existing video input+SDI can confuse Kona
by Bob Cole
on
Sep 13, 2007 at 1:08:08 pm
Thanks to Tommy (?) I found out the solution to a problem.
Pre-HD-Connect, I had a Sony M25 deck outputting component video to a Kona LHe. When I added the CD HD-Connect MI and its HDMI-SDI to my system, I had all sorts of audio click/sync problems. (similar to what I'd had earlier with another setup).
Tommy suggested that the Kona card might be getting confused because I hadn't disconnected the analog component video from the M25 deck -- and I think he was right.
I am using the HD-Connect's FW-to-RS422 converter, and still have problems with deck control. At the beginning of a reel, FCP sometimes reports severe VTR problems repeatedly, before announcing that the end of tape has been reached (this, at the start of a reel!). I think this is related to classic HDV issues with timecode. So far, I haven't critical problems in the middle of a tape, only at the start.
Just wanted to share the solution, while posing another problem!
Bob C
MacPro 2 x 3GHz dualcore; 2 GB 667MHz
Kona LHe
Sony HDV Z1
Sony HDV M25U
HD-Connect MI
Betacam UVW1800
DVCPro AJ-D650
Re: existing video input+SDI can confuse Kona by John Schell on Sep 14, 2007 at 12:36:42 pm
Hi Bob,
Have you set the M25 tape transport to Shuttle max instead of FF/REW? Goto menu, VTR settings, FF/REW speed and set to Shuttlemax. Basically with FCP and RS-422 to 1394, FCP does the timecode searches (in Avid, the MI does the timecode searches). When the VTR is cruising at top speed, it often blows past the in points to the end of the tape.
Re: existing video input+SDI can confuse Kona by Bob Cole on Sep 14, 2007 at 12:44:59 pm
[John Schell]"ob,
Have you set the M25 tape transport to Shuttle max instead of FF/REW?"
Yes, I did set that correctly from the beginning.
But there's another menu setting on the M25 that may be problematic: IN/OUT--i.LINK SET. Do you know the correct setting?
On the COW FCP Forum, Walter Biscardi wrote:
"If I understand you correctly, you're trying to capture the HDV material into another format through the Kona?
If so, you MUST set up the Firewire to downconvert to DV. You cannot control the deck via Firewire unless you are using an HDV easy setup. If you are trying to simply control the deck via Firewire while capturing via the Kona, you cannot have the deck in HDV mode via firewire."
Thanks!
Bob C
MacPro 2 x 3GHz dualcore; 2 GB 667MHz
Kona LHe
Sony HDV Z1
Sony HDV M25U
HD-Connect MI
Betacam UVW1800
DVCPro AJ-D650
Re: existing video input+SDI can confuse Kona by John Schell on Sep 14, 2007 at 1:41:36 pm
Hi Bob,
No need to set the iLink output to DV. That is only necessary if you are doing deck control directly via firewire from the mac (this doesn't work as well in our testing versus our RS-422 to 1394 deck control).
Do you have any preroll time prior to the timecode you are trying to capture? ie tape starts at 00:00:00:00 and you're inpoint is 00:00:05:00. If you're inpoint is too close to the starting timecode of the tape, it likely will have trouble getting to the inpoint. We recommend at least a 5 second preroll before and after all clips (while you are recording the video). This gives enough buffer so that FCP does not overrun the inpoint. Once it gets past the point of no timecode (if it rewinds past the start of video), it will be forever lost.
timecode breaks fewer with HD-Connect by Bob Cole on Sep 14, 2007 at 8:08:24 pm
Thanks for those tips.
I believe I'm seeing fewer timecode breaks when using the HD-Connect with its 1394-to-RS422 conversion, compared to a straight DV or HDV capture.
That's not a scientific analysis -- I should recapture the HDV-path footage with timecode breaks while using the HD-Connect before saying this for sure.
MacPro 2 x 3GHz dualcore; 2 GB 667MHz
Kona LHe
Sony HDV Z1
Sony HDV M25U
HD-Connect MI
Betacam UVW1800
DVCPro AJ-D650
