Anybody Worked With DVCPro in Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8?

[Jerry Jones]

Has anybody worked with DVCPro in Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8?

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Brian Ellis]

No, I haven't, but I have heard various horror stories from those that have!

[Dr Mordrid]

I've used DVCPro and DVCPro50 a couple of times without a problem, but that was with a Matrox DigiSuite codec pack installed. With a little digging you can find the codec pack on Matrox's FTP.

Edit:

Below is Matrox's download form for their free DigiSuite softcodec pack. Fill your info into the boxes and you get the D/L link. If you don't want to supply your personal info, lie

http://www.matrox.com/video/support/ds/software/codec/home.cfm

Good for Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0

Included codecs;

MJPeg (.05 MB/s to 20 MB/s (lossless))
DVCPro (25 mbit/s, locked 48khz audio only & 4:1:1 chroma even in PAL)
DVCPro50/Digital-S (as above but 50 mbit/s & 4:2:2 chroma)
DV/DVCAM Type 1/2 (25 mbit/s)
MPEG-2 I-frame (1-50 mbit/s)

Enjoy....

PS: look at those specs for DVCPro/DVCPro50 for reasons why some might have problems editing them absent a specific DVCPro codec.

[Jerry Jones]

Thanks, Doc.

Based on what I've read, there really is no reason why one couldn't successfully edit DVCPro files in Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8.

The specifications for Panasonic's DVCPro format are practically identical to those of Sony's DVCam and I know one can edit DVCam in Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8 because I've done it myself numerous times.

Adam Wilt explains there's practically no difference here:

http://tinyurl.com/wsgrp

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Dr Mordrid]

The differences arise in the project settings vs. smartrender, instant preview etc. I find it goes smoother with a custom profile set up to use the proper codec.

[BernardD]

Jerry,
Do you have a specific codec for editing Sony DVCam with MediaStudio Pro ?
I own Sony DVCam camcorder but always edited in DV.
Thanks
Bernard

[Jerry Jones]

Bernard,

I just used the Windows DV codec and it worked fine.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Brian Ellis]

DVCAM is identical to DV25: the only real difference is the width of the helical tracks is greater, which is why a 1 h DV tape is only 40 minutes when used in DVCAM. You can therefore use the standard DV codecs in all quietude.

In reality, DVCAM would be better named DVSCAM, as it's a typical Sony deviation from a standard to promote the continued use of Sony products. Their argument for the wider track width is that it gives a better signal:noise ratio, as if that matters two hoots with a digital format; it's either there or it isn't! And, yes, I use a DVCAM tape drive!

[Jerry Jones]

Yes, however...

DVCam uses "locked" audio, which is a more precise way of recording audio samples to digital tape.

That's a genuine improvement over consumer MiniDV.

But -- on balance -- you're right.

DVCam camcorders really aren't that much better than MiniDV camcorders as long as the optics are equivalent.

The wider tape was marketed as a benefit to TV news stations who were looking for more "durability."

No big deal.

But if one downloads the Matrox codecs referenced by Doc, then one shouldn't run into any problems editing DVCPro, either.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

By the way, the "locked" audio was a benefit -- and continues to be a benefit -- to TV news operations that use those slick little field editing units from Sony.

A Sony representative explained to me that consumer MiniDV -- when edited on those tape-to-tape (linear) field edit stations -- generally produces audible "pops" and "clicks" because of the lack of "locked" audio.

With DVCam that kind of editing is free of "pops" and "clicks."

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Dr Mordrid]

The DVCPro cam isn't really necessary if you have some time to kill. If you dub a 'normal' DV tape to a DVCPro deck using the RCA audio connects the dub will have locked audio. Same goes for the Grass Valley/Canopus ADVC products that use their DV chipset.

[Brian Ellis]

By the way, the "locked" audio was a benefit -- and continues to be a benefit -- to TV news operations that use those slick little field editing units from Sony.

A Sony representative explained to me that consumer MiniDV -- when edited on those tape-to-tape (linear) field edit stations -- generally produces audible "pops" and "clicks" because of the lack of "locked" audio.

With DVCam that kind of editing is free of "pops" and "clicks."

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Do you believe everything the Sony rep tells you? All DV recording has locked audio. It's only when transferred to DV type 2 avi format that it becomes unlocked. It is part of the DV spec that there are synch blocks in each audio sector, just as there are in video sectors. For NTSC, each track, starting at line 1, has 9 audio synch blocks, each handling 72 bytes of data. The samples are interleaved within a frame. There are even 5 error correcting audio synch blocks, in the event of slippage. Let me see, what is DVCAM saying? Oops! Exactly the same!

This is a damn good reason for keeping it DV type 1, provided it is compatible with your hardware.

[BernardD]

So, What is the interest of using DVCam then ?

[Dr Mordrid]

DVCPro has locked audio, which minimizes audio artifacting and synch drift...the latter a problem with many Sony cams due to sampling 48 khz audio at the wrong bitrate

DVCPro50 is advantageous because it uses a twice the bitrate (50 mbit/s vs. DV/DVCAM'a 25 mbit/s) and 4:2:2 chroma in addition to the above.

Both take nice, big lenses which counts for a ton.

[Brian Ellis]

So, What is the interest of using DVCam then ?

As I said before, the interest is Sony making sure that once you are locked into it, you have to stay with it, and their proprietary hardware. I have here some original DVCAM tape and some mini-DV tape copied from it. Believe me, you cannot see a speck of difference, either examining each frame or playing them as is. The difference is I can play either in my DVCAM drive, but I cannot play the DVCAM tape in my Panasonic DV camera, only the DV version. That is why I called it earlier DVSCAM.

Edit: Oh! There is a difference that I should mention, to be fair. The mechanical construction of my DVCAM drive is much more robust than that of my camera drive, but the latter has done some hard work for 10 years with ~150 hours of tape passing through it, so I can't complain. I have not had the opportunity of looking at the drive in a DVCAM camera: if it were as clunky as that in my computer drive, then this would be a plus, with a minus of weight.