problems with scene detect

[happy2bapappy]

I'm beginning undertake the mammoth undertaking of porting all my footage into the computer for archiving.

I noticed I had this issue when I did my recent wedding project for my sister, but it wasn't a big deal for me at the time. Now however, it's a big deal.

My problem is that when I capture, using PE2, with scene detect on, it creates scenes (clips) that are incomplete.

for example, I may have the camera recording for 3 mins for what should be 1 scene (clip). However, PE, will break that up into multiple clips.

How can this be overcome?
I'm working with a nice clean, defragged 165 gig hard drive.

pentium (r) 4 cpu 3.20 ghz
3.19 ghz, 512 MB RAM
Windows XP media center edition
SP2

[Steve Grisetti]

Can you confirm that you're using Premiere Elements to capture from a miniDV camcorder over a FireWire connection?

[happy2bapappy]

yes, that's correct.
Captured using PE2, using firewire, from my pv-gs400

[happy2bapappy]

also, it might be helpful for you if I add that I do not have any other applications running at the same time.

[ed]

Did you pause the camera at points, or was it continous. I know people here may disagree, but I usually just bring in big clips without scene detection, and break them up myself on the timeline. I'd rather have the scenes in a logical order then a date or time order.

[Steve Grisetti]

The ONLY reason Premiere Elements breaks scenes is when it detects a pause or break in the timecode. Nothing else would trigger it.

Even dropped frames would stop the capture rather than break it into scenes where there are none.

Can you give us any more details, John?

Is your camcorder's date and time set?

Do you have the same problem if you capture the same sequence with, say, MovieMaker or WinDV?

For the record, this is the first post I've seen in three years in which someone complained Premiere Elements created TOO MANY scene breaks. More often, users would like it to break more often -- based on content, for instance.

[happy2bapappy]

The date and timecode is set.
I will try to capture using a Moviemaker. I just downloaded WinDV, so I'm still getting used to that program. Didn't realize it could be used for capturing directly from the camera as well.

Ed.
The footage is continuous. Short of solving this problem, it looks like yours will probably need to be the workaround solution.

If I'm having these issues with Moviemaker or Wind DV, then at least we can rule out PE as being the source of my problems.

I'll get back to you.

[ed]

John, I have the same camcorder as you, and when I captured with Windows Movie Maker I would get audio "cracks" in the capture. I would try windv first.

[happy2bapappy]

thanks for that.

[happy2bapappy]

ok, to follow up here's what I can offer:

I had winDV confused with DVdate. So, ergo my comment about not realizing that windDV also did capturing. DOH!

I captured using moviemaker and had the same problems. However, it gave me pause to slow down and actually look "very" carefully at the footage. As it turns out. I was wrong. The camera was, in fact, paused and the footage was not continuous. DOH!

I did track down windDV, and while I haven't actually downloaded it yet, it looks like an absolutely lovely program! By appearances, I will not have to use DVdate, for winDV will name my files appropriately for me for easy sorting in the media bin according to date time.

winDV will also allow me to make more efficient captures, by forgiving discontinuous footage up to whatever tolerance I set. ie, if there is a pause in recording for x seconds, ignore and treat it as one clip. This feature alone will become very useful for me indeed.

and finally, I like the fact that one can capture every N'th frame, useful for time compression while also at the same time reducing file size.
VERY handy.

one might alert the fellow with his time compressed/jittering frame sunset, in another room (I can't recall which) about this. For it is the extreme time compression that is causing his problems in the first place. :wink:

Thank you both for your help!

[ed]

I forget. Does APE want type 1 or type 2 DV-AVIs?

[Paul LS]

PE prefers Type 2.