Question about capturing HDV

Gisela Richter · Post by **Gisela Richter** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:54 am

My captures with VS10+ are always jerky. I have installed the necessary patches and my Canon HV20 is regognized. The settings are then automatic. I check to see, but you don't have to change anything. So why is it jerky? The only thing I can think of is the computer itself, an old HP with only 512 Mo memory. But I am only capturing a few minutes of video! Ken says he has no trouble with exactly the same set up. Hooking up the camcorder with a HDMI cable to a friend's HDTV the video is perfect. So much better than DV. But Ulead captures it in jerks.

Second question: Once captured how will you edit it? Scene splitting is easy enough but can you add commentary and music to a M2ts project file?

Post by **Ron P.** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:06 am

Not knowing your full system specs, I would say that "your old HP with only 512MB memory" is your problem. I have a bottom-line Dual-Core system, with 2-gig of memory, and I don't think I would try editing some HDV with it. Editing HDV is certainly easier than the AVCHD, but still you need a PC that is tailored more for video editing. It was sort of an understood thing that to run XP and any graphic programs you should have at least 1Gig of memory.

Ken's set up is not an old one, and certainly way-more powerful than what yours appears to be. I think that if you are wanting to edit HD video, you should probably invest in the tools more suited for it..

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:13 am

Sorry, I never said I had the same compupter set-up as you -- as you would see from my system button. I have the same camera and it captures via firewire the same as you. But with high def video, even the relatively easy HDV format, you still need good computer resources simply because the video itself has high quality properties which are more demanding of computer resources.

If you continue with your current computer, at least you know that you can edit with it, and though it will seem jerky in the preview, as least you know that in the final product it is smooth. But yes, I would get at least 512 MB more RAM, and preferably get it up to around 2 GB. At least RAM is cheap these days!

And yes, you edit it exactly the same as with DV or standard definition mpeg-2. Add music, add transitions, add titles, add filters if you really need them... But with an older computer with not too many resources, just accept that it is going to be slow...

Gisela Richter · Post by **Gisela Richter** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:16 pm

[quote="Ken Berry"]Sorry, I never said I had the same compupter set-up as you --

Many thanks to you both for the prompt answers! Yes, Kenn, the final product is smooth, but the jerky preview frightens the life out of me! I assume that your capture is smooth (just as mine used to be with DV). By "set up" I only meant Canon HV20 and VS 10+, not the computer. With the camcorder I recently did the same clip in DV wide and in HDV and in 25p. Viewed on a friend's HDTV the difference was convincing. The DV was OK, better than with my old Canon MXV, but the HDV was so much crisper. Colours also much better with the new camcorder. The 25p was not as crisp but had a nice smooth quality. Don't know which I prefer. What about editing in 25p? Would that be a problem?
Strangely, although the DV version was good, and even downconverting to make a DVD is satisfactory, my old DVD's are terrible on the HDTV screen. Much better on my cathode TV. OK so the 526 lines have to stretched to 1080, but this is also true for the DV version above. Strange!

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:37 pm

I have never tried the 25p (or do you mean 24p?) route... The HV20 is supposed to be able to do it, but apparently not the way more 'professional' cameras do it...

As for HV20 and VS10, yes, the capture is smooth on this computer -- and of course you need the Canon patch, though I think you said you have that...

Gisela Richter · Post by **Gisela Richter** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:18 pm

[quote="Ken Berry"]I have never tried the 25p (or do you mean 24p?) route... The HV20 is supposed to be able to do it, but apparently not the way more 'professional' cameras do it...

No, it is 25p in the PAL standard. It is true that some reports don't think much of it, but it's worth trying. It has a slightly different aspect.
Incidently, my pseudo "Kookaburra" comes from the fact that I was born and bred in Melbourne, but I have spent most of my life here in the Provence. Gisela is my German wife's name. We would be happy to welcome any video enthusiast on the forum to drop in to see us here. Our e-mail address can easily be found at the Motorhome Holiday swap site.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:50 pm

Thanks! I confess I had been curious about the Kookaburra!

En quelle partie de la belle Provence est-ce que tu te trouves?

Gisela Richter · Post by **Gisela Richter** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:21 pm

Ken Berry wrote:Thanks! I confess I had been curious about the Kookaburra! En quelle partie de la belle Provence est-ce que tu te trouves?

Dans un village près d'Avignon. Si jamais tu viens en France on t'acceuillira chez nous avec plaisir. [email address removed]

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:37 pm

Merci bien pour l'invitation! Je visite la France et la Belgique de temps en temps... Mais un conseil ... ne mets jamais ton addresse email dans un tel message... Tu serais victime d'un spybot!