Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Windows

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kanone
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Re: Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Wind

Post by kanone »

Thanks Steve,
You're quite correct about the component encoding: in fact it's not RGB (4:4:4 sampling) at all, just uses old style RGB cabling. I think you meant to say that Y' is the gamma-corrected luma signal.

Duncan
steve
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Re: Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Wind

Post by steve »

kanone wrote:Thanks Steve,
I think you meant to say that Y' is the gamma-corrected luma signal.

Duncan
Yes you are right, Y is luminance.

Steve
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Frank
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Re: Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Wind

Post by Frank »

Hi everyone, just noticed the more-recent posts in this thread. I don't think that I ever received e-mail messages informing me that follow-ups had been posted. Perhaps I inadvertently had the "Notify me when a reply is posted" checkbox unchecked.
kanone wrote:Frank, Thanks for your comments.
You're very welcome.
kanone wrote:After re-reading my original article, I realized I gave the mistaken impression that DV camcorders implemented IEEE1394b which in fact is generally not the case
I would remove the word "generally" from what you wrote, at least when referring to HDV camcorders and VCRs. I don't know of a single one that has IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800), although some HDV products (I'm thinking of JVC here) had six-pin connectors instead of the usual four-pin connectors. JVC choose to use the six-pin connectors because of their greater durability compared to the four-pin variety.
kanone wrote:I am surprised however at your remark about the component analog output being YUV. At least for my Canon Vixia HV30 it is most definitely RGB, as evidenced by the manual and the supplied RGB cable set, complete with colour-coded connectors!
As Steve pointed out, it's not RGB. It's Y'UV - sometimes referred to as YCC, where Y' is a gamma-corrected luma signal and the UV (also called CC) components are color (colour) difference signals (R-Y and B-Y, as used by Sony in it's old Betacam/Betacam SP 1/2-inch analog video tape recording formats).

Strictly speaking, the term YPbPr applies to component video signals in the analog domain while the term YCbCr refers to component video signals in the digital domain, although I sometimes see video equipment manufacturers misuse these terms. Since the component video outputs found on HDV products are always analog, YPbPr is really the correct term to use.

It's important to note, I think, that the UV (CC) components are not color signals but are color difference signals (red minus luma and blue minus luma).

Component video cables, whether intended for YUV or RGB use, and whether intended to carry analog signals or digital signals, all tend to use the same red, green, and blue color coding, although the connectors used on consumer grade cables are usually RCA phono plugs while the connectors used on professional grade cables are usually BNC plugs. In all cases, the nominal impedance should be 75 ohms, which is why it's not really good practice to use audio cables, which usually have a lower nominal impedance, to carry video signals. This rule applies not only to component video cables, but also to composite (baseband) video cables.

Regards,

Frank, Independent Consultant, Lost somewhere in the State of New York
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV
[ also covers AVCHD (including AVCCAM & NXCAM) and XDCAM EX ].
angelasimpsontn
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Re: Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Wind

Post by angelasimpsontn »

I have been trying to figure this out since I got my new HV40. I have tried the methods described here without success with Pinnacle Studio 12 Ultimate and HDVsplit. I end up with files that won't play correctly in Windows Media Player (weird audio and/or completely green screen), Media Player Classic (green screen), or inside Pinnacle's editing environment (only plays audio). I was able to import the video into ProShow Gold, but it is only a short clip and 720 x 480. I got an HD camcorder for HD! This stinks!

I am going to have to get a new computer, and my question is, with the following specs, will I finally be able to import HDV video from my Canon Vixia HV40 at full quality and be able to edit it?

Dell XPS 8300
Intel® Core™ i7-2600 processor(8MB Cache, 3.4GHz)
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional, 64bit
12GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 4 DIMMs
2TB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 64MB Cache
Blu-ray Disc Drive (BD/DVD/CD burner w/double layer BD write capability)+16X DVD+/-RW
Single AMD Radeon™ HD 6870

I will have to add an IEEE 1394 port myself. Any recommendations?
Also, any recommendations on a new editing program for under $200? Pinnacle is a pain.

THANK YOU!!
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Stephan
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Re: Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Wind

Post by Stephan »

Hi there, welcome!

These specs are way more than enough, you shouldn't have any resource issue (CPU, RAM).

About the IEEE 1394 add-on card, I couldn't recommend a specific brand, but I read long ago that those with a Texas Instruments controller chip are among the least glitchy - indeed, the integrated IEEE 1394 chips on my computer motherboards are Texas Instruments, and I never had a single capture issue in years. Just try & find an add-on card that has a TI chip on it. I can't say this would solve any & all your problems, but these are my 2 cents.

About capture & editing software, the 2 most appreciated in the mid-range segment are Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum (around $100 - don't settle for the crippled $50 entry version) or Adobe Premiere Elements. Be sure to download a free trial so you can test it's technically okay before purchasing.

Hope this helps.
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Re: Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Wind

Post by acgold7 »

Your PC specs are fine, but for editing video -- any video -- you always need at least three separate physical hard drives: one for OS and Programs, one for your source files and one for your renders. Partitions won't do it and externals won't do either.
Adam
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Stephan
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Re: Canon HV20/30/40 IEEE 1394 connectivity issues with Wind

Post by Stephan »

It depends on how many simultaneous video streams you're going to edit on the timeline. For simple stuff while on the go, people sometimes can do some okay stuff with a laptop computer. So if you're going to have like 2 video tracks on your timeline, mmm... not sure multiple hard drives are 100% necessary. I've been using multiple disks & RAID for years myself, true enough. But come to think of it, 2 HDV tracks are only 50 Mbps.
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