VHS, Hi8, DV to Digital

[Ken Berry]

Yes, you still have to change it. Field Order is a video thing, not a geographical thing!

Quite a few versions ago now the default used to be Lower Field First because at that time many of the camcorders available were of the mini DV variety developed by Sony (who also, as I understand it, developed Firewire with Panasonic). But new cameras started to emerge, just about all of which filmed using Upper Field First. And these days just about all high def camcorders film using Upper Field First so that became the default in Video Studio. It's just people in your situation who use the DV format for specific purposes that need to change the Field Order.

Given that you are going to be doing this a lot, I recommend that you make your own template, including Lower Field First, by using Settings > Movie Profile Manager in X8 (called Make Movie Template Manager in X7 and earlier versions).

[hab]

Capturing Hi8 Video now through a SONY DCR-TRV340 Digital8 Camcorder & even though I chose "SPLIT BY SCENE", it looks like this isn't happening.
Am I to be stuck with a 1 hour scene or is there a way around this?

[Ken Berry]

Are you capturing in DV/AVI format or as mpeg-2? VS is supposed to split-by-scene for incoming DV, but not for mpeg-2. You should, however, be able to split-by-scene the mpeg-2 once it has all been captured.

This thread has now become so long I can't remember if I have mentioned using a small freeware program called WinDV http://www.windv.mourek.cz which not only splits by scene but also allows you to assign your own names to the captured DV files...

[hab]

Using DV & avi.

Would like to stay away from other software & keep everything inside VS if at all possible.
Have checked the box marked "Split BY Scene" but still getting one long scene only.

[skier-hughes]

Quite a few versions ago now the default used to be Lower Field First because at that time many of the camcorders available were of the mini DV variety developed by Sony (who also, as I understand it, developed Firewire with Panasonic).

Firewire was developed by Apple, who sold it to the IEEE for £1 or maybe $1

[Ken Berry]

Aha! I stand corrected. For some reason I had it in my mind that Sony and Panny were the progenitors. Maybe that was because they took the technology and ran with it in their Digital 8 and mini DV camcorders???

[skier-hughes]

Weren't Sony and Panasonic the makers of betamax?

[hab]

I did manage to get a Hi8 tape onto my hard drive (as 1 scene) & then use "Split By Scene" to break it up, but when I drag a scene to the timeline it is very difficult to edit/adjust the length of the clip because all the splitting really does is put the trim markers in the proper place on the full scene (the full movie shows in the editing window with the trim markers at the points where the scene has been split).
Very hard then to make adjustments as this leaves the trim markers so close together to start with.
Will WinDV place the clips into a folder by scenes? If not, is there a program that will dot his for me & leave them in the proper format to be edited in VS?

[canuck]

WindDV uses the timecode to define "scenes". Every time you stopped recording you will create a new "scene" and a new file when capturing.

[hab]

Downloaded WinDV from here http://www.windv.mourek.cz , but it doesn't seem to pick up my camcorder.
Message at the very bottom bar say Error: Error
Am I doing something wrong?

[skier-hughes]

I assume the camera was turned on and ready to play, or even playing and connected by firewire?
Can't see why VS can pick up the firewire and windv can't???

[hab]

On & connected, yes. VS picks it up but will not split scenes as it captures.
Not a computer whiz. It shows a little camcorder icon on the top left with WinDV next to it, a screen & under the screen, "Capturing from DV device" & "Recording to DV device".
The only capture device that shows is "Microsoft DV Camera & VCR". No other options for a capture device shows.
At the bottom is says Error:Error

Just gave it another go & nothing.

[skier-hughes]

Weird, it would often show microsoft dv camera, maybe not the make of cam, but as it's showing that, it is recognising a camera is attached.
Which windows version are you using?
If it's 8, you may want to change the firewire driver to the legacy one, this was written for Win 7 when the problem first arose, but still applies.

[hab]

Using Windows 7.
When I press capture to try it out, it shuts down.

[skier-hughes]

In which case try changing the firewire driver and see what happens. It's such a simple programme though, I've not known many problems with it.