Can Canopus 110 or DAC200 playback video from PC to TV without rendering?

[JohnA2]

Hi all,

I want to verify if I can output my edited video (of any format) to TV (in an attempt to preview or outright recording to VCR) through either Canopus ADVC110 or DAC200 WITHOUT first rendering the project.

Your prompt response will be highly appreciated.

Cheers - JohnA2

[JohnnyMalaria]

Typically, you must create a DV format file (usually AVI) and have a software utility to send the DV file to the ADVC110/DAC200 via Firewire.

You could achieve the effect in realtime if you have software that can convert non-DV format video to DV format on the fly, then send it out via Firewire.

One program that could do that for you is GraphEdit.

[edDV]

Vegas* and Premiere also do this. If your source and project are DV format then there is no conversion. It just plays out the IEEE-1394 port. If the source is MPeg2 or other, the CPU must convert unrendered previews on the fly. This works fine if your CPU is fast enough at SD resolutions but can lag for HD sources or timelines. The feature is still useful for monitoring HD/HDV projects even if only selected frames are rendered.

*including Vegas Movie Studio

[JohnA2]

Thx JohnnyMalaria & EdDV for your response.

I'm strongly aware of the fact that after rendering to DV AVI format, the video can pass thru fire wire on cancoder to preview/playback on TV with corresponding feature: but my quest remains that SHOULD I INTEND RECORDING BACK TO TAPE (vcr/vhs) & NOT NECESSARILY IN DVAVI FORMAT, HOW DO I OUTPUT TO ORDINARY TV OR VCR WITHOUT RENDERING/CONVERSION OF FORMAT?Noting that:
1. i use normal TV with RF/RCA cables, not the one with firewire connection;
2. i capture DV AVI format from my camcoder to PC;
3. i capture normal AVI from analogue TV.

IS THERE NO VIDEO OR EDITING CARD THAT CAN HELP ACHIEVE THIS?

Your swift response will be highly appreciated.

JohnA2

[jagabo]

Many graphics cards support composite or s-video output.

[pstedman]

I've done this using Adobe Premiere Pro and my ADVC 100. Premiere has the option to output via firewire which goes into the ADVC which has analog outputs. The analog outputs got back into your TV. I've used it to double-check my titles to make sure I'm staying with the safe areas.

I'm not sure what editing software you're using, but if you can output it to the ADVC it should do the analog conversion for you. One of the reasons I love my ADVC.

[edDV]

You can use your DV camcorder or the ADVC-100 to convert firewire to analog composite or S-Video. For NTSC users the ADVC-100 does a better job since it outputs 7.5-100 IRE levels same as broadcast. A DV camcorder outputs 0-100 IRE. That means you need to recalibrate brightness and contrast when you use the camcorder and then set back to watch normal DVD or broadcast TV.

You can get very tight monitor calibration using firewire for preview. Display card overlay settings are very difficult to calibrate. I use the ADVC color bar to calibrate analog sources and the SMPTE and Bell Nuit charts to set the monitor.



http://www.belle-nuit.com/testchart.html

[edDV]

Her's how you use the ADVC color bar with a DV format editor.

[edDV]

Thx JohnnyMalaria & EdDV for your response.

I'm strongly aware of the fact that after rendering to DV AVI format, the video can pass thru fire wire on cancoder to preview/playback on TV with corresponding feature: but my quest remains that SHOULD I INTEND RECORDING BACK TO TAPE (vcr/vhs) & NOT NECESSARILY IN DVAVI FORMAT, HOW DO I OUTPUT TO ORDINARY TV OR VCR WITHOUT RENDERING/CONVERSION OF FORMAT?Noting that:
1. i use normal TV with RF/RCA cables, not the one with firewire connection;
2. i capture DV AVI format from my camcoder to PC;
3. i capture normal AVI from analogue TV.

IS THERE NO VIDEO OR EDITING CARD THAT CAN HELP ACHIEVE THIS?

Your swift response will be highly appreciated.

JohnA2

OK you are probably PAL so you would use the 0-100 IRE levels.

Your camcoder can do the conversion from IEEE-1394 to analog PAL. Please clarify your work flow and software so we can answer the render question better. For "avi" do you mean uncompressed at DV/DVD levels (ITU-REC601)? If so "rendering" depends on the software and CPU power.

If all you want is an uncalibrated PAL output, you can get that from the display card. In that case the "rendering" is done in the video player software or in the display card hardware.

[JohnA22]

Please clarify your work flow and software so we can answer the render question better.

Hi all, this is still JohnA2. I found it difficult to log in again with d name: contacting d Administrator on this, still no response, thus I have to re-register with this new name: JohnA22.

(edDV). Yes, u are right in your guess: I am actually in a PAL region but mistakenly bought NTSC Sony cam. This is by the way. The IEEE-1394 port on the cam is bad for now. Before then, if I capture DV file from the cam to PC thru IEEE-1394, I must maintain the format while editing so that I can play it back thru the same cam to the TV using the cam’s RCA out. But the file size is always big on PC.

Attempting to capture from the cam to PC as VCD or AVI file reduces the file size, right, but this cannot playback into the cam except the file is rendered from AVI to DV format, then using IEEE-1394 connecting PC > the cam, and using RCA > TV for preview. This sometimes takes twice/thrice the no. of the video hour(s). Moreso that the cam firewire port is now bad. This is my plight.

My sys. is P4 3.0ghz with 1GB ram. I do use Ulead VS8 for editing.

Your urgent response will mean a lot to me.

JohnA22 (formerly JohnA2

[JohnA22]

One program that could do that for you is GraphEdit.

Hi, JohnnyMalaria. Going thru this link, I couldn’t see the relevance of what I saw there to what we are dicussing. Could it be a mistake?

Thx - JohnA22

[JohnA22]

Many graphics cards support composite or s-video output.

Hi, jagabo. Could u help me out by mentioning a few of them?

JohnA22

[edDV]

Welcome back JohnA22.

So if I understand, you have a NTSC camcorder with a broken IEEE-1394 port.

Before the port failed you could import and edit DV format and output back through the camcorder to analog NTSC output.

Now you import via capture card to VCD? I would recommend for better quality you capture to uncompressed YUV, Huffyuv or at least MPeg2 to your editor. In these cases an uncompressed project format would be used. Export via the display card would require a real time preview function from your editor (a preview must be prerendered to project format). It sounds like you are using Premiere? As you have discovered, uncompressed project formats require extensive rendering before a preview is possible.

The ADVC-110 could get you back to DV import, a DV project format and instant DV preview for straight cut edits. Transitions, effects or filters would still need to be rendered before preview. The main advantage in your case is the ADVC-110 can operate in either NTSC or PAL mode.

Alternatively, you can get your IEEE-1394 port fixed and use the old camcorder for analog in/out, or you can set that aside and buy a new PAL DV camcorder with analog in and out. Either should eliminate the need for the ADVC and still allow realtime preview.

In some countries, PAL DV camcorders with analog inputs are highly taxed. In that case the ADVC-110 might be more cost effective.


PS: I read above that you are using ULead Video Studio 8. That too will allow DV format preview if you select "Preview to DV" in the preference menus. VS8 is less flexible for DV preview than is Premiere or Vegas. It requires that you manually render before DV preview is possible. Premiere and Vegas do this render automatically. Premiere will halt preview until you "render the timeline" for effects or filters. Vegas will just attempt to preview using the CPU to render to DV. If the CPU can't keep up the preview drops in quality and/or gets jerky.

[edDV]

Here are the Preference settings in VS9.

Preview quality can be set to "instant" for low quality or "high quality" with rendering delays.

Output device can be DV camcorder (via IEEE-1394 port) or "Dual Head Device" which is the display card second monitor output. That output would need careful calibration in the display overlay menus.