FCP editing suite setup?

medeamajic said:
We have all stated Celluloideyes can loop through the camera but it is much easier to use the converter. With the DAC-100 you do not have to keep hooking your camera back up and you can edit while somone else gets more footage with the camera. In a nut shell the converters are handy to have but everyone will have different needs. I posted the other converters to show the options they can provide (SDI, component, 3/4 Umatic, BetaCam etc).
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Yes, but many people have spare Mini DV cams lying around. I use a cheap, open box camera I got at circuit city for a hundred bucks. You can probably find something on e-bay just as cheap. Also, you won't wear out the heads on your shooting camera by capturing and exporting.
 
also while were on this topic can anyone recommend a good cheep capture camera. And would you be able to plug it into fw800 and using those red yellow white cables go to a monitor at the same time while capturing. Iv used decks allot before and found them not worth the money if you can just buy some cheesy sony handi cam and do it with that.
 
lairhair said:
also while were on this topic can anyone recommend a good cheep capture camera. And would you be able to plug it into fw800 and using those red yellow white cables go to a monitor at the same time while capturing. Iv used decks allot before and found them not worth the money if you can just buy some cheesy sony handi cam and do it with that.
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No DVcam uses firewire 800, only 400. Yes, most minidv cams with firewire ports allow you to stream video out to the camera from final cut, and then view it on a monitor plugged into the camera. Many also allow you to do analog/dgital conversions, so if you have to, you could plug a betasp deck, 3/4" or (god forbid) a vhs deck into the camera's s-video port, and the camera converts it to minidv, which you can record to tape, or bypass the tape and capture straight into the computer over firewire. I have an old Digital8 deck that does that well. Side note, those Digital8 camcorders are pretty sturdy, and the 8mm tapes it records to (in DV format), are great for archiving as they are more robust than MiniDV casettes. I often make digital clones of my media by hooking a minidv camera to the digital8 with a 4pin to 4pin firewire cable. Anyway, you can find those digital8 cams super cheap on e-bay if you want a cheap, monitoring only solution.
 
I looked into the Canopus ADVC 300. It's over $400 (which isn't a lot), but I can get the DeckLink SP card for just under $300 on ebay, which looks to do the same thing.

"DeckLink cards are fully compatible with Final Cut Pro™ RT Extreme built-in effects for unlimited possibilities."

This card will also allow me to see in real time the changes made in AE and FCP on the broadcast monitor--color correction, filters, etc. I think it also allows you to see graphics made with AE and Photoshop as well.

I understand at the moment I wouldn't be using older analog decks, but for monitoring it would work. The reason I keep bringing the DeckLink SP card up is that I can get it for a pretty good price, especially since the other converters you guys bring up cost a little more than the SP.

medeamajic--do you use FCP? How do you have your mixing board hooked up to your system?

Also--I have a Samsung 216BW monitor and will have to get another one. Are there any other monitors you would suggest for editing? I'd need 2 matching.

Thanks for replying to this thread! It really helps.
 
Batutta said:
Yes, but many people have spare Mini DV cams lying around. I use a cheap, open box camera I got at circuit city for a hundred bucks. You can probably find something on e-bay just as cheap. Also, you won't wear out the heads on your shooting camera by capturing and exporting.
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You will not wear out your heads with a converter either. Why buy onEbay when you can find converters for DV-25 for under $200.00?
 
http://www.canopus.com/products/ADVC110/index.php

The converter above may be your best bet but there are indeed cheaper converters. I use the DAC-100. You do get RT previews to the NTSC monitor with PP CC3 and Vegas Pro but with Edius is true RT. The converters will work with all software that uses OHCI for input and output (FCP, AE, Edius, Borris FX etc). No drivers are needed.


celluloideyes said:
I looked into the Canopus ADVC 300. It's over $400 (which isn't a lot), but I can get the DeckLink SP card for just under $300 on ebay, which looks to do the same thing.

"DeckLink cards are fully compatible with Final Cut Pro™ RT Extreme built-in effects for unlimited possibilities."

This card will also allow me to see in real time the changes made in AE and FCP on the broadcast monitor--color correction, filters, etc. I think it also allows you to see graphics made with AE and Photoshop as well.

I understand at the moment I wouldn't be using older analog decks, but for monitoring it would work. The reason I keep bringing the DeckLink SP card up is that I can get it for a pretty good price, especially since the other converters you guys bring up cost a little more than the SP.

medeamajic--do you use FCP? How do you have your mixing board hooked up to your system?

Also--I have a Samsung 216BW monitor and will have to get another one. Are there any other monitors you would suggest for editing? I'd need 2 matching.

Thanks for replying to this thread! It really helps.
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One of my FCP friends seen my Edius system (4 years ago) and I suggested the old style Pinnacle DV Movie Box. He said it worked great but any converter (even at 149.99) should work OK for DV-25. Some are indeed better than others. It is the same as looping through a camera. You can use a conveter with a laptop but deck link card you can not.
 
Noiz2 said:
Why spend $200 on a converter when an old dv camcorder costs $0-$150?
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When you buy from ebay there is a certain amount of risk involved. Also the DV converters may have more I/0 options like component and XLR. Should you want to capture VHS the converters will switch it automatic with Edius, Vegas and PP. With most cameras you would have to switch from record to preveiw mode to input and output VHS footage. If you want to use an old camera be my guest but I imagine you can find cheap converters on ebay.

http://www.spcomms.com/dvconverter/

This has component and a higher price tag. If your camera does not have component you may want this but it depends on your needs. I you like using your camera I say go for it but I like my converter. Both will work for NTSC previews.
 
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medeamajic said:
When you buy from ebay there is a certain amount of risk involved. Also the DV converters may have more I/0 options like component and XLR. Should you want to capture VHS the converters will switch it automatic with Edius, Vegas and PP. With most cameras you would have to switch from record to preveiw mode to input and output VHS footage. If you want to use an old camera be my guest but I imagine you can find cheap converters on ebay.

http://www.spcomms.com/dvconverter/

This has component and a higher price tag. If your camera does not have component you may want this but it depends on your needs. I you like using your camera I say go for it but I like my converter. Both will work for NTSC previews.
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OK we know your a PC guy who doesn't use FCP so you can stop pumping your favorite windows apps because we aren't using them and I real don't care and it's a little strange that you have three? Most people don't buy three NLE's...
But that said I'm not arguing against a FW converter box. It's not nec the cheapest solution and it's not nec. the best solution. Having used both there is not much functional difference. You can't go talking about $200 converter boxes and component outs and balanced audio because they don't exist. Unless you spend some serious change you are strictly in consumer formats. A box is a bit more elegant than some old klunker camcorder but the result is the same. And I have no idea what your talking about with the VHS in out thing. On the box you switch the input, on the camera you put it in rec. Both require switching a switch. The only reason to use the old camcorder is money. The only reason to use a box (under $300) is looks and a very slight improvement in convenience. Both by the way will add a latency to your image. So you should monitor the audio from the converter rather than a sound card if you have one.
 
Noiz2 said:
OK we know your a PC guy who doesn't use FCP so you can stop pumping your favorite windows apps because we aren't using them and I real don't care and it's a little strange that you have three? Most people don't buy three NLE's...
But that said I'm not arguing against a FW converter box. It's not nec the cheapest solution and it's not nec. the best solution. Having used both there is not much functional difference. You can't go talking about $200 converter boxes and component outs and balanced audio because they don't exist. Unless you spend some serious change you are strictly in consumer formats. A box is a bit more elegant than some old klunker camcorder but the result is the same. And I have no idea what your talking about with the VHS in out thing. On the box you switch the input, on the camera you put it in rec. Both require switching a switch. The only reason to use the old camcorder is money. The only reason to use a box (under $300) is looks and a very slight improvement in convenience. Both by the way will add a latency to your image. So you should monitor the audio from the converter rather than a sound card if you have one.
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It is wise to use the audio from the converter if you are using one. The Audio and video form the converter will be insync. My converter switches to input data (VHS)when I use the record capture feaure in Edius and Premiere but when I scrub the timeline it then switches to preview the timeline out to the NTSC monitor. It is automatic not manual switching. I was not pushing any software. I just used Vegas and Premiere Pro as an example to give Celluloideyes an idea of how different software porgrams will look during the reeltime edits using an NTSC monitor. FCP may look great but I do not see how posting that Vegas and PP will get choppy is pumping the software. I consider it honest statement about the sofware. Infact I hate Vegas but I did try the 30 day trial version. Being a Mac guy I can understand how you might have thought I owned Boris FX, Vegas and even Avid liquid 7 but I actually used the trial versions. I am not trying to tell anyone to use Edius or Vegas, my FCP friend can testify to that statment. I was giving Celluliodeyes some solutions.


http://www.tvone.com/pdf/SpecSheet-1T-DV1394-A70.pdf

This has BNC component if Celluloideyes really needs BNC component with out using adapters.

I one simple word we all agree. A camera will work but the converters can provide more options (BNC, XLR) if needed. Also I am not sure I would want to trust a cheap DV CAM from ebay for $29.99.
 
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medeamajic said:
The DV converter method will work the same way every year. There is no need to write a new article every year.
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Maybe so but those products don't exist except on the used market maybe so a review of boxes that are no longer made is, well a bit pointless.
 
I agree. I thought it was a current model. I just did a quick yahoo search. The bottom line is that a converter may or may not be the best option. It all depends on the users needs (I/O, 3/4", Beta ).

I have not seen my Final Cut Pro friend in several years. I do not know if he still uses the the DV Movie Box. He hated hooking up that camera and swithing modes. He thought for 149.99 it was worth it (more professional) but others may not. I actually like the GUI of Final Cut Pro and I have used many times (not for paying gigs).
 
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