Recording to DV camera (from VideoStudio 11.5 Plus)

[harrytheplumber]

Hi,
We have 4 copies of VideoStudio 11.5 Plus running on high spec 24" Intel IMacs, running Win XP SP2 and we cannot 'record to dv' under the share tab.

We have made sure that our files in the library are DV AVI, and preferences appear compatible. We get to the dialogue window "DV Recording - Preview", press 'next' and we get to the "DV Recording - Record" window.
At the "DV Recording - Record" window, I press "record" and the window immediateley displays the message "The video is recorded to the DV camcorder". The tape then starts spinning, and appears to be working - BUT when I check the tape, it has recorded over the existing contents with a blue screen.

Has anyone else had problems recording to DV?
Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
harrytheplumber

[lancecarr]

How are you connecting the cam?

[Ken Berry]

More to the point, what are you trying to record DV from? VS11/11+ had a recognised bug that would not allow it to capture in DV format via firewire from (1) an external analogue-to-DV capture device; (2) a mini DV or Digital 8 camera being used as a passthrough device to capture analogue video from a VCR or analogue camera; and (3) a Digital 8 camera playing back an analogue 8mm or Hi8 tape. The update patch of 6 November 2007 corrected (2) and some devices under (1) but did nothing at all to correct (3).

Does your VS11.5+ version number end in '2'? If not, then you don't have that patch installed.

In any case, quite a few of us here use other programs to capture DV. I personally use a small freeware program called WinDV which can be found at windv.mourek.cz It does an excellent job.

[harrytheplumber]

Thanks Ken, I've downloaded the patch, but still no go...
Note that I am trying to capture the video back to my Sony mini DV videocamera to archive the footage. So I am trying to record to DV tape, from my computer via firewire.

Lance - I am using firewire,

Thanks,
Harry.

[lancecarr]

Yes I understood you were trying to write TO the cam and not capture FROM the cam.
Unfortunately this is a process I have no experience with hence the feeble question on firewire. I was thinking possibly you had used USB but no!
Hopefully someone will come on with a brilliant suggestion.

[ecmot]

Hi,

I'm a colleague of Harry the plumber and our problem is not that we can't transfer our camera tapes to the NLE. It's that we can't record our edited timeline back to tape for mastering.

Two things occur when we try this under the share tab.

Firstly, a dialogue box appears suggesting that we "select a clip from the library". This to me is a problem as we want to record the whole timeline, not a clip from the library. We used a work around by exporting the timeline out as a digital DV file and then re imported it as a clip in the library.

Next we then followed 'Video studios dialogue instructions' for the next part of the procedure. It led us to a another dialogue box that looked like UI for deck control of our DV device. We followed the instructions. A Video studio message popped up saying recording was successful but the video image never actually transferred to tape. Instead a blue screen was recorded.
We checked the camera's settings, we even replaced the camera and even tried it on a different computer. Has anyone got any thoughts on this. It would be much appreciated.

Additionally, we are video professionals working at a University who are looking at Video studio as a potential NLE we can roll out across campus for PC users. What we liked about video studio is it's relative simplicity and it's multiple codec options.
As part of the evaluation process, we recognise that software that requires patches and work-arounds are not a practical solution for non-video professionals. We like what Mac do with imovie in this space and are looking for its PC equivalent. Previous versions of ulead video studio were very stable and easy to use. There is very little information out there about this issue and any assistance is appreciated!

[lancecarr]

Just a quick point on your sequence of actions if I understand it correctly.
You are trying to copy back to the tape in the cam from the timeline?
If this is the case then I would certainly recommend not doing that.
Think of VS as a roadie...he's not very smart but he can lift heavy things!
VS does not like to do two things at once and copying back to the tape from the timeline would definitely come under that category. It would be a render "on the fly" combines with a write back to tape...asking for trouble!
I know VS "says" it can do it and very often it can but the experience on this board is "one thing at a time."
I would complete editing to a final point then render to a new dv avi file of the entire project. Then start a new project (only to clear the timeline) then go directly to Share, import the newly created file and try to write that back to the tape.

[Ron P.]

I don't know what the make/model of camcorder you're using, but check the settings in it. On my Sony DCR-TRV120 I have to enter the camera menu and turn off the A/V->DV OUT. If I don't I record a blue screen.

When I want to transfer video from the camcorder, I have to turn it back on..

Check your's to see if it has a similar setting. With Firewire you need to shutoff the output so that the signal can come back into the camcorder.

[Ken Berry]

I have a similar situation with one of my Canon mini DVs where the camera menu has to be activated to receive the incoming DV signal.

Apart from that, though, the only other thing I can think of is that you might have a camera bought in a European country where the DV-in function has been totally blocked for taxation reasons. Apparently, in some European countries, a higher rate of VAT applies to cameras with DV-in enabled...

[Ron P.]

Now that's bad. Do they tax your tennis shoes at a higher rate if you're going to wear them while jogging?... It's a recorder, they could get the video back onto the camcorder if the played it on their monitor and pointed the camera at the screen. I thought ours was about the only government full of idiots..

[lancecarr]

No Ron, it is a basic human right for all people to include as many idiots as they see fit in their goverment. Some exercise that right more than others!

[sherman39]

If it is the case that the camera in question is "fixed" so it cannot receive DV in, there are/were widgets available to unlock the offending camera so that it is possible to record back to tape.

The UK government in its infinite wisdom decided that a videocam that could accept DV in as well as out was a taperecorder and therefore customs duty was at a higher rate that a camera. Therefore manufactuters disabled the DV in function.Enterprising entrepreneurs therefore created "widgets" to counter the problem.

As a Brit I should point out that we just spent billions on a brand new terminal at Heatrow airport and then managed to lose 28,000+ pieces of luggage in the first few days. It is therefore not surprising that our government is a little short of joined-up thinking.

Just wait and see what we do to the olympics in 2012!!!!!

[Black Lab]

Think of VS as a roadie...he's not very smart but he can lift heavy things!

Now wait a minute. I was a roadie in my younger days...

[tyamada]

Do you have access to a PC? If so try to write the file from the PC to the camera. I seem to recall that Windows XP is not fully compatible with Intel IMacs.

[Ron P.]

Think of VS as a roadie...he's not very smart but he can lift heavy things!

Now wait a minute. I was a roadie in my younger days...

So was I, and I refused to lift anything heavier than my subwoofers (which were 5 ft x 3 ft, and nicknamed "the refrigerators")