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record 1080p direct to computer

maxterpiece

maxterpiece

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 5, 2003
729
0
Hello,

I'm having a hard time here. Google is not being cooperative.

My goal is to record 1080p directly to a mac via a camcorder. I haven't purchased the mac or the camera yet, so I'm open regarding the specific hardware.

Is this possible? The idea is to have a recording booth, and having the video immediately accessible is crucial. Does the problem have to do with Firewire not being fast enough? If so, what if I bought a Mac Pro? Is there a PCI Express card that might allow me to do this?

Any advice about hardware or software would be highly appreciated.
 
Firewire is fast enough to transfer such highly compressive stream, if the camera records in AVCHD.
I currently research some cameras, that allow me to record as uncompressed as it gets, therefore I found the option to record to an external field recorder with an SSD and storing the files with 185Mb/s (24Mb/s via AVCHD).
The interface used is HDMI, which can offer such speeds easily.

Thus my proposal, get a 1080p camera with HDMI out (even a DSLR like the Canon 7D and Mark II will work, though there is no sound) and a converter box like one of the BlackMagic ones (for Windows there are two USB 3.0 products which are a lot cheaper than the Thunderbolt one) and then record in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

Depending on your budget, that could cost some serious cash, depending on which Mac you want, but the 2011 Mac mini might suffice.

Sorry I can't link you to a cheaper camera, but I don't know any consumer models.
 
simsaladimbamba said:
Firewire is fast enough to transfer such highly compressive stream, if the camera records in AVCHD.
I currently research some cameras, that allow me to record as uncompressed as it gets, therefore I found the option to record to an external field recorder with an SSD and storing the files with 185Mb/s (24Mb/s via AVCHD).
The interface used is HDMI, which can offer such speeds easily.

Thus my proposal, get a 1080p camera with HDMI out (even a DSLR like the Canon 7D and Mark II will work, though there is no sound) and a converter box like one of the BlackMagic ones (for Windows there are two USB 3.0 products which are a lot cheaper than the Thunderbolt one) and then record in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

Depending on your budget, that could cost some serious cash, depending on which Mac you want, but the 2011 Mac mini might suffice.

Sorry I can't link you to a cheaper camera, but I don't know any consumer models.
Click to expand...


Really appreciate the help. Another question though -- since the Mac Mini does not support Thunderbolt, how much will the quality degrade if I use one of the h.264 boxes?
 
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