Analog capture settings

EvilKiwi · Post by **EvilKiwi** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 12:14 pm

Hi everyone,

Should the capture settings be the same for capturing analog and digital footage? Specificlly speaking the field settings. I kn ow that upper field should be selected for analog. Does this still apply even when you are converting analog to digital?

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 12:42 pm

That depends, how are you converting?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 12:52 pm

Field settings vary dependant upon the source of the material and method of capture.

My Digital Camcorder connects to the computer with a firewire cable and so that is captured, edited and rendered in lower field first.

My Hauppauge TV card is analogue and is captured edited and rendered in upper field first.

My Digital Camera is Frame Based.

EvilKiwi · Post by **EvilKiwi** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:48 pm

I've recorded my analog footage onto my DV cam tape and am capturing as normal from there in llower field at the moment. It's just that once I capture the footage, it is not keeping it's aspect ratio. It doesnt do this with digital footage. I know how to resize it and everything but this is by using the overlay track and when that footage goes back onto the video track it resizes itself back to how it was again.

What is your recommended way of capturing analogue footage?

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:35 pm

...And would it be too much trouble to tell us what the aspect ratio is, before and after?

Was it 4:3 to start with or 16:9? (AFAIK, field order has nothing to do with aspect ratio.) What did you have your camera/VS set to send/receive -- widescreen or normal? More specifically, what are the properties of the captured files (right click and send back here). And last but certainly not least, what are your computer specs and operating system?

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:39 pm

Hi

You do not say what aspect you are trying to capture.
I assume 16:9 and the resultant video is 4:3.

When you say you are capturing as normal—What is normal?

What properties are your captured video files?
Right click a clip in the timeline and select properties.

What are your project properties? Are they the same as the clip properties.

Read a look at widescreen from the link below.

The way I capture analogue footage is using my camera as pass-through / throughput.
This connects the analogue signal to my camcorder A/V-In and the output to Dv-Out via firewire.
Basically using the camera as an Av to Dv converter.
I capture using VS to format DV.

Hope this Helps

Trevor

EvilKiwi · Post by **EvilKiwi** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 11:27 pm

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your replies and suggestions based on the lack of info I have posted. I currently don't have access to the computer that Videostudio is on as it is on a friend's computer and I am currently at work. I am going to get the info together tonight. I will paste screenshots of properties and settings and also a screenshot of what the preview screen is displaying when I am talking about how the footage appears different in aspect ratio.

I have captured analog footage using digital passthrough on my DV cam and have also recorded the analog footage to the DV tape first and then captured from the DV cam as you would normally with DV digital footage.

The analog footage was shot on a 8mm HI8 camcorder in 16:9 (or letterbox if you prefer) This is all the info I have right now.

Basically once captured in, the footage doesnt display on the preview window as it does on the DV cam preview window,, it appears as a square frame like it's bee distorted. Does this normally happen with analog footage and you always have to resize it? Or should it capture as it appears on the camera screen like digital footage?

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:04 am

It appears to me that your camera you use for the pass through does not know 16:9, it converts it to its native format which appears to be 4:3. If the camera has a function to film in 16:9, mabe that could work, not sure.

EvilKiwi · Post by **EvilKiwi** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:09 am

Hi Heinz

My DV cam can shoot in 16:9 and we have already shot and completed a project using it. There dont seem to be any probems there. I'm pretty sure the same settings are being used for when I capture footage shot on the DV cam and doing the digital passthrough with the analog footage. I do recall that while trying to do all this the 16:9 box is ticked at the main screen and the capture setting for ratio is definately at 16:9

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:45 am

You knew that, I didn't

When playing it through your cam, does it show 16:9 on the cam?

EvilKiwi · Post by **EvilKiwi** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:18 am

Hi Heinz

Yes the footage does play as 16:9 through the cam screen

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:34 am

Hmm? In the capture window it shows as 4:3 distorted, I guess?

VS does not allow you to set 16:9 aspect ratio? I'm at a loss. Unfortunately, I don't have experience with wide screen editing or VS for that matter.

Hopefully some other user will come to your aid.

EvilKiwi · Post by **EvilKiwi** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:40 am

Videostudio allows you to change the aspect ratio between 4:3 and 16:9 but it doesnt seem to be manipulating my clip any differently.

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:40 am

Have you actually rendered one out yet? Not sure if you could see the different aspect ratio only after you rendered it?

I'm glad I haven't gone the path of wide screen yet, seems to be a lot of mucking about for little return. Unless my current TV dies and or Australia has gone to digital broadcasting alltogether and the High Def wars are fought and won, I'm highly unlikely to invest any of my hard earned cash in any of todays gizmos. Call me old fashioned, I have the grey hair to with that

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:40 am

EvilKiwi wrote:Videostudio allows you to change the aspect ratio between 4:3 and 16:9 but it doesnt seem to be manipulating my clip any differently.

Hi

Go to File—Project Properties--Edit—Perform non Square Pixel Rendering.
This option should normally be checked, from your comments above I suspect this is unchecked.
Can you post the captured video properties.

Read ‘A look at Widescreen’ which shows how 16:9 should view in a 4:3 frame.

Hope this Helps

Trevor