Using firewire to capture video

[SurfinDaNet]

I was wondering how the firewire output of my video camera works. I mean, does it transfer the video as a data file or do I have to watch the video as it's saving it to the hard drive? I have an ATI AIW card with video capture but was wondering if using the firewire port would transfer the video to my computer faster. I don't have a firewire card on the computer yet and don't want to go buy one if there's no benefit. Thanks.

 

[ScottMac]

Well, firewire wouldn't be faster, since you are playing the video in at "real time."

The advantage is that many/most/all capture programs can control the camera as well as import the video, which, by the way, is coming in digitally (versus through the S-vid or composite jacks), so there's no degradation in the image or audio.

If you import via the Firewire, edit on the computer, then dump it back to the camera via Firewire, the finished video is still "First Generation" quality. If you captured via the s-vid or composits ports, edit on the computer, and save it back to the camera via the s-vid or composite ports, you have two generations of loss (fuzzier image, reduced black levels, dirty whites).

FWIW

Scott