Hi fellas
I'm planning to digitize some tapes. I got a Panasonic GS400 and a Hitachi 8mm with TBC. I've set up passthrough going from the one camera to the other, and it works fine on my Mac Mini where I use some old tool called Vidi, which seems to just save as .DV which is as "original quality" as it gets (right?).
While it looks nice I'm still wondering whether this is the method to settle on. The RCA -> 3.5mm cable isn't s-video.
So my question is; what is likely better - RCA passthrough a DV camera or capturing s-video?
Thanks,
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For highest quality, you should run s-video into a digital converter and store in lossless format. DV is compressed.
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Looks as if Kocane is using a Mac, so inferior DV lossy encoding is the only choice.
- My sister Ann's brother -
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For the GS400, tapes from it was/were already encoded as DV, so the best, fastest, most straightforward way to capture is via FireWire DV transfer. Though I would not use VIDI, but rather iMovie.
For the Hitachi 8mm, if that is Digital 8, then I would also go FireWire DV. Otherwise those tapes could possibly be better suited by S-video + cap card/device and storing losslessly (or if you are stuck on the Mac side for those as well, ProRes).
Scott -
Last edited by LMotlow; 24th Feb 2018 at 05:48.
- My sister Ann's brother -
Thanks. iMovie just seems like it wants to make my videos into .mov or deinterlace them with whatever method they're using, which is not what I had in mind, and why I thought Vidi semed like a nice method to just get the .DV file and then encode and deinterlace with H264.
As for the 8mm tapes, it's a combination of video8 and hi8 so analog, yeah. I thought passthrough a firewire camera like my panasonic could be a good idea but if it's lossy then I guess the better method is to go with my Hauppauge USB Live 2 and S-video.
HuhLast edited by Kocane; 24th Feb 2018 at 07:19.
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From what I've heard, most DV camcorders with analog passthrough apply the TBC to the signal. And the analog passthrough is the signal before DV compression, so it's free of DV artifacts. The firewire output is always DV compressed.
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The GS400 has a single s-video jack for input and output, so I don't see how you could use it for analog passthrough.
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The analog output has DV conversion applied. It doesn't know how to do anything else. It goes in, gets processed TBC+DV, then is output over either Firewire or analog.
In fact, most cameras have a shared s-video in/out port, with menu selection to change direction.
And many (most?) DV cameras don't have passthrough ability at all.
Cameras probably could have existed as you state, but I don't think any model does so. The intention was to always transfer analog over Firewire or save to tape. That feature came in later years, and was not originally part of the plan for DV.
Some don't even allow s-video, and composite is the only output choice.Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
FAQs: Best Blank Discs • Best TBCs • Best VCRs for capture • Restore VHS -
Well, I'm an idiot, I oversaw the IN/OUT next to the S-video port on my Panasonic, which means I can passthrough s-video from my analogue hitachi to my DV panasonic. Whether or not the DV transfer is better quality than using my Hauppauge USB Live 2 capture card, I gotta compare side by side I guess.
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That's an INPUT and DV encoding, not pass-through. The idea of pass-through is that you put in an analog signal and you get an analog signal out. You will be getting an encoded DV signal out. All else being equal, DV will not look as good as uncompressed or losslessly-compressed video.
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Contrary to what JVRaines stated, from my memory, "Analog Pass-through" on DV cameras has always meant separate analog input ports + (live) dv encoding onto firewire IO port.
If there's no separate analog output as well as input (or if there's only one switchable), there's no way it could truly PASS THROUGH. But then, why would you? To pass through in that manner would be the same as a straight direct cable connection bypassing the device.
If you assumed it would input analog, digitize to digital uncompressed with framestore (quasi-tbc), then d->a back to analog and back out, that is NOT a common feature. And that's not truly passing through, since it would be being acted upon by the digitizing (even if uncompressed).
Scott -
Yes, "passthrough" on DV cameras is s-video/composite in > Firewire out. I don't think I've ever seen one with both analog in AND out.
And technically, you're probably right -- ie not really "passthrough" (transparent/unity).
But it's still the accepted lingo of in>processing>outWant my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
FAQs: Best Blank Discs • Best TBCs • Best VCRs for capture • Restore VHS -
Yes, accepted lingo. Except a few who don't know the history, I guess.
Scott -
Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
FAQs: Best Blank Discs • Best TBCs • Best VCRs for capture • Restore VHS
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