Sony Vegas Preview on TV

[stitch_uk]

Hi,

I've just finished editing my first DVD with Vegas and it went quite well. The only question that I have is how do I setup the ability to preview the output on my TV?

Am I right in thinking that I need to send the Digital output from PC via a Firewire cable back to my DV camera and then send the video to the TV via an Analogue connection?

The trouble I have is that my DV camera doesn't have an analogue output. Are there any boxes available that could do a similar job? Is there anything else I can try to get this preview working? I need to be able to see how things are looking in relation to the safe areas.

Many thanks,
Richard.

[Nelson9937955]

Can't you just author a DVD and then just burn it to a rewritable DVD and play it in a standalone? I think that would be best the best way to check your work anyways.

[Beavis]

Hi,
Am I right in thinking that I need to send the Digital output from PC via a Firewire cable back to my DV camera and then send the video to the TV via an Analogue connection?
Richard.

That's basically it... the Vegas preview first goes via Firewire out, and then you can do whatever you want with it. You'll have to decide if it's really worth the extra expense of new hardware just to learn where your TV screen edges are going to be. If that's the only thing you want the direct preview for, you could just render the clips in question and make a test disc like the first responder said and see how they look. Not a very sophisticated way to do it, but definitely cheaper, and once you figure out your limits (ie. what percentage of your screen edge isn't really safe) you won't need to do it anymore.

[canadateck]

Out of curiosity what Camera do you have?

[trock]

If you're only concerned about TV screen edge issues (which vary on every TV), then the advice above is fine.

But if you're planning on doing any filtering of the video it's vital to be able to see what you're doing while you're doing it - otherwise you have keep encoding/authoring/burning trial DVDs which is a right royal time-wasting PIA in my experience.

Basically you can end up encoding and authoring and burning numerous DVDs just to find out that you got it slightly wrong each time. It's a horrible way to have to do it.

For about $150 you can get something like an ADS Pyro DV to analog converter which works great with Vegas for exactly this function (as well as giving you analog to DV capture capability).

[stitch_uk]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

Until now i've been doing what has been suggested: Burning to rewritable DVDs and then checking on TV.

All I know about the camera is that it's a Sony DV and doesn't have an Analogue out. A friend took the camera home after we had firewired the files to the PC.

Thanks for the info on the analogue converter hardware, i'll give that a look.

Cheers.

[guns1inger]

So you cant view the footage from the camera on a TV using the camera ? Strange, as every consumer DV cam I have seen has this facility.

[edDV]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

Until now i've been doing what has been suggested: Burning to rewritable DVDs and then checking on TV.

All I know about the camera is that it's a Sony DV and doesn't have an Analogue out. A friend took the camera home after we had firewired the files to the PC.

Thanks for the info on the analogue converter hardware, i'll give that a look.

Cheers.

Tis a shame you don't have analog out. Most Sony DV camcorders do. I hear "Analog video in" is left off many UK camcorders for tax reasons. Are you sure you don't have some provision for analog video out? If not you may be able to borrow a camcorder while editing.

In addition to the ADS Pyro DV, Canopus has the ADVC-100 and 110, DataVideo has the DAC-100 DV, SR makes the DVCP-1, and there are a few more for the Mac.

These tend to be expensive since they need a full realtime hardware DV stream decoder and PAL / NTSC encoder.

TV monitoring is important. Computer monitors are not adequate for making video quality judgements due to differences in gamma, phosphors, color space (YUV vs RGB), progressive vs interlace display, etc.

[trock]

Another thing to consider is using a video monitor rather than a TV as they tend to be easier to calibrate correctly - and they come up on eBay all the time at very low prices.

Don't use a graphics card with "TV Out" or a scan converter as they tend to give a fuzzy oversatuated output.

edDV is right, it's very unusual for a camcorder not to have some form of analog out (sometimes not obviously located). If you can find the analog out then you're set since you can use the camcorder as your DV to analog converter.

[GeorgeW]

the camcorder might have analog out, but what it might be missing is the dv-to-analog "pass thru" feature (Sony disables the pass-thru on some of their low-end digital-8 camcorders -- and perhaps they also do it on some of their low-end miniDV camcorders)

[edDV]

the camcorder might have analog out, but what it might be missing is the dv-to-analog "pass thru" feature (Sony disables the pass-thru on some of their low-end digital-8 camcorders -- and perhaps they also do it on some of their low-end miniDV camcorders)

In the UK, camcorder analog in is disabled unless a stiff recording tax is paid. But that doesn't affect analog out.

[schematic2]

Low end Mini DV Sonys don't have the pass through. As edDV states, you need an analog output, not just for "safe area" but for color variances between PC and television. Rather than buy a stand alone D/A convertor, you're better off buying a cheap camcorder that has this feature. It will atleast have more usefulness....