Quality Quality Quality

[tehybrid]

Ok I recently discovered how to record directly to HDD (thanks guys!) and I have been playing around with it alot, and I must say it is rather fun and easy for editting (my main reason to play with video). Well I got to wondering whats the main benefits of recording to HDD, besides the obvious like time, versus MiniDV. I havent got to play with the camera much so Im not sure of many benefits, but I do like not being limited to tape!


Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Erendiox]

Well the obvious advantage to recording straight to the HDD is the fact that you're skipping a very time consuming step. Typically after shooting, you need to spend an equal amount of time capturing. Decks can only capture at 1x speed, so if you film for 2 hours, you spend 2 hours capturing the footage. Other than that advantage, there's really nothing else. The encoding is still the same. You'll get the same quality video whether you go straight to the HDD or record to tape and then capture to the HDD. Also, keep in mind that tape is designed specifically to store the DV medium. Your hard drive is not. One hour of DV footage on the HDD consumes 12 GB. It's much more efficient to store all your shot footage on tape and capture only what you need to be working with at the time. This saves HDD space during productions.

Cheers

 

[Carl Spackler]

Out of curiosity, are you using Capture Now in FCP or another app? I've been wanting to try this, but hadn't decided on a method.

I've dabbled with Vidi and BTV, but not enough to really know if they're up to snuff. I'd most likely capture on an older PowerBook and would prefer not to use up resources by running FCP.

 

[Keebler]

as mentioned, a lack of capture time is the biggest benefit. no worries about the tape snapping (although this rarely happens) or worse, of losing your tape.

there is a company out there and my google search is fruitless today, but it's something like firestorm or fire something...anyhoo, it's a portable external HD that plugs right into your camcorder or vice versa so you choose your recording preferences (ntsc, pal etc..etc..) and bypass the tape.

i've always maintained that if i start filming stuff for folks, I would buy one of these gadgets in a heartbeat. the benefits would be so huge. you could go home and start editing right way, with ideas fresh in your mind.

cheers,
Keebler

 

[bigbossbmb]

Keebler is referring to Panasonic's Firestore...but it is quite expensive.

If you are doing anything near important with your camera and you choose to record direct to your hard drive, then you should really run tape in the camera as well (it'll record both at the same time without any complication). Simply because miniDV tapes are the cheapest backup you can find (13GB for just a couple $'s) and they tend to be more reliable than your hard drive. The benefeit of tape is having a good archive of the footage that you can go back to.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Keebler is referring to Panasonic's Firestore...but it is quite expensive.

Focus Enhancements makes the Firestore line of capture devices. Panasonic has it's P2 cards which are solid state cards used in some of their cameras (like the HVX200).


Lethal

 

[bigbossbmb]

Thanks for the correction Lethal...

I've pretty much only heard people using the firestore with the HVX, so I thought it was Panasonic's workaround for those wanting to avoid P2.

 

[tehybrid]

Out of curiosity, are you using Capture Now in FCP or another app? I've been wanting to try this, but hadn't decided on a method.

I've dabbled with Vidi and BTV, but not enough to really know if they're up to snuff. I'd most likely capture on an older PowerBook and would prefer not to use up resources by running FCP.

i hook my camera up via firewire and open iMovie and import with iMovie, and since final cut can read iMovie docs i just drop it in Final Cut and be on my way

Keebler: yeah I didnt think of the easy back up. Thanks! thats like uber easy =)

thanks to eveyone,
Kevin