Why Do I Do This To Myself? Capturing 1080i from Canon HV20

[profk99]

Hi, all! I haven't been very active on this forum for a while because I finally got my MicroMV process working right--after 5 years of aggravation!

Now I am starting all over again, tryig to find a good package to handle my new Canon HV20. I am using the trial versions of MSP and VS11, and can get excellent 720x480 video, but cannot capture 1920x1080.

This time around I am testing trial software before I waste several hundred bucks (and hundreds of hours) on four different editors, as I did for my MicroMV time/money pit.

I see that many of you seem to be using HV20's with Ulead, even though it's not on the compatibility chart. Does anyone have a checklist for either MSP or VS that I could use to get started?

I apologize in advance for cross-posting, but I will buy either package if I can be sure it will work.

Thanks!

Bob

[cgould]

MSP8 works fine controlling/capturing from HV10 w/ the HDV capture plugin, only issue is the MPG2 conversion (not M2T) and thus loss of timestamp/scene detection features. (There doesn't appear to be full transport control/batch capture either, only auto/manual.)
I would *assume* that HV20 should work similarly.

If it doesn't work, try HDVSplit (free download, ver 0.77 supports canonHVs), it will do the scene detection/split... but it captures M2T files, which MSPro needs to auto-convert to MPG2, so extra time/disk wasted.

btw HDV capture format is only 1440x1080.

Is your camera DV/digital output set to "HDV/DV", or "DV locked"? Does it show up on the OS as a DV camera, or AV/C unit under Game/audio controllers in system devices? You may have it still set to DV locked which is only 720x480.
See the Learning Center tips on ulead site for HDV capture/edit:
http://www.ulead.com/learning/msp/msp8_02_01.htm

[neonbob]

There may be a bit of confusion because the Canon HV20 Cmos is a 1920x 1080 Cmos, but it is a HDV cam as are most other HD cams. In other words its native resolution is 1440x1080 NOT 1920x1080

I have the HV20 and I don't have problems capturing HDV with MSP, so my guess is that you have your VID capture program set wrong. You most likely don't have it set to capture HDV. You could also possibly have the cam set wrong? Make sure you have shot in HD and make sure you have the Ilink converter OFF.

[profk99]

Sorry about the delay answering , but we are packing for a big trip. I think my notebook can handle the video editing on the trip--it did 2 1-hr. DVD's last year. Hopefully Smart Proxy will help it cope with the 4x greater pixel count.

Also, I am impressed with the quality of 720x480 video from the captures I can get, so I could live with it until the problem is solved. I will be taking LOTS of tapes along and don't plan to erase any, so I can recapture in HD later. Nice thing about old-fashioned tape.

neonbob: I have the HV20 set to HDV, and it shows "HDV" on the display while recording. I don't know how to turn off iLink--no mention in HDV20, MSP8, nor VS11 manuals. Is this a Sony thing, iLink being their term for firewire?

cgould: I'm pretty sure I have the recording set to HDV. The HV20 appears in System|Hardware as an imaging device called "Canon"
Thanks for the link.

Someone responded to my post in the VS11 board advising me that it might not have been a good idea to install BOTH MSP8 and VS11 trials at the same time. Not a bad point, so I have uninstalled both and will work on one at a time. Like putting on pants.

Bob

[neonbob]

neonbob: I have the HV20 set to HDV, and it shows "HDV" on the display while recording. I don't know how to turn off iLink--no mention in HDV20, MSP8, nor VS11 manuals. Is this a Sony thing, iLink being their term for firewire?

Sorry, On the Canon it's called DV output

While in play mode, bring up the menu and go to

Play/out setup2, then to

DV Output. Make sure DV output is set to HDV/DV and not DVlocked

[profk99]

Not locked in DV. Appreciate your interest!

Do you capture to AVI or MPG? I thought native MPEG was a great idea when I bought my MicroMV, but it seems to complicate and slow down editing. When I tried DV to AVI editing, the process seemed much smoother and faster, albeit at the expense of 3x larger files.

I won't be on the board for a few days until we are settled in in California (from New Jersey) on the first leg of our trip. I'll have lots of free time for the next 3 weeks for experimentation before our cruise to Alaska--which is where I'd want to make SURE I can at least get HD-quality video on tape, even if I can only view DVD-quality at first.

Bob

[cgould]

Sorry about the delay answering , but we are packing for a big trip. I think my notebook can handle the video editing on the trip--it did 2 1-hr. DVD's last year. Hopefully Smart Proxy will help it cope with the 4x greater pixel count.

Also, I am impressed with the quality of 720x480 video from the captures I can get, so I could live with it until the problem is solved. I will be taking LOTS of tapes along and don't plan to erase any, so I can recapture in HD later. Nice thing about old-fashioned tape.

neonbob: I have the HV20 set to HDV, and it shows "HDV" on the display while recording. I don't know how to turn off iLink--no mention in HDV20, MSP8, nor VS11 manuals. Is this a Sony thing, iLink being their term for firewire?

cgould: I'm pretty sure I have the recording set to HDV. The HV20 appears in System|Hardware as an imaging device called "Canon"
Thanks for the link.

Someone responded to my post in the VS11 board advising me that it might not have been a good idea to install BOTH MSP8 and VS11 trials at the same time. Not a bad point, so I have uninstalled both and will work on one at a time. Like putting on pants.

Bob

If it's appearing in System|Hardware under Imaging devices, it's set to DV not HDV over firewire. (Or at least somehow the PC is recognizing it as such.) Do you have Windows XP SP2 or greater? Think SP2 is needed for HDV devices...
HDV firewire devices appear under "sound/game/video controllers" as "AV/C tape device". It should appear like in the Ulead learning center link pictures above. (click either the Sony or JVC links on that page.)

You are using the "HDV Capture plugin" and device in MSPro capture, right? not directshow?

The HDV setting for recording on the tape doesn't matter- it's the DV output setting in the menu. You can only change it while unplugged from the PC, in playback mode.
In "Play/out setup" menu, bottom option "DV Output", should be "HDV/DV", as neonbob says. "DV Locked" is the "iLink conversion" we've been mentioning (eg convert to DV over firewire/iLink, yes just different marketing terms.)
The tape format is set while in recording mode, "Rec/In setup", "HD Standard: HDV"

HDV always captures as MPG2 files, that is the native recorded format, there is no AVI vs mpg option. Ulead actually converts the TS transport stream MPG to PS program stream already during capture (just different wrapper format for the MPG data.) It is a bit slower to edit MPG (esp HD MPG) vs DV AVI, so proxy files will definitely help on a laptop (hope it's beefy enough to handle the capture, actually!)

and yes, as long as you're recording in HDV, you can figure out the captures later just get that Alaska video recorded in the right format!
(Be careful of tape condensation in cold/wet climes though!!)