Canon VIXIA HV40 Analog/Digital Conversion

[PJV]

I have a Canon VIXIA HV40 camcorder. It supposedly allows for analog to digital video conversions by inputting from a VCR (or other analog source), thru the VIXIA and out to the computer as a DV signal using the firewire cable.

I've attempted this using VideoStudio Pro X2 and X3 but can't get it to work. VSPro seems to only want to record from a playing tape from the VIXIA at capture time and ignores the AV→DV=ON option to digitize a live input analog signal to the computer via the firewire cable. Whenever I hit "Capture" in VSPro, it auto hits the camcorder play button thereby playing the tape instead of allowing passthru. I can record the analog signal to the tape and then rewind and send to VSPro but that's way too much tape work for the amount of files I want to convert.

Anyone have an idea how I can get VSPro to just take in the DV signal from the camcorder without trying to constantly run the tape??

PJV

[DVDDoug]

(I don't know anything about that camcorder.)

You can try WinDV, a FREE DV capture program.

But it sounds like the problem is with the camera, since the camera is changing to "play". Have you tried it without a tape in the camera?

[PJV]

Hi DVDDoug. Thanks for the link to WinDV. It works great with my Canon VIXIA HV40 camcorder on passthru analog-to-digital conversion mode on my Win7 64bit system. It definitely is a problem with VSPro3 software that seemingly overengineers the capture process by DEMANDING to interact with the camcorder and initiating the "play" process of the tape which overides the passthru conversion process. If I remove the tape, VPro runs for a few seconds before aborting capture due to error. Also, VSPro never displays the video in the capture screen - only sound. WinDV is much less demanding and accepts whatever state is being input when it starts up. VSPro V2 used to provide a "device selection" dialog that might have provided a means to choose an alternate device, similar to the Canon but not needing to control the tape. But this setting overide dissapeared from V3.

WinDV produces seemingly high-quality .avi files that I can then easily import into the VSPro video library to continue editing and all other downstream processes. I can easily capture DV or HDV tape information from the HV40 thru VSPro but will need to use WinDV for passthru digital conversions of analog sources like VCR and cable/sat boxes using my HV40.

Thanks again,
PJV

[PJV]

An update RE Canon VIXIA HV40 camcorder passthru analog-to-digital conversions using VSPro-3:

I actually got VSPro3 to do this capture but it takes a bit of a convoluted process:

• Must set camcorder in PLAY mode with a partially recorded tape AT A POINT OF NO RECORDED INFORMATION. Leave camcorder at Stop.
• Select Capture in VSPro (with the confirmation dialog box option on). VSPro will attempt Play of tape which, since blank will show a black/blue preview screen.
• Re-select Stop on camcorder to override VSPro's Play. The input, passthru video/audio should now appear in VSPro preview window.
• Okay the VSPro capture confirmation dialog. VSPro will now begin properly capturing the converted DV/HDV video (without trying to hit Play again, fortunately).
• Warning: to stop capture is tricky. If you just select stop capture at this point, VSPro again tries to interact with camcorder tape (which it thinks is playing) and aborts saying something like "bad video detected - deleting capture file". Argh!
• So, before hitting Stop capture, you need to manually rewind the tape (from camcorder control) to a place on the tape with recorded information on it, first. Then, when you hit Stop capture and VSPro attempts to Play the tape before ending capture, VSPro now momentarily detects enough valid tape info to allow it to properly end the capture and save the clip.

Whew! Cludgy, but this process does trick VSPro's obsessive need to manipulate the tape and see everything the way it expects, to be satisfied.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

I have always thought/understood that you should remove the tape when using the cameras “Passthrough” mode.
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The seemingly high-quality avi files are created within the camera, Analogue to Digital conversion.
Win DV, or Video Studio is only used to transfer the video to the pc, there is no additional re-coding.
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I do not own VS Pro 3 but am aware of some issues regarding capture.
I would opt for Win DV.
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I own a Panasonic GS400, for pass-through I have to set the cameras menu as DV- Out otherwise It just doesn’t work. It is also recommended to turn this option off when using the camera to record video.

Good luck

[avz10]

I also have a Canon HV40 camcorder and want to transfer my VHS videos to DV.

I get stuck with the settings on my camcorder.

I connect my camcorder to the video machine with an AV cable- the 3 to one cable and the connect the cable to the yellow AV terminal. From the camcorder I connect the firewire cable to my computer.

The manual advises to use the AV-DV setting, but mine is greyed out. What I did is the following- I put the camera on Play mode, press function, go down to menu, changed playback from HDV to DV and comp out to 576. But I do not find the option to set the AV-DV conversion to "on"

Or should I change the settings in record mode?

Any help would be appreciated.