Posted by evieg on 11/15/05 11:33

John <jlwsecure-usenet5@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:Xns971E54C1DFBCEjlwsecure@207.115.63.158:

> evieg <evieg@noway.com> wrote in
> news:Xns971B8AE321D60eviegnowaycom@207.69.189.191:
>
>>
>> which Sony HandyCam do you have? I thought I would try digital over
>> my Sony Hi8 - so I jumped ship and ended up with a JVC mini-DV model
>> that I quickly returned. The JVC would only recognize USB for Motion
>> JPEG's and not for any DV - needed to use the s-video or Firewire.
>
>
> I have a TRV280 Digital 8.
>
>
>>
>> The first thing you need to do is learn if sound can be carried over
>> the USB connection. On my Sony Hi8 - the S-video jack is vastly
>> superior for video than the composite out cable - but sound is only
>> carried via the composite cable - so both need to be connected when I
>> capture - choosng S-video for video and line-in from the composite
>> connection for the audio.
>
>
> Sound *is* carried over the USB connection. It works fine using
> Windows Movie maker, and the capture software that came with the
> camera. The problem with these programs is that for some reason, the
> captured video quality is not what I would call the best. I've come
> *close* to having a good DVD production, but close does not count.
>
>
>>
>> If you have a Firewire port on the Camcorder - then by all means
>> obtain a firewire card and cable to connect that way -
>
> The Camcorder *does* have a firewire connection. Or something called
> iLink, which I believe is the same thing. I don't have that hardware
> capability yet, so I want to get by with the cheapest solution
> possible.

From what I have read Sony is using proprietary software and from what I
gather few folks are writing programs to support USB 2.0 for video capture.
Technically USB 2.0 has a higher bandwidth capability than Firewire - see
http://www.digit-life.com/articles/usb20vsfirewire/ - but the difference is
negligible - and does require special software.

Of course the IEEE1394 standard also requires special software - but it is
recognized within XP as a capture device - so little is needed to have it
run for anything. Perhaps in Vista USB 2.0 will get the boost it needs.

That said - a poster stated a good point - a PCI firewire card is cheap.
You can get a basic port for about $14.00 from newegg.com - and if you
watch it closely - sometimes shipping for 99c. You will need a cable,
which can be $5.00 - $7.00 - again watching close.

Obtain a copy of Virtualdub-MPEG2 at -

http://fcchandler.home.comcast.net/stable/

and see if you device can be picked up within the capture settings of Vdub.
Avery Lee who wrote the original Virtualdub program has made a real effort
to include any device handled by a WDM driver to be classified as a capture
device. It will not start out in that mode - you will need to select File>
Capture AVI>Device>and then select your capture device.

If that freeware solution does not handle your cam - then you will need a
Firewire card - or a TV-Card. What you will find is that digital does not
carry the true picture you remember - as it must compress each frame of
video - 30 frames per second - with two fields per frame - each field being
a complete "picture" - so in an "action/motion" shot - it simply drops
frames and/or fields.

For clarity you need film and/or tape to equal a DVD production as no
frames and/or fields are ever dropped. A DVD was shot originally using a
Movie Camera that had no fields - just took a picture of everything it saw
and recorded to film one single photograph per frame times 24fps per second
(on average). Our small camcorders cannot equal that.

But a camcorder that captures according to TV-standards can do so nicely
and play-back correctly using tape. A digital device basically has a small
computer-chip built-in to it and when push-comes-to-shove cannot equal an
analog camcorder. That is the main reason I returned mine.

But if you like digital - and know that your machine is not equal to the
$3,200 digital Sony for Broadcast TV Stations - then you will miss things
on your captures and there is no way to compensate for that.

I would guess you are probably getting the best you will ever get out of
the Digital Cam you have - but you will not know for sure until you buy a
Firewire Card and Cable together for about $20.00.

Digital is coming - just not there yet in my humble and useless estimation
- until it is exactly as good as analog.

If you have the ability to return it and obtain an analog Sony - buy a TV-
Card - and you will be more than pleased with DVD quality guaranteed. It
is a gamble with digital.


hope this helps.

I just know my old black and white 127 camera from the days I was a kid
produced vastly superior photographs than any digital still camera I have
yet to run across - and the Sony analog I have does the same versus
digital. Some things better - but if object is to produce a DVD for
playback on a TV - no compettition.

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