Can anyone shed some light please:

DVCPro HD 1080 25p footage. Panasonic AJ HD1400 deck. Deck set to downconvert to DV 25 using firewire output.

MC 2.8.3 in 25i project. Media creation set to 4:2:0. (tried MXF as well as OMF).

When I digitize there is video noise alternating with  brief moments of good picture. Audio also unhappy - digitizing snatches only. Same result via Mojo or not.

Exactly the same setup digitizes happily in FCP.

I finally managed to start digitizing using the deck's composite output to the Mojo, but surely firewire DV 25 should work?

Also did not manage to digitize the full resolution DVCPro HD (without Mojo), though we tried that only a few times.

I had a Panasonic technician trying the various settings on the machine, refering to their website compatability tables. MC 2.8.3 on Mac is not listed, but we tried AXP 5.1 settings, amongst others.

Some help would be much appreciated.

That deck requires you change the bit rate of the output. I think the setting is in the 600s on the menu? Look This is often a problem people dont know about. Also, try to avoid composite, it will lose sooo much color and quality...

For bit rate: the deck wants

HD at 400 mpbs

DV50 at 200

DV25 at 100

(I realize these are NOT accurate numbers since DV25 by definition is 25... but its what the deck wants.)

Thanks for that. Will try it now. The deck has quite a formidable menu tho.

Believe me, composite was a last resort. Had to start getting 100 hrs of footage logged and digitized. Its for offline any way, but would love to get rid of the rainbows on the fine detail.

Hi,

I've gone thru the entire menu and I can't find where to change the output bit rates. This is on the standard menu items, where I checked the 600s particularly closely as these are the video settings. Is there perhaps an advanced menu setting, and if so how do I get to it? or is it located elsewhere, like dip switches inside the unit?

What puzzles me is that FCP digitized without any problems.

Thanks

Set 894 to 0002 which is downcovernt HD to DV25

THEN...

The "speed" is menu 880 (sorry i thought i was in the 600s)

There are three Mbps settings: 400, 200 and 100

Set it to 100 for DV...  200 for DV50... and 400 for HD

In my experience, you cannot downconvert unless 894 AND 880 are set correctly.. let me know

WAIT -- one more thing which is probably not the issue but you should know... 892 is a setting that "tells" your computer what video format to expect. We usually have it on "auto" but some people have found they need to set this also. This could be why you are having an issue: 892 can be set to 003 (auto), 002 or 001. Try all three?

As for FCP? Well, in 5 years FCP will probably own AVID so this wont be an issue.

Hey,

Thanks Guywithcat! It eventually worked after complete deck and computer reboot. It was the 880 item as you had initially said. Sorry, I didn't see that the 800s were on the next menu page.

One problem: while logging and capturing using the DV25 signal thru Mojo, I can't monitor the audio. It plays back fine once captured to disk. But I need to hear the content as it goes down.  I have tried the various audio format options in Avid. Any other suggestions?

Sorry to keep pestering you, but there seems to be scant user knowledge out there.

Many thanks so far though.

Can't really help you with your audio problem.  But I'll give you my two unsolicitaed cents.

This is offline right?  I hope you are using the 422 control of the 1400 deck.  This will give you more reliable machine control and TC capture.

And speaking of TC capture, if it were my project, I would be taking the tc window out of the deck with the deck set to mak letterbox and the TC window placed in the black above or below the LB.  This way you can always double check that the TC that Avid captured is REALLY that on tape.  You can always mask out the burn in for screenings.  This method has saved thousands of dollars in online conform time on large documentary productions.  I have demanded this on projects I was in charge of and it ALWAYS has paid off in the end.

Good luck,

Jef

Be aware, if you're controlling via RS422 and getting video and audio via IEEE1394 then the timecode will almost definitely be out by a small amount (typically around 3 frame). This should be consistent however.

A TC burn-in on the captured footage is really not a bad idea at all.

That is likely not a deck issue. The deck is sending Audio out the FW no matter what so your issue is probably on the settings. You can always monitor the audio from the XLRs out of the back of the deck. Are you getting levels in the meters on the deck? Are you getting levels on the AVID as you digitize?

As a last ditch, monitor audio direct from the deck via the XLR out (there are several options in back for this) and put up with the short delay. 

Many thanks for the input,

Am using the monitor output straight into my speakers, living with the delay. Audio from firewire is digitized, but during capture is not monitored by Avid - nothing displayed on audio meters. Deck meters do display of course.

Thanks for the t/c offset warning. Afraid that due to the possiblity that this footage may end up being used in online, I can't burn TC into picture, but have been warned.

If there is a timecode offset it should be consistent, and can easily be corrected by modifying clips after they're captured.

I just had this offset problem and found this reference here.  I don't recall seeing this fact mentioned in the Avid Matrix of pain that I consulted.  It is nice to know _AFTER_ I've sent out a couple dozen clips to our compositor that the clips were all offset by 3 frames!!!  Why didn't I have this problem in FC, seriously.

You will have this problem with any deck where control is RS422 and video/audio are carried over Firewire, or vice versa. I believe the same happens with FCP. Ideally control and video should be in the same 'layer' - so either RS422 and SDI/Composite/Component video or Firewire for control and video.