Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 314)

More and more footage is acquired digitally (using DV formats, for example), and capturing
analog, non-timecoded footage is becoming increasingly rare. One way to avoid capturing
from a non-timecoded tape is to first transfer your footage to a timecoded format, such
as DV, Betacam SP, or Digital Betacam, and then capture footage from the timecoded
tape using device control. For more suggestions about transferring footage from a
non-timecoded format to a timecoded format, see
“Capturing from an Audio Device
Without Device Control.” (The same concepts apply to both non-timecoded video and
audio footage).
If you have to manually capture footage without timecode or device control, make sure
you:
• Capture media at the same resolution you plan to output: Since you can’t accurately
recapture your clips with the same In and Out points (because you don’t have remote
control of the VTR and timecode precision during capture), you should capture them
at the resolution at which you plan to output your project. This way, you won’t have
to manually recapture later.
• Back up all of your non-timecoded media files: If you back up your clips’ media files, your
source material is always available for reediting. Because video clips require a lot of
disk space, you need to use a high-capacity backup format, such as streaming tape (for
example, Data DAT, Mammoth, DLT, AIT, and VXA), CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM disc.
To capture media manually
1 Press the Play button on your video device.
2 Click the Capture Now button in the Log and Capture window. When you want to stop
the capture, press Esc.
For more information, see “Capturing Footage Without Device Control.”
Using a Non-Controllable Device for Capture
When a device-controllable camcorder or deck is not available or device control is not
turned on, the Log and Capture window is simplified. It no longer has transport controls,
and only the Capture Now button is available.
If you aren’t using
device control, the Log
and Capture window
is simplified.
314 Chapter 20 Advanced Topics in Capturing Tape-Based Media