problem DV/DVCAM tape - can't capture - any advice (Please)
by MitchJi
on
Aug 31, 2005 at 7:27:13 pm
Hi,
I have a Mini DV tape of edited footage I am trying to capture to author a DVD. It was originally edited using two DV decks and firewire. The capture keeps aborting (at least six or eight times in 45 minutes) with the following message:
"Capture encountered a problem reading the data on your source tape. This could
be due to a problem with the tape. Capture has been aborted and your clip has been saved."
The tape plays fine. I copied the tape to DVCAM and I still get the same problem. I tried both Apple Firewire and Apple Firewire Basic. I tried both batch capture and capture now. Capturing around the breaks will result in jump cuts. Any help would be appreciated.
Re: not a timecode problem by Matte on Aug 31, 2005 at 10:04:23 pm
That's, in effect, what happens during a "crash-edit" between two DV camcorders.
Its not a very reliable way to edit (although I have done it a few times myself).
There can be a small "glitch" at the edit-point that the error-correction can usually mask.
But the glitch CAN get to the FW output and FCP can sometimes "see" it and balk.
It can CERTAINLY cause a (virtually invisible to the eye) timecode glitch.
(Many "TC Break" problems in FCP do not appear as such when just viewing the tape.)
The FW DV-to-DV copy can usually cause these glitches to become less of a problem and it the preferred work-around method.
If you still can't get this to work (even with iMovie) then there is another sure-fire fix.
Copy the master DV to another DV tape... using the S-Video (analog) connection (and audio, if needed.)
This will "lose a generation" (although it will be virtually unnoticeable) but the glitches will simply "not be on" the copy.
Re: not a timecode problem by MitchJi on Sep 1, 2005 at 4:16:42 pm
Hi Matte,
Thanks for the explanation.
The iMovie capture worked for the glitches that caused FCP to balk although I think it might not have captured the audio correctly (I didn't have time to check) on one segment.
There was also at least one place on the tape that iMovie couldn't capture and FCP was able to capture that segment so if I can get all the audio (an analog audio only capture should work but then I would have to synch the audio) I should be set.
I prefer not to do an S-video video capture as the DVD will look better played via component if I do the FW capture.
Re: problem DV/DVCAM tape - can't capture - any advice (Please) by PaulD on Sep 1, 2005 at 5:12:15 pm
Hi
I prefer to use the basic DV capture utility in Sorensen Squeeze 3 in this sort of capture problem instance. It has no setting controls whatsoever, and seems to ignore a lot of problems that more sophisticated programs don't - and it captures FCP-compatible QuickTime clips.
Re: what worked (99%) - Finally! - Thanks for all the suggestions and information! by MitchJi on Sep 1, 2005 at 10:22:57 pm
Hi,
What worked best was to:
"Capture now" which aborts but saves the clip up to the point the failure occurred.
Examine the clip to see which was the last frame captured.
Do a batch capture starting two frames past the last frame. One frame past might have worked but I didn't try that. With this footage the two missing frames are hard to notice.
