HV30 hdvsplit Problem - Help Please!

[Bobby]

Got my new HV30. Looks like it is going to do a good job for me. I took some test footage and played it through HDMI direct to the TV and it looked great!

But I am having a HDVSPLIT problem. I am using it, of course, because PE4 won't recognize the device.

BTW, the firewire cable is OK - I use it all the time to connect my Sony D8.

If I turn on the Canon in PLAY mode, it appears to be OK in Device Manager, but HDVSPLIT says no device found. If I turn it on in CAMERA mode, then HDVSPLIT DOES recognize the device and it records live video (i.e. camera real time video) just fine. PE4 can read the .mt2 file OK.

I am quite sure that this is a HV30 configuration problem. It looks like in CAMERA mode it is identifying itself correctly, but I probably set something that makes it looks like the wrong type of device in PLAY. But I can't see what in all those menu entries.

I know that some of you have done this...

Bob

[Bobby]

Nevermind! I finally found the menu entry - had output locked to DV! Makes sense...

Bob

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Bob,
Moved the topic to the Camcorders forum, hope you don't mind.
Check out the HV20 topics, there is a lot that applies to the HV30 including the DV - Lock setting.
Here is a good one to start with
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=505

Remember that you can't change many of the menu options while the Firewire cable is connected to the camcorder, and do not connect or disconnect the Firewire cable while the camcorder is turned on

[Bobby]

Thanks. Yeah, I was looking for a better forum - I guess you found it for me!

Bob

[jackfalbey]

I hear HDVsplit mentioned frequently, and I understand it has some nice additional features over Premiere for capturing (I actually did download it a while ago but haven't had the need to use it), but I don't understand why so many people do seem to need it... I can capture HDV (not downconverted) from my HV20 right into both PE3.0 and PPro CS3. Maybe I'm just lucky?

[Bobby]

...I can capture HDV (not downconverted) from my HV20...

The problem exists only with the HV30, not the 20, which has people wondering why since they are pretty much the same product.

I downloaded and tried HDVSPLIT, but it is your standard freeware stuff. No documentation, few features, and no true Windows install (just an .exe) etc. I also think I remember someone talking about using it to pre-stripe a tape to ensure no dropouts, but I don't see that option either.

Well, my concern right now is to start taking HDV and putting in on a standard medium (not D8 any more). I doubt I will be actually working in HD for a while, and in normal DV mode, PE4 (and WinDV) work fine.

Bob

[Chuck Engels]

I can capture from the HV20 into Premiere Elements or Pro as well, but find it almost useless.

In HDVSplit I can view what I am capturing, it splits scenes by timecode and it numbers the clips correctly.
Without those 3 features in Premiere Elements or Pro there is no way I would use it to capture.
Do to the clip naming issues I have also started using WinDV to capture SD video too.

Currently I am using Premiere Elements for all of my SD projects, and Premiere Pro for all of my HDV projects.
But I am not using those programs to capture or to author DVDs anymore, just edit and export.

[Ronnie]

Chuck, what do you use to Author DVDs?

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

As Chuck says, the biggest problem with PrPro CS3 and PrElv4 (unless I have missed something - a subtle setting(?)) is that HDV capture in those programs results in one long, unsplit, captured file.

HDV Split does at least do basic scene detect which is of huge assistance in doing a first cut edit.

[Chuck Engels]

Chuck, what do you use to Author DVDs?

Encore DVD CS3

[Ronnie]

Thanks.

[George Tyndall]

"In HDVSplit I can view what I am capturing, it splits scenes by timecode and it numbers the clips correctly."

Chuck, when I run HDVsplit I get the same effect as with PE3.0, namely, it's only on the camera's LCD screen that I can view what's being captured, so I'm unclear what you mean by the first part of your statement.

Also, I've been using the Get Video and Stop Video buttons in the Capture pane to split the scenes on my HD miniDV tapes (Canon HV30) and import them into the PE3.0 Media panel. Could you be more specific regarding the 2 reasons you give why it would be advantageous to capture the scenes with hdvsplit before importing them into the Media pane?

[Chuck Engels]

Your program isn't working the same as mine is George.
Using HDVSplit I can see the capture window on my screen and watch as the video is being captured, it also splits the scenes automatically by timecode and names them correctly as I have set up the naming convention in the program. Not sure why yours isn't doing the same thing, do you have the most current version of HDVSplit? Are you sure your tape has timecode?

I am capturing from an HV20, not HV30, so that could also be a problem I suppose.

[George Tyndall]

1) "Using HDVSplit I can see the capture window on my screen and watch as the video is being captured...."

I'm using the latest version of HDVsplit, but there is no capture window in the program--only in Premiere 3.0. Do you mean that when you run HDVsplit it works together with PE3.0? If so, please advise how I make that happen.

2) "[HDVsplit] also splits the scenes automatically by timecode and names them correctly as I have set up the naming convention in the program." HDVsplit loads the split scenes into the Media window of PE3.0 automatically?

3) "Are you sure your tape has timecode?" Please advise how to be certain of that.

Background to another question: I've been creating slide shows in PSE4.0 then outputting them first as .wmv files (1024x768) for viewing on my widescreen monitor. Then, if I intend to burn a DVD, I use Windows Moviemaker to convert the .wmv file to DV AVI prior to burning (thank you very much for that invaluable suggestion). I wish I did not need to create 2 different formats, but the fact is that the DV AVI movies look markedly inferior to the .wmv versions on my monitor when viewed full screen with either Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center.

Question: Steve Grisetti suggests using MPEGstreamclip to convert clips (including HDV?) into AVI before editing them in Premiere. If I did that then later coverted the DV AVI movie to .wmv, would the quality of the latter be as good as with my present method? Would I be able to get 1024xd768 output like I am now?



Thank you!

[Chuck Engels]

Hi George,
You have to have the camcorder set to add timecode to the tape, you will need to check your manual as it is different on all models.

HDVSplit has its own capture window, it does not work with Premiere Elements.

HDVSplit splits the clips by timecode, then I add them to Premiere Elements using Add Media/From Files and Folders.