Hello,

I need help in batch capturing HDV! What is the best/tested settings with the highest success rate for batch capturing HDV clips? I'm going through this fragile process again for this particular project.

Currently, I have like a 75% succes on tape 1 because of some errors (see screen shot). painful thing really is the need to baby sit the batch capture process (defeats the whole idea)!

Project: HDV 1080i (NTSC)

Footage: 1080i (cineframe 30 look), shot with a Sony Z1. Using Z1 & Z7 camera as playback device.

Thanks.

(I respectfully bump)

It actually took me a moment to realise there WAS some form of question in there

tikboy:

Please help me with the best/tested settings with the highest success rate (batch captured clips).

Almost, sadly, the settings are locked - you can really only capture in the format you shot in.. it's not like you can capture 1080i in an SD DV (I know you can downconvert the camera to SD DV, but it seems you want to work in HD).

Have you tried 'skipping' the clip and seeing if the problem persists? What happens if you perform a standard capture of the clip by manually entering the in and out points? What is the pre-roll set to on the capture setting - perhaps it needs extending? Could there be a, albeit, minor timecode glitch on the tape at that point? Even a frame jump can have Avid spitting you an error.

Thanks solopost.

Yes, I would skip clips, tried different pre-rolls... tape TC is clean. sometimes doing a re-batch works on some clips.

Well, I gues manually capturing will be the only choice for the stray clips in the batch (...arghhh...HDV!)

any other ideas?

ok, i'm pulling my hair now.

It's becoming worse -- "drop/nonDrop frame.." errors, then "Exception:audio/video..."

I have 5 more tapes to capture...haven't started cutting yet....need to deliver by Friday!

pleeeeaaase!

Hi,

Sorry for being stubborn. Any good news for an HDV batch capture nightmare?

How are your Capture settings configured?

Be sure to check 'Capture across timecode breaks', and uncheck 'Stop capture if a bad frame is detected'.

Also, as mentioned above, experiment with custom preroll lengths.

If none of this helps, the error might be caused by bad tape stock. My students definitely have more problems when shooting HDV on cheap Maxell tapes for trial projects, than they have when using more expensive Panasonic Pro tapes for serious projects.

Bear in mind that the Avid is notoriously pedantic. But that's a good thing. This isn't a prosumer app.

Thanks MichaelPaine!

I will check on my settings again on Monday. We are using the same Sony miniDV tapes we've been using for DV.

HI,

It's Monday here.

My settings are fine. I just cannot make batch capture work so I just crash captured (no TC!) it again.

I'm still hoping for a betterway.

Thanks.

You've unchecked 'Ignore Detected Media Read Errors' as well?

Ideally not an option you want to turn off, but it will probably help you batch.

Check out the "deck weirdness" thread (more appropriately, later on in the thread when it settles down to just the HDV capturing issue) and then check your console window to see if it is the same error.  As a quick check, disable the capturing of Audio (just deselect the A1 A2 buttons in the capture tool) and see if that makes any difference.

The sad truth is that HDV capture in MC is a crap shoot.

http://community.avid.com/forums/t/70611.aspx

Aw, really sad!

That makes me think of really considering our future acquisition format. But I still have to deal with some dozen HDV tapes we've shot.

I'm actually looking at the NXCAM. What would you sggest as the next better-than-HDV format?

Thanks!

I have not used the new Canon XF's, but I imagine they work well w/ Avid. Also, P2 and XDCAM (EX) are rock solid.

I don't know what Avid's workflow is w/ NXCAM, but I do know NXCAM is AVCHD, which some people considered kind of bear to edit.

This could be totally wrong, but it feels like camera firewire capture was an add-on in Avid. It seems to me that Avid likes professional decks.

Thanks. Firewire works great back in the DV age. I also heard a good news that MC5 supports AVCHD.