Capture on a mac for editing on a pc

[tennant]

We use a freelance camerman who is Mac rather than PC based. What is the best format(s) and codec(s) for him to capture the footage off tape to supply us the files for editing in Adobe Premiere 2.0? Quality is the most important issue, filesize not really a concern.

He is using a Sony Z1E HDV camera (in both DV and HDV mode) and also a Sony DigiBeta camera; so need the solution for each camera and both SD and HD.

[olyteddy]

If its DV, you don't 'capture' it, you copy it. I'd say (and I'm not all that experienced) DV would be the best.

[tennant]

Yes I'm aware of that, although still need a compatible 'wrapper' format to move the DV file from Mac to PC. And then there's still the issue of HDV and DigiBeta.

Tennant

[JohnnyMalaria]

If its DV, you don't 'capture' it, you copy it. I'd say (and I'm not all that experienced) DV would be the best.

Actually, you do capture it.

It is streamed from the device. The computer has no control over the streaming. The computer grabs (i.e., captures) it - no second chances, no "wait, I'm too slow".

How and why 'capture' became the exclusive domain of hardware that digitizes analog video signals I know not.

Anyway,
Quicktime MOV format on the Mac.
Use Quicktime Pro version on the PC to convert it (unless having the Pro version will permit direct import to Premiere - not sure. Haven't been willing to get Quicktime Pro - used to but Apple kept wanting money every time a new version came out and they insist on bundling iTunes with it that stomps all over the OS...)

[tennant]

We tried Quicktime Pro with the video settings set to "Device Native". However in DV mode it comes in at 384x288 and in HDV mode Quicktime doesn't recognise the device at all.

[JohnnyMalaria]

We tried Quicktime Pro with the video settings set to "Device Native". However in DV mode it comes in at 384x288 and in HDV mode Quicktime doesn't recognise the device at all.

Do you mean it come into the Mac at 384x288 or when you try to import it into Premiere on Windows?

[tennant]

The Quicktime file is not the correct resolution (demonstrated both by Quicktime Movie Properties) and the properties in the Premiere bin.

We're trying every possible permutation of HDV at the moment, but nothing seems to work. If I capture direct from the camera on the PC using Premiere Pro 2 then I get a file that is 1440x1080, 25fps with stereo soundtrack and declares as an MPEG...plays perfectly.

When we try connecting the camera to the Mac, it again can capture fine in Final Cut Pro (and iMovie for that matter). However if we either take the native file direct from the Mac, or export it to Quicktime using the HDV codec first, we get a file that Quicktime thinks it can play, but shows no visual (audio only) and declares itself as 1920 x 1080 pixels with mono soundtrack, but no pictures are shown!