Capture vs. Transfer

[GrayStrickland]

I may be lost in semantics here, but isn't there a fundamental difference between "capture" and "transfer?"

In my mind, transfer means that an intact file is moved or copied from location A to location B without the file being changed. On the other hand, capture suggests that one machine is broadcasting a signal/stream while another listens and authors a brand new file based on the information in the signal/stream.

Soooo.... why do we need to "capture" what we have recorded on our videocameras? Shouldn't we be transferring the file(s) recorded on the videocamera tape to our computers? Do I misunderstand what capture means? Or what is happening when we move our video from videocamera to pc?

I have a Sony TRV-460 Digital 8 videocamera. I've never transferred video from it to my pc before and now when I want to, it seems that I've lost my Sony cdrom. I can download the USB driver, but no iLink/1394/Firewire driver (not needed?) or the Pixela "Picture Package" software which came with it. I have to re-buy the Pixela software if I want it replaced.

If the Pixela software *transferrs* the files, then maybe I need it . If not, then am I just as well off using WinDV to capture the video?

[edDV]

I may be lost in semantics here, but isn't there a fundamental difference between "capture" and "transfer?"

In my mind, transfer means that an intact file is moved or copied from location A to location B without the file being changed. On the other hand, capture suggests that one machine is broadcasting a signal/stream while another listens and authors a brand new file based on the information in the signal/stream.

The latter is what happens in a DV "transfer". There is no operating system or file in the camera, only stream data generated live or recorded to tape. DV tape playback creates a stream similar to live over IEEE-1394 (aka Firewire/I-Link). Since the stream is transfered without typical OS packet verification, damage can be done between tape and file. Once the data reaches the file, normal OS packet verification and recovery applies to future file copies over OS or network.

"Capture" usually implies baseband video (usually analog) to digital stream conversion. The terminology is murky here. Most applications use "capture" to mean A/D conversion or stream transfer.

Soooo.... why do we need to "capture" what we have recorded on our videocameras? Shouldn't we be transferring the file(s) recorded on the videocamera tape to our computers? Do I misunderstand what capture means? Or what is happening when we move our video from videocamera to pc?

I have a Sony TRV-460 Digital 8 videocamera. I've never transferred video from it to my pc before and now when I want to, it seems that I've lost my Sony cdrom. I can download the USB driver, but no iLink/1394/Firewire driver (not needed?)

USB from a Sony camcorder is a 320x240 CIF web stream conversion. Use that only for streaming over the web or other minimum quality tasks.

If you are using Win XP, no specific driver is needed for IEEE-1394 transfers. Make sure DirectX is at least v8 and your IEEE-1394 hardware is OHCI compliant. You can only get high quality transfers over IEEE-1394.

Forget the Sony software, use WinDV or other application to manage the transfer. WinDV is a user interface over DirectShow (part of DirectX) which manages the transfer.

or the Pixela "Picture Package" software which came with it. I have to re-buy the Pixela software if I want it replaced.

This is only for stills recorded to the flash card.

The next generation of Pro camcorders (e.g. Sony XDCAM) are using a file system on the Blu Ray DVD to encapsulate the DV or MPeg_TS stream in a file at the camcorder. This allows USB or IEEE-1394 file transfers under OS control.

[redwudz]

'Transfer' is the more correct term for DV. You transfer the file as an exact digital copy of the original. If differs from a file transfer between hard drives or similar devices in that there is no 'error checking', and the file will just transfer in a linear fashion, not like a hard drive or DVD where you can access any part of it randomly. What ever the time length of the DV is, will be the time it takes for the transfer. Capture could be defined in a lot of ways, but there is usually a change to the file involved, such as analog to digital. It is partly semantics, though.

Your Firewire card shouldn't need a driver, those are part of the OS. WinDV just enables the transfer, so again, no capture involved. USB is generally for still pictures or low resolution video. Stick with Firewire.

As long as you have a camcorder with DV out, a suitable cable and a Firewire card on your computer, as suitable transfer program like WinDV, you should be ready to go. DV is about 13GB per hour, so it takes some space. It's easy to edit, though. I use the freeware VirtualDub Mod, along with a DV codec, usually the Panasonic DV Codec for editing. After editing, you encode to DVD compatible MPEG-2, if that's your end use. Then you author and burn to DVD.

EDIT: edDV has a clearer explanation. (And he types faster. )

[edDV]

EDIT: edDV has a clearer explanation. (And he types faster. )

I don't type fast, I just started earlier.

[GrayStrickland]

Dumb follow-up question...

Surprisingly, I can play analog HI-8 tapes recorded in my older Sony TRV-43 in my newer Digital-8 Sony TRV-460 (but not viceversa). If I put an analog tape in my digital TRV-460, can I transfer it to the pc over firewire just as I can a digitally recorded tape?

I have about 30-50 hours of analog tape and about 5 hours of digital tape that I'd like to move onto the pc, cut into individual files adn recode (probably dvix or xvid) for archiving back onto data dvds. I had planned to use a capture card for the analog stuff, but since I can play the analog tapes in the digital videocamera, any reason not to use it (digital TRV-460) as the "capture device?"

[redwudz]

It's not dumb. I really don't know. I would certainly try it once your Firewire connections and WinDV is up and running. If you plan to archive to Xvid, definitely become familiar with VirtualDub. It can do filtering, encoding, editing and a whole lot more. As mentioned VDMod is my favorite version, but the other ones work well also.

[slukaczyk]

Capture the analog 8MM tapes via the firewire port for sure! (DV transfer). That's the main advantage a TRV 460 has over the 260 - backward compatability with analog 8MM. That's what you paid the extra money for vs a 260. I have a TRV 480 and some old analog 8MM tapes - they come out very nice via DV transfer.

[edDV]

If these are important family camcorder tapes, I'd edit in DV format and transfer the important material back to DV tape for archive.

Also, don't you want a DVD for playback rather than just divx on a computer? If so, encode the edited DV material directly to high bitrate DVD MPeg2 (60-90 min per DVD). The result will be superior to DV -> divx -> DVD.

[ZAPPER]

@Gray'

If you have a firewire port on your PC and a firewire cable that fits your cam on one end and your PC on the other, I believe that you are set to go.

Windows Movie Maker will get you started to check your setup. And from there on it all depends on if you like plain vanilla or if you want a Banana Split.

Post back and tell us how it works.