capture programs can switch between different codecs
 
Re: Capture Program

There is a cool freeware capture program called VirtualDub. This program is known to accept all third party codecs, unlike expensive NLE programs.

Try it and see. You will then have to download or purchase some codecs separately. Depends on your needs.

Just go to www.virtualdub.org and see.

Hope this helps!
 
Re: Capture Program

keep in mind that NLE's usually optimize peroformance around their codecs, so capturing in one codec format (actually the codec just decodes since the capture is just moving the data) may not perform as well resulting in no real time, or dropped frames etc.

If you are concered with codec decode quality and render, then you should decoded to uncompressed standard definition via SDI and work that way.

Michael
 
Re: Capture Program

I certainly know that it's "just" moving data.

That's what I thought at first. But different dodec yield different results. Just look at the AVID vs FCP comparison.

http://www.24p.com/codecs.htm


I remember Jarred telling me a specific capture program, but can't remember where the post was.
 
Re: Capture Program

Yes, you are reffering to my website. That is a decode issue, not a capture issue as I stated both in my mail and on the website.

Michael
 
Re: Capture Program

Hehe, I guess that was pretty funny.

But I'm still a bit confused about this. Then, is the actual process of capturing via the firewire is a STRAIGHT COPY?

If so, then is it that only when it's being decoded out to, say, a raw uncompressed space that the difference in image quality occur? That definately made sense as it was how i thought digital video worked. But one of guy who specialize in DV at a shop told me otherwise...

That also means that there are no difference between the capture programs, provided that you use their Firewire direct copy option during the capture.

And about the SD edit, my initial plan was to pipe it out to uncompressed media and do all my editing from there.

I've also tried the VirtuaDub. Strangly it doesn't work, I get no image.
 
Re: Capture Program

Correct, FIreWire just moves the data from the taoe to the har drive. The NLE program uses its DV codec to decode the DV stream for playback, editing, render etc. It is here that each codec has its magic properties. It is also here that the codec is optimized for peformance, quality etc. You could always go to an animation codec, but performaance would not be good, probably not even a single stream of playback.

Decompressing the stream before capture removes the DV codec issue from the NLE and working uncompressed does not add any if its own artifacts during the capture.

Michael
 
Re: Capture Program

I've doing imaging tests all day, and here's what I found.

When I used Avid Express to capture the video and output it to a Quicktime DV by selecting the Avid DV codec. I also did the same output without selecting the Avid codec.

What I found was that the Avid DV codec was slightly darker (about 1/2 to 1/3 stop). Looking at that example above, the non-Avid codec seemed to close to the FCP output.

Is there a logical reason for this? Or should we be accepting this as difference in codec implentation?

Also, I'm on Windows, anyone know which DV codec the windows uses? That is if I don't specifically tell Avid to use it's own codec.
 
Re: Capture Program

No, say it aint so...

Are there only the top 3 for DVX codec? Avid, MS, and Apple? Any more?
 
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