Capture quality advice request.

[Canadian*]

Folks.

Camera's
* Panasonic 3ccd, 300 series tape storage (new) PAL
* Sony, tape (old) NTCS

Computer - athlon 64 3000
transfer - USB2 or firewire available

I record a lot of ski racing video and i am often disappointed that the playback on computer the skier in frame is often fuzzy.
I would describe the skier as interleaved out of sync.

Playback on the camera is fine, but something is being lost in quality between the camera and the computer

I try to capture at highest rate possible via firewire and save to DV AVI format on disk.

Ulead seems to do a worse job than moviemaker.
I have premier, but its too much for what i do.

Q. Would i get better result by buying a video capture card ?
Q. Is there anything i'm doing that would cause this loss of quality.

Thanks in advance.

regards

Justin

[guns1inger]

Nothing is being lost. DV records interlaced. Your PC's display is progressive. What you are seeing is a single frame (two fields) take 1/50th of a second apart (assuming PAL if you are in Australia). On a TV you will not see this effect.

Firewire is a data transfer process. You have no control over the datarate, the codec used etc. So changing cards isn't going to make any difference.

[thecoalman]

And to add to the above you should see no difference no matter what program you use to "capture". It's not a capture but a transfer, very similar to copying a file from one folder to another. If you used 100 different capture programs capable of DV capture the files should be identical. They only differe in the options they have such as splitting files by size, scene, etc.

Are you by any chance using the USB for transfer? Very few digital video cams send the full DV over USB, use firewire and "capture" as DV-AVI.

[Canadian*]

Folks.

Thanks for the replies.

I have posted the spec of my main camera below.
I'm not a camera expert; is there any settings on the camera that i can use to minimize the interleave to progressive effect.
It has asports mode, but offers no explanination in the doco to what this does ....

The reason is that I commercially publish these videos for viewing on the internet; hence; I would like to reduce the fuzzy effect of the skier in shot. I assume the bluring of the skier is due to their fast motion.

Can this camera record in progressive mode or a non-interleaved format ?

Would I lose much quality converting the raw dv-avi file on my computer to progressive, i have read that you can get software to do this ?

Thanks.

========================
Panasonic NV-GS300

3CCD Camera System - Remarkable Colour, Detail and Gradation
Most professional broadcasting cameras use the 3CCD camera system. With the 3CCD camera system you can see the results in beautifully rendered images with vivid colour, fine detail, and rich gradation.

Leica Dicomar Lens - Superior Leica-certified image quality
The e.cam boasts a Leica Dicomar lens.This advanced lens captures clear, crisp, finely nuanced images with outstanding detail and contrast. Also, the lens was manufactured using a multi-coating process that reduces flare and ghosts. *Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystem IR GmbH, and Dicomar is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.

High Performance image processing Crystal Engine
The Crystal Engine is a special image processing circuit for 3CCD camera system. And the Pure Colour Engineis the same one for high-zooming cameras. Each engine achieves truly superb colour reproduction for high quality pictures.

1.7 sec Quick Start - Never miss those sudden shooting opportunities
The Quick start mode* helps shoot videos on the spur of the moment. This mode lets you shoot those not-to-be-missed scenes just 1.7sec from the time the power is turned on. *This mode can be selected from the menu.

Web Camera Function - Get Real-time visual communication
With the camera connected via USB cable to a PC, start up Windows® Messenger and the camera instantly turns into a web camera. Ideal for teleconferencing over the Internet, or for surveillance camera use.

Pictbridge Compatible
Anti-Ground Shooting Mode (AGS)

Optical Image Stabiliser - Clear, beautiful moving pictures and still images
Panasonic's O.I.S. minimises hand-shake. The O.I.S. is extremely effective in situations where hand-shake is most often a problem, such as with zoom shots, in dim lighting. When you're shooting a still image, the MEGA O.I.S. system automatically activates.

10x Optical Zoom
Enjoy remarkable 10x zoom magnification in a camera that fits comfortably and securely in one hand. Because the zoom is optical, it captures both moving and still pictures with exquisite beauty.

Simple, One-handed operation

The joystick makes the camera much easier to use, letting you control all basic operations with one hand. As you shoot, just watch the image in the monitor and follow the instruction guide. You can handle a number of operations quickly and easily,without even taking your eye off the subject.

Included Accessories

Lithium Battery
Battery charger / AC Apaptor
A/V Cable
USB Cable
Remote Control
Carry Strap
Lens Cap
Head Cleaning Tape
CD ROM
Manual
Specifications

No. of Image Sensors : 3
Image Sensor Size: (Inches) 1/6
Total Pixel Count: (000) 2400
Effective Pixel Count: (000)1 2130
Optical Zoom: (x) 10
Digital Zoom: (x) 25
Aperture: F1.8 (Wide)/F2.8 (Tele)
Focal Length: f = 3.0-30.0mm
Lens Type: LEICA DICOMAR
Lens Filter Diameter: (mm) 37
Minimum Illumination: (lux)2 1
Focus Modes: AF/Manual
White Balance Modes: Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, Set (with IR Sensor)
Shutter Speed Range: Tape Mode: 1/50 - 1/8000sec.
Iris: Auto/Manual
Programme AE Modes: Sports, Portrait, Low Light, Spot Light, Surf & Snow
16:9 Recording: Yes
Backlight Compensation: Yes
View Finder Type: Colour
View Finder Size (inches): 0.33 Colour EVF (113K pixels)
Inbuilt LCD Screen: Yes
LCD Monitor Screen Size: (Inches) 2.7
LCD Monitor pixel count: (000) 123
Stereo Zoom Microphone: Yes
Wind Noise Reduction: Yes
Titler Date/Time3: TBC
Titler Superimposer: TBC
Fade in/out: Yes (Black or White)
Recording Review: Yes
Electronic View Finder (EVF) On Screen Display (OSD): Yes (English/Russian/Arabic/Persian/Chinese)
Image Stabiliser Type: Optical

Digital Special Effects: No onboard effects - all digital effects are applied during editing with the supplied 'DV Studio' software
LED Video Light: No
Inbuilt Flash: Yes
Quick Start: Yes - 1.7 sec. (approx.)
LCD panel Light: Yes
USB Webcam Function: Yes (Motion JPEG 320 x 240 approx. 6fps)

Digital Still Function On Solid State Removeable Media: Yes
Recording Medium Type: Mini DV

Still Picture Storage Format: JPEG
Still Picture Storage Dimensions4: 640 x 480, 1280 x 960, 1600 x 1200, 2048 x 1512 3.1 MEGA

Motion Picture Storage on Card: No
Consecutive Photoshot5: Yes (10 stills with 0.5sec interval - VGA)
Picture Bridge Compatible: Yes

Video Record Heads: 2
LP Facility: Yes
Recording Mode: SP, LP
Playback Mode: SP, LP
Remote Control: Yes
Variable Speed Search: Yes (Max. 20x Speed)
Audio Recording System: PCM 12 bit 4 ch/16 bit 2 ch
Audio Dubbing: Yes
Counter: Time Code
Tape Remaining Indication: Yes
Playback Digital Effects: No
S-Video Input: No
S-Video Output: Yes
A/V Input (mini): No
A/V Output (mini): Yes
Microphone Input: Yes
Headphones Terminal (M3): No
USB Connectivity: Yes:2.0 Full Speed (mini B)
DV Input/Output (IEEE 1394): Yes
Accessory Shoe: Yes
Accessory Shoulder Strap: Supplied
Accessory Free-style Remote Controller: Supplied
Accessory A/V Cable (RCA - 4 pin): Supplied
Accessory S-Video Cable: No
Accessory Lens Cap: Built in Type
Accessory Cleaning Tape: Supplied
Accessory Cleaning Cloth: No
Accessory PC Cable: Supplied (USB)
Power (Mains): Battery Charger/AC Adaptor (Input:110-240V AC) (Included)
Input Requirements (DC V): 7.9
Power (Battery): Lithium-ion battery pack (7.2V)
Power Consumption (Watts): 3.6
Power Consumption (Watts) with LCD: 3.9
Weight (g)6: 450
Height (mm)7: 73
Width (mm)8: 76
Depth (mm)9: 135

[Krispy Kritter]

As pointed out above, what you are seeing on the pc is just a difference in the way a pc and tv display an image. Converting the dv to avi for example, should eliminate the problem. Take a look in the HOW TO - CONVERT section for guides and info.

[guns1inger]

What format do you normally (or intend to) publish in ?

Give AutoGK a go converting to Xvid, just for a test.