Laptop as Monitor for DVX 100A - Possible?

D

djkoz

Well-known member
Is it possible to use a laptop as a live view monitor with the DVX100A?

I know I can connect the camera to the computer via firewire and record and sort of monitor the video if I use Windows Movie Maker, but the image on the laptop screen is fairly small.

I am looking for a way to get a larger video image on the screen so details can be monitored.

Thanks,

Dan
 
You could try something like Adobe OnLocation. Applications like that can also record the video to the PC's hard disk instead of the camera's tape, which apparently can result in slightly better quality.
 
Admiral Ackbar said:
You could try something like Adobe OnLocation. Applications like that can also record the video to the PC's hard disk instead of the camera's tape, which apparently can result in slightly better quality.
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Not sure how this can be true. MiniDV tape is digital, just like OnLocation/hard drive. Digital is digital, so I don't see how one digital can be better than another. Where did you get your info?
 
Assuming your settings are correct, you'll almost always get a better picture quality from live capture because you bypass any onboard compression the camera does. It's not as noticeable with DV, but it's the reason many people capture from HD cameras to some really expensive hardware like an AJA Ki Pro or a Matrox MXO.

The imaging chips are capable of much higher color depth, but the camera's processors aren't. And once the file is saved to the onboard memory card, there is some permanent loss of color information. I'm not an expert on this stuff, but Barry Green has weighed in on quite a few discussions about this in the boards for the higher end Panasonic cameras.
 
FlyThruDown said:
Assuming your settings are correct, you'll almost always get a better picture quality from live capture because you bypass any onboard compression the camera does. It's not as noticeable with DV, but it's the reason many people capture from HD cameras to some really expensive hardware like an AJA Ki Pro or a Matrox MXO...................
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Like the OP, I would also like to know how how to get a full screen live view using a laptop with the DVX.
As far as higher quality recordings from a live view to an external device, is that via 1394 or S-Video outputs?

FlyThruDown said:
.............The imaging chips are capable of much higher color depth, but the camera's processors aren't. And once the file is saved to the onboard memory card, there is some permanent loss of color information. I'm not an expert on this stuff, but Barry Green has weighed in on quite a few discussions about this in the boards for the higher end Panasonic cameras................
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That was the basis for Andromeda but it also included a hardware modification (new output port/jack) to bypass the internal processor and thereby output raw image data. That is definitely not the same thing as a straight 1394 or S-video output. If externally recording a live view does produce a better image with the DVX I would really like to know more about this. If you can clue me in on any keywords to find those threads or can link to them, would really appreciate it.
 
Like I said, I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it's only capable through the firewire, not the S-video.

I know it's done more with HDMI and SDI capture on the HD cameras, but I remember reading some discussions of folks doing it with DVXs over firewire.

I wish I could point you to specific threads, but I think if you search for "live capture" or other variants of that, you should be able to find some useful threads.
 
gco,

I just did that search and found some of the threads I was looking for. You're right, it would appear that there is no rise in DV picture quality through live capture via firewire like there is for live capture via SDI or HDMI.

I think what I was thinking about was that Barry Green mentions he still likes to live capture so he can get all the live waveform/color info through DV Rack or Adobe OnLocation. In which case, you could argue that a savvy operator would absolutely capture much better looking images this way as opposed to tape.

Sorry if I just tried to rewrite the DVX manual on my second post to the site.
 
FlyThrough,
ok, now this makes sense to me even though I was hoping I could somehow tweak a little more resolution out. Good reality check though. Getting back to the OP, looks like the only solution for laptop display = $$, i.e. dvRack or something similar. I learned a long time ago every solution costs something. I just hate having the re-learn that over and over.
 
Firewire capture (such as through OnLocation) results in *identical* video quality as what would have been recorded on tape. This is true for all firewire formats, whether DV, DVCPRO, DVCAM, DVCPRO50, or DVCPRO-HD.

Capturing live from a DV camera isn't really any better, because the best output you get is normally s-video, versus the component digital recording via firewire.

For HDV cameras, if you have an analog capture board that handles analog component, you can get significantly better video quality by capturing live. In a scenario like that, you would avoid the camera's onboard compression.

For AVCHD cameras there is no potential for streaming video out a firewire or USB port; they simply don't do that. Capturing live would let you get the full 4:2:2 output.

However, OnLocation (as of CS4, at least) doesn't support analog (or HDMI or HD-SDI) capture boards, so you'd have to use some other type of capture utility and a board like a Decklink, Kona, or Intensity Pro.
 
Barry_Green said:
Firewire capture (such as through OnLocation) results in *identical* video quality as what would have been recorded on tape. This is true for all firewire formats, whether DV, DVCPRO, DVCAM, DVCPRO50, or DVCPRO-HD.

Capturing live from a DV camera isn't really any better, because the best output you get is normally s-video, versus the component digital recording via firewire.

For HDV cameras, if you have an analog capture board that handles analog component, you can get significantly better video quality by capturing live. In a scenario like that, you would avoid the camera's onboard compression.

For AVCHD cameras there is no potential for streaming video out a firewire or USB port; they simply don't do that. Capturing live would let you get the full 4:2:2 output.

However, OnLocation (as of CS4, at least) doesn't support analog (or HDMI or HD-SDI) capture boards, so you'd have to use some other type of capture utility and a board like a Decklink, Kona, or Intensity Pro.
Click to expand...

I once saw a comparison of a test chart that was recorded both on tape and externally and the one labeled as being the external one had better image quality (and this was specifically noted by the poster). I don't remember where this was posted though, so maybe there was some other reason for the better quality.
 
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