Sony HDV capture fails in Premiere?

[Peter Dickow]

Hello,

Finding a challenge in capturing HDV videotape from my Sony HVR-A1U/A1N into Premiere Pro 2023 Windows 10.
I'm assuming I no longer need my Canopus since it's not analog video? (When I tried that, the video looked stretched.). I had great success capturing from a variety of formats using the Canopus.
When I plug directly from camera's 4 pin firewire to computer 6 pin firewire, I see nothing.
Should I try 4 pin to 4 pin - camera to computer?

Thank you - Peter

[lordsmurf]

Premiere has always been an infamous program, when it comes to capture (or TFF, or deinterlacing). It just does a terrible job, and it has never changed in 20+ years.

HDV is hi-def DV, digital, not quite 1080p. Not analog, so the ADVC box is useless here.

I always forget if Scenalyzer or WinDV support HDV. I've not had any HDV tapes to convert/capture since before 2013. In fact, I may have even had some tapeless HDV, maybe?

[latreche34]

You would need HDVSplit for HDV tapes, Make sure all permissions are allowed in the OS. Up until Win8 this was not an option you'll have to do to transfer a freaking tape, But society has changed and a lot of these dumb kids parents are suing the software manufacturers for exposing the privacy of their "vulnerable kids" to the predators of internet, Sorry for going off topic.

[Peter Dickow]

Appreciate the context and background! OK. So, download HDV Split and run with that? As the Lord mentioned, these are HDV tapes are really hi-def DV - or whatever. Just trying to offload about 20 hours of childhood memories - only about 20 minutes of which will ever see the light of day again.

[latreche34]

Yes HDVSplit as the name indicates, ScLive and WinDV are for DV/DVCAM/D8 tapes. Post screenshots of what you see in the device manager and the device dropdown box in HDVSplit.

[Peter Dickow]

HDVsplit shows me this. I am using an iLink cable from camera to back of computer

I'd like to use PPro 2023 for capture, but it isn't seeing this camera, unlike all the other previous ones I have used.

picture is attached.

[latreche34]

What about device manager? If it is not listed in device manager, it could be either the port of your camcorder, the cable or the firewire card.

[dpalomaki]

At one time one had to use the so called "legacy" firewire driver with Win 7 and newer because the newer driver was problematic for DV/HDV capture.

HDV was 16x9 and mostly came in one of two flavors, 1280x720p (JVC) and 1440x1080i (Sony & Canon). It and used H.262/MPEG-2 compression and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. Data rate was limited so that it could use MiniDV tape

Most HDV camcorders could also record and play SD DV. While many players could automatically detect DV vs HDV tapes during playback, successful capture often required manually setting the playback mode in the player settings (menu).

[Peter Dickow]

I was able to capture this HDV using WinDV - so I know the iLink cable (4 pin to 4 pin firewire works). Premiere would not see the camera. Also, (frustratingly), the capture was of about 60 short clips - every time I stopped and started recording. Is there a way to make it just one file?

Also, it is listed in Device Manager: IEEE 1394 ochi compliant host controller>VIA 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller

[dpalomaki]

It looks like Adobe removed FIREWIRE capture support from Premiere Pro for the MAC in January 2022. I suspect support in the Windows version was dropped with the next release for Windows after that date. It will still support DV/HDV files formats, but one would have to find a different way to ingest the material; e.g., a chain that provides SDI output.

Oother main stream NLE dropped Firewire capture support a few years ago.

[latreche34]

WinDV captures only DV, So if the tape has a mix of DV and HDV recordings you would have to capture DV and HDV separately with different software, For DV set the maximum file size to a higher number so it will capture DV in one file.

[Peter Dickow]

So, oddly, I now have success capturing my Sony DV (tho it says its HDV) into Premiere Pro!
I switched computers, and cables (went from 4 pin to 4 pin to 4 pin to 6 pin Firewire), and am using Legacy drivers in the IEEE 1394. Realize these older versions are finicky with cables and such.

Appreciate all of your input and support!

Peter

[dpalomaki]

Quote:

...the capture was of about 60 short clips - every time I stopped and started recording. Is there a way to make it just one file?

Capture programs can usually be configured to make a new clip every time there was a break in the video (i.e., when the camcorder recording was paused) or to capture as one long clip subject to the file size limitations (often 2 GB).