Camcorders forum: Canon HV-20 video transfer & editing questions

between transferring video captured to miniDV tape and importing a a computer - when all the camcorders you have listed are miniDV tape camcorders. They would all use FireWire to transfer - from the DV port of the camcorder to the firewire 400 port of the computer.

If the Pinnacle software can handle HDV, then you should be fine. If it cannot, then you need to get an editor that does.

There is a method to use the menuing system in the camcorder to export high def video as standard definition, but Kiddpeat is right... that information is in the manual.

I will say that the 80 gig hard drive you have is going to be pretty small - whether you are doing standard definition or high definition. You may have an 80 gig drive, but the operating system and applications likely use all sorts of space already... not to mention other files/documents you might have. And since standard definition (DV) uses about 13 gig of computer hard drive space per hour of video and high definition (HDV) uses about 40 gig of hard drive space per hour of video, that 80 gig drive will have no available space pretty quickly. An external (preferably firewire connected) drive is strongly recommended.

Since we don't know what kind of computer you are using, we cannot provide you any feedback on whether the CPU is fast enough to handle HDV.

Once the HDV is in the computer and the editing is done, the video editing application and DVD authoring application will downsample to standard definition for burning to a standard 4.7 gig single layer or 8.5 gig double layer DVD - depending on the kind of DVD burner and write-able DVDs you are using. Of course, the standard def footage is already there, so no downsampling needed... it will burn to DVD format... At least, that is what I have been doing on my Macintoshes for 2+ years. I presume it is similar in the Windows environment...

Hey Akrenware,
I was wondering which editing software you are using with your computer. I am in the beginning stages of learning how to transfer from the HV20 to my HP desktop and am not familiar with the options as far as editing software goes.
Thanks in advance.

I use a group of programs under WinXPpro, most are from Ulead (now part of Corel) with usage stemming back to Hi-8 days; starting out fresh at this point, as you are, I might well go with other choices. With that qualification in mind, here they are:

-- Corel/Ulead Media StudioPro 8: full featured, powerful NLE usable for DV but HDV support weak, Vista not supported; OBSOLETE Corel has dropped it.

-- Corel/Ulead VideoStudio 11.5Plus: beginner/intermediate videoediting; capture from the HV20 firewire works, claims full HD support - can only verify the HDV support; just learning to use it (free copy from Corel when they dropped MSP8)

-- Corel/Ulead DVD MovieFactory 6Plus : reasonable DVD authoring and burning; good menu template customizing ability, limited menu structuring choice, and slideshow must use the same transition and the same pan-and-zoom throughout (use VS11.5+ for them instead)

-- HDVSplit : freeware utility that does one single function, captures HDV via firewire; HV20 is explicitly recognized and capture works well.

Based on my experience, expect a learning curve (e.g. the firewire out settings on your HV20 must be made with the firewire cable unplugged) as well as bugs to show up periodically, updates/patches to apply, disk space to be gobbled up and rendering times as long as 20 times the run time.

Happy videoing

Using a 9-pin to 4-pin firewire cable;
and the camcorder in "Play" mode;
and launch iMovie,
Under "File" select "New Project"
In the dialog box select "16:9 widescreen" - this assumes you captured the video to HDV format.

There is no need to "Lock to DV" (unless you want to downsample to standard def). There is no need to make any changes in the camcorder.

If this does not work, it could be the camcorder's DV port or the cable.

at the Apple Store, did you use your cable or a different one?

If your cable, then you did not isolate anything.

If a new cable, then it *could* be the DV port on the camcorder.

Did you get the camcorder new or used? When?

Have you ever successfully used the DV port?

Since I cannot see what you see, I don't know how much more I can do.

I've never had to make any changes on any miniDV camcorder - other than have it in Play mode. The video editor (iMovie or Final Cut) takes care of the camera control, importing from and export back to the tap.

This has been the case since my Canon Elura 60 with a iMac G5 flatpanel 7 years ago... all the way through the Sony HDR-FX1 and HC1 with my iMac 24" today... and all the various combinations of different camcorders and computers in between...

With the HV20's DV port connected to the iMac's firewire port - and with the camcorder in Play mode, can you run the System Profiler and tell me what you see?

You can get to the System Profiler two ways:
1) In the Applications subdirectory, open the Utilities subdirectory. Double click to launch System Profiles.
or
2) Under the Apple in the upper left corner, select "About this Mac". Click on "More Info".

When you click once on "Firewire", is anything there?

If not, the fault could still be in either the camcorder's DV port, the cable or the Mac's FX800 port... Since you successfully used the Camcorder and cable with the other computer, then I guess I'll lean toward the Mac's FW port being the problem... The trick to troubleshooting is to start on one side the the chain and eliminate one thing as the problem...

My Canon XM1 isn't recognized on my iMac i5 through the FW800 port. I had no problem capturing the footage on my old eMac through the FW400 port. Tried it on the PC of a friend: also no problem. After reading a lot about it on the net, it seems to be a reoccuring issue with Canon camcorders connected to a FW800 port. I'm still trying to figure out a solution. Have you been able to connect your camera yet?