Capturing using pass-through

[dw9]

I am currently converting video from a Panasonic NV-R500EN using a Panasonic GS-400 to pass-through to digital video.

I capture using the VS9 recommended procedure and allow the project properties to be determined by the properties of the captured video. When burning as a DVD however I found that the default setting for frame tyoe was "Frame based" rather than "Lower Field First"

Is that correct? I usually use "Lower Field First" if capturing directly from the GS-400, but wondered whether using the pass-through capture process would mean that I should change.

[jchunter]

Yes, my GS400 always encoded lower field first. I can't think of any good reason why it would convert pass through video to frame-based. I looked up the NV-R500EN and all I get are hits on camcorder batteries... Is it an analog camcorder? If so, most analog units recorded video as Upper Field First.

Don't let Video Studio decide what the capture field order should be. Its system of defaults is a train-wreck.

You may have to try capturing different field order settings and see which is best. Wrong field order will show up as jerky on playback.

[dw9]

Thanks for your quick reply John.

After putting on my glasses I discovered in the fine print that the NV-R500EN is a VHS-C camcorder. Does that help?
Cheers
Dave

EDIT After doing further searching, I discovered this post:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... aca397c3f4

which states: If it comes from a mini-DV digital video camera, including one used for pass-through of analogue capture, it will almost invariably use LFF

I had wondered whether pass-through would take the properties of the original video, but it seems not...

[GeorgeW]

I believe when it comes out of your GS400, it is then DV, and Lower-Field first. So I think you should modify the default from Frame-based to Lower-Field when you go to render for DVD.

Regards,
George

[Ken Berry]

In reality, you are capturing and editing using LFF. When you produce your DVD-compliant mpeg-2 (Share > Create Video File > DVD), it should also be set to use LFF.

Then, when you close that project, and with an empty timeline, go to Share > Create Disc, you open the burning module. You insert your mpeg-2. Now while the DVD properties in the Options icon show Frame Based as the default, if the box below those properties 'Do not convert compliant mpeg files' is ticked (as it is by default), then in effect you can ignore the properties in the box above. The DVD will be burned using the properties of the mpeg-2 which are already DVD-compliant.

Just to be on the safe side, you could always alter the burn properties box to exactly match the properties of your mpeg-2. But if that 'Do not convert' box is ticked, you don't really have to.

[dw9]

Thank you all for your helpful replies

[jchunter]

I have always been conflicted about the statements that video recorded as Upper Field First would be smoothly converted to Lower Field First in a digital camcorder pass through situation.

Here, we have the original camcorder, recording lines 0, 2, 4, 6, etc. first (upper field), then 1/60 sec later, recording lines 1, 3, 5, etc (lower field). This is Upper Field first field order. Then, we stream this sequence through a digital camcorder, which mysteriously is able to encode the field that arrived last (lower field) as the first field to be written on the tape and followed later by the upper field.

I confess that I never cease to be amazed by the things that people implement, but this would require buffering an entire frame before writing anything on the tape.

Moreover, whenever I have used Video Studio to convert field order from UFF to LFF (and vice-versa), I have lost a lot of picture quality.

To be on the safe side, I would capture a short section of moving video in different field orders and compare the playback quality.

[GeorgeW]

Here, we have the original camcorder, recording lines 0, 2, 4, 6, etc. first (upper field), then 1/60 sec later, recording lines 1, 3, 5, etc (lower field). This is Upper Field first field order. Then, we stream this sequence through a digital camcorder, which mysteriously is able to encode the field that arrived last (lower field) as the first field to be written on the tape and followed later by the upper field.

I confess that I never cease to be amazed by the things that people implement, but this would require buffering an entire frame before writing anything on the tape.

The way I look at it, when the original is being played (the analog video), it is being played back in the proper "order" -- so when the first frame hits the digital camcorder, all it has to do is start recording in whatever order it wants to...

Regards,
George

[heinz-oz]

I have used my GS 400 with a VHS tape deck for pass through and the video captured in LFF looked alright. I don't care really if JC understands it or not but this is the fact.

Furthermore, the question of the OP was about frame based which seems to be, oddly enough, the default for VS.

Hence, my answer would be, as JC already pointed out, do a small test project using both field orders. You will notice a wrong field order immediately once there is movement in your video.