HDMI Capture: Worth the $240?
by digitalhecht
on
Apr 29, 2007 at 2:03:01 am
Assuming Black Magic Intensity support for Canon HV20 capture (via HDMI) is right around the corner, what, if any, are the advantages of capturing via HDMI vs HDV (Firewire)? Is it worth the $240? Thanks in advance!
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by Blast1 on Apr 29, 2007 at 10:51:33 am
The HDMI is working in a 4:2:2 color space, even though you would be capturing from the 4:2:0 mpeg on the tape an converting it may give a leg up when appling effects, there is also using the HDMI output for use with a external monitor for preview, I am thinking about the Intensity Pro version for use of the analog I/O, there is also the possibility of using the HDMI for capture using a cam as a camera head before the compression for tape takes place, I would like to see a HDMI express card for a laptop to do field capture.
$349 for the Intensity Pro is a basic no brainer.
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by redgum on Apr 29, 2007 at 12:26:21 pm
Great card, but the Intensity without analog I/O is limited in output to large HDMI screens. There are no screens 24" or under with HDMI other than the Benq and it won't work with Intensity. The Intensity Pro is a much better option at this time.
Redgum Television Productions
Broadcast & Corporate Documentaries
Brisbane, Australia
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by redgum on Apr 30, 2007 at 10:11:27 am
Hey Blast1 - the Intensity (and many other cards) won't go from HDMI to DVI - the other way is fine, not with a cable anyway. You can use a converter but these are twice as dear as the card itself. All to do with fixed bandwidth.
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by Blast1 on Apr 29, 2007 at 8:35:34 pm
Hi:
Have you tried the Intensity/Intensity Pro? I would be interested to find out how their Mjpeg codec works, the Intensity Pro looks like a good replacement for expensive Canopus/GV cards, only drawback is that Edius is not supposed to load if it detects a BM-I card, this is something they built-in vice lack of drivers.
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by Michael Palmer on Apr 29, 2007 at 8:47:07 pm
I am able to send a 1920x1080i signal out of my V1U and the Intensity card reads the 108oi signal and then Final Cut has the DVC PRO HD codec to convert it to. I don't have any experience with the newer Intensity Pro card
Michael Palmer
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by Michael Palmer on Apr 29, 2007 at 3:05:56 pm
It is well worth it. I don't know of any other product that can do what this can for a low $240 bucks. What is great to me is the ability to convert to DVC PRO HD and break the headache of Long GOP editing. Plus it allows you to monitor your timelime. Cheep if you ask me. Live capturing is also a possibility. And yes a card for a laptop would be nice. The only way to live capture right now is to use a desktop unit with a few more expensive hardware pieces. However you could buy a really expensive HDMI 65' cable back to the desktop. Just remember it only works with Intel machines, I have an Apple PPC and I have trouble with mine and I don't use it. Ill keep it for my next Mac.
Michael Palmer
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by digitalhecht on Apr 29, 2007 at 6:30:21 pm
All great info. Thanks! I guess what I need to know in layman's terms is what are the pluses and minuses of HDMI vs (H)DV capture? For example, if higher resolution capture is possible with HDMI, is there a downside to working with the (presumably) larger file sizes?
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by Michael Palmer on Apr 29, 2007 at 7:43:22 pm
With any compressed format it needs to be uncompress to view it, so my Sony V1u has a port for viewing and the camera will uncompress the HDV, this is where you can use this 1920x1080i uncompressed signal to capture into FCS and set the capture setting to DVC PRO HD. Presto you now have created DVC PRO HD to work with. Is this any better than HDV? Only for editing and exporting. With HDV native your CPU works much harder because of the intra-frame Long GOP format and when you export you need to conform that takes a long time. The Interframe DVC PRO HD codec has all the information to rebuilt a frame with in it making it easier on the CPU while cutting your project. Conforming is when MPEG-2 makes a movie and needs to remap the output for compression. Long GOP is a great acquisition format but is difficult to edit and export. If you edit with Final Cut you can convert to the Panasonic DVC PRO HD codec. It is not much larger of a file but it is a little smaller resolution size, nothing to get worked up over. However if you want a higher codec this again is the way to convert to almost any thing.
Michael Palmer
Re: HDMI Capture: Worth the $240? by Michael Palmer on May 2, 2007 at 3:25:50 pm
That's right it crashes most times I try to use it.
When it first came out the website didn't really come right out and say this.
"Intensity features the latest HDMI technology for the highest quality capture and playback on Windows or Mac OS X computers."
They even had "PCIe compatible" on the website.
Easy to think it works with any PCIe Mac G5 right? WRONG
I wrote and never really got a straight answer to why these words are written in this way and still are.
Kristian Lam of BM wrote
"the reason why we delayed the release of the Intensity card is that we were trying to find a way to overcome the incompatibility with G5's. Eventually we decided to release the Intensity but for Mac Pro and PC only.
"There are no guarantees this will be fixed if the problem is with the vendor of our chip or with the G5 itself."
This is so PC like when there are lots of products that just don't work. The Mac world has been pretty solid and this was something I didn't expect. Oh well. I'm going to save for my next Mac.
Michael Palmer
