How to stream JVC GY-HD100 to FCP

Hey everyone, I apologize if this question has already been asked. I'm shooting some background plates for a film I shot on 35mm that will be composited on a flame system. Our means of acquisition is the HD100 with a 35mm lens kit. I'm looking to get the highest quality image possible from this camera. From what I understand, the camera can be streamed to a FCP system via firewire. I'll have a MacBook Pro with me. Who knows how to do this and how do you do it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Billy

That's an HDV camera with 720P HiDef analog outputs.

Anything you do with videotape will never get any better than the highly compressed HDV format. This might be OK as background plates--but only if they never need to get bigger than the movie screen. Background plates are frequently much larger than the movie to allow the production to move around without running out of plate.

If you can record the camera Live during the shoot, it's my estimate that you can do much better. Then you can get the three component HiDef signals without the HDV damage in the middle.

Any video card or external device that can receive analog HiDef component should work, although I assume you're already stuck with the tape. If that's true, then you are stuck with HDV quality.

Koz

This is assuming a G5 deskside or something the size and speed of a G5 or multi-core equivalent and Very High Speed external drive stacks. You're talking about three streams of HiDef video at the same time.

I'm better than sure you can't do this with a laptop, but I'm open to suggestions.

Koz

Does the 100 have HD-SDI out or is that just the 250? If so, then HD-SDI live capture is the way to go. Eliminates HDV altogether and you can capture uncompressed.

Michael Horton
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Before posting this I spoke with JVC and they assured me this can be done, I just need to know how. The original question was, how do you stream it to FCP via firewire? Does anyone know how to do this?

Hey Michael, long time no talk. If we can get this to work we'll be capturing on to Tony's MacBook Pro. I'm going to check out the camera tomorrow and should have a better idea of what output options the camera has besides firewire. I'd rather avoid renting a deck and hooking it up the in inverter in my car. This is a guerilla type of capture.

Thanks!

Billy Farah

Hey Billy

Via Firewire you simply connect the cam and open the L&C window and hit Capture Now while recording. Only way with a Macbook. Unless you get a multibridge Pro by Blackmagic. I'd think analog out the cam would yield a better image. Others in the know need to chime in on that.

Michael Horton
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<<<Does the 100 have HD-SDI out or is that just the 250?>>>

Yes, but.

We're talking apples and bananas here. HD-SDI does not equal FireWire. It wouldn't surprise me if the FireWire connection gave you streaming HDV. Highly compressed. That should look worse than either analog component or HD-SDI capture.

Koz

hey Billy,

you should listen to Mike and Koz, they speak the truth.
yes you may be able to get uncompressed HD out of the camera, but not over firewire. cannot be done.

if you have some cash to burn on this then your only possible solution on the MacBook Pro would be using a 2 slot Magma expansion chasis connected via ExpressCard/34, you'll need a PCI based HD capture card and a SATA host bus adapter card, plus the drives to connect it to,

[www.mobilityelectronics.com]
[www.granitedigital.com]
[www.aja.com]

all that said, i don't know anyone who's ever tried this ... maybe you could pursuade magma, aja and sonnet, or whatever combo you chose, to let you borrow some hardware to test the feasabilty of the solution. if it worked it might be good for them.

cheers
Andy

Thanks everyone for your replies, super helpful. I've talked to Black Magic Design and Magma(thanks for the concept Andy). I'll post the details on how we did it and if it worked once we actually do it. I think this is going to work. Now the only issue left is with what we will be capturing off the camera and what we're working with in the flame system. 720/60p (4:4:2 equivalent) is the new footage(background plates) and the existing footage was all shot on 35mm and transferred to D5 1080/24p via an HD telecine session. What is the best way to convert this without seeing a loss of data? Is a reverse telecine an option? This might almost be new topic worthy, what do you think Mike? Has this type of conversion already been covered in another thread?

Thanks to all.

Billy