Need S-Video help...

P

pete66

Member
OK so I want to hook my DVX100 up to my laptop via an S-Video cable to do some green screen stuff.

At this very preliminary stage I've hooked up the DVX to the desktop PC to see what the picture will be like through the S-Video cable.

The PC has a Geforce6600 GT graphics card so I've plugged the cable into "S-Video IN", tnow what? I jus need a bit of help in how to get to the point where I can point the camera around the room and see the picture on the computer monitor.

While I'm on the topic of stupid questions (and just out of interest), what software is required to imitate a Live weatherman type thingee, where I'd have the bluescreen on but have instant feedback with the blue/green screen already keyed out as the actor moves around?


Cheers for any advice given
Pete

PS How do I turn off the "auto turn off" feature on the DVX? (for when I want to point the camera around the room without recording)
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

Do you have software that allows you to view the signal coming in through S-Video?

In any case, that’s not how you’d want to do it. You’d want to do firewire in and view through your capture program, or DVRack.

Serious Magic’s ULTRA will do that live chromakey work for you.
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

Hi, I have Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 but it doesn't seem to want to give me any s-video options, only IEEE1394.

The reason I want to use s-video over firewire is that I've been told that the Y/C connections will give better bluescreen results than firewire because it allows the video signal to bypass the 4:1:1 thingamejig (I'm not extremely clued up on the x:x:x compression stuff).

I've tried "Microsoft Movie Maker 2" just to see if I could get a picture from the camera via analog. It did at least give me the option of selecting "nVidia WDM Video Capture (universal)" and also "Video Input Source: S-video". Unfortunately there was nothing to show for it when I got to the preview window.

I've also tried (just for the hell of it) to get an analog signal going the other way, to the camera from the computer. The closest I've managed is to put the DVX100a on VCR mode and then on my laptops video settings click "Output to: Notebook + Television" (this sends the signal out through the s-video), the DVX screen then flickers but then goes back to its usual VCR Black screen.

Is this whole "bypass the 4:1:1" thing actually correct?

Thanks again
Pete
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

Unfortunaltly most video cards that have S-video are only an S-video output. On your laptop I am sure that that is the case, unless for some reason this is a very special video card. Your pretty much stuck with fire wire unless you get a breakout box that allows you to encode your footage in some other codec than DV.
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

Yeah you're right about the laptop, S-Video OUT only. My desktop (which I could take on location) video card does have S-Video IN but I can't get that to work.
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

Progress!!

I've plugged my laptop into my desktop via the s-video cable. When I open up "Microsoft Movie Maker 2" on the desktop I can see my laptop screen in the little preview window. When I move the mouse on the laptop it shows up accordingly on the desktop.

Now, if I unplug the cable from the laptop the signal gets cut, if I plug it back in to the laptop the signal comes back. If I unplug the cable from the laptop and plug it into the DVX100 and then turn it on there's no signal on the desktop.

I need to know which settings on the DVX100 to modify to make it send out an S-Video signal, I've been through the manual several times but can't suss it out. Obviously I need it to be sending a signal whilst in Camera mode and probably while not recording to tape.

Is it possible that the S-Video on my (new) DVX-100 just doesn't work???

Cheers
Pete
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

and, has anyone used s-video with Premiere Pro 1.5? It claims in the Premiere manual that these things can be done but I'm yet to see it.
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

and, the S-Video connection on the DVX100 says that it's an "IN/OUT", when I switch the laptops s-video output to go to the DVX, the DVX screen flickers (if in VCR mode) but no other signs of S-Video life.

How and when would you use S-Video IN on a DVX100?

Cheers
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

Going for the new world record of consecutive messages without a reply now.

I've done some experimenting with RCA cables and a VHS recorder, I've found that the DVX has some sort of automatic switch for when it detects a video signal. Much like my failed attampts with the S-Video cable and "laptop to DVX", when I switch the Camera to VCR mode and put in a video signal (RCA), the screen will flicker, the difference is that with the RCA the screen comes to life after the flicker.

I presume that this means that with a constant S-Video signal into the DVX, the screen would also come alive but perhaps with the laptop connection, the laptop tries once and then gives up (hence the flicker and then nothing)?

Ahwell, I'm gonna go shoot me some timelapse because the sun's coming up(!!) and there's some very interesting light on the clouds.

Have a nice day ;D
 
Re: Need S-Video help...

Is it possible that your computer is set to expect NTSC output, but your camera is delivering PAL (or the other way around?)
 
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