Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

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Riley Nielsen

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Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostMon Sep 25, 2017 4:47 pm

I am planning to use the Intensity Pro 4k to process my parent's old 8mm tapes to uncompressed .avi files for later processing. I am aware that there are cheap composite to usb converters but they lack control over the process and I tend to doubt that the digitized footage will be as good as that of a professional capture card. However, the input resolution of the Intensity Pro 4k only lists 525i, while the camcorder I'd be using to play the tapes outputs at 480i. I've searched on Google and can't find a clear answer as to whether or not the card will accept a 480i (I'm assuming it's 480i 29.97 NTSC) input. Any information or feedback is appreciated. :D
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Robert Niessner

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostMon Sep 25, 2017 9:53 pm

525i refers to the analog NTSC signal. 480i refers to the digital signal.
http://www.afterdawn.com/glossary/term.cfm/52560

But if you are using a camcorder to play the tapes, then you are not capturing 8mm analog film. What you mean is Hi-8.

The camcorder should be able to output an analog signal from a s-video output, so that should work.
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Riley Nielsen

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostMon Sep 25, 2017 11:31 pm

Haha, forgive my illiteracy in old technology. :P Yes, I was referring to to Hi8, not sure why I said 8mm. I'd rather use composite if at all possible, but as long as this process will work at all I'm happy. :) Would S-video yield better results?
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Robert Niessner

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostTue Sep 26, 2017 9:26 am

Riley Nielsen wrote:Haha, forgive my illiteracy in old technology. :P Yes, I was referring to to Hi8, not sure why I said 8mm.


Happens sometimes to all of us ;-)

Riley Nielsen wrote:Would S-video yield better results?


Definitely. Composite has combined the luminance and chrominance signal on one wire and is quite lossy. If you go that route you can skip using the Intensity Pro all together.

S-Video has at least 2 separate wires for luminance and chrominance signals.

The best would be component video with 3 separate wires for Y Pb Pr or RGB, but I doubt there is a consumer Hi8 camcorder with that kind of output.
Saying "Thx for help!" is not a crime.
--------------------------------
Robert Niessner
LAUFBILDkommission
Graz / Austria
--------------------------------
Blackmagic Camera Blog (German):
http://laufbildkommission.wordpress.com

Read the blog in English via Google Translate:
http://tinyurl.com/pjf6a3m
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Riley Nielsen

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostTue Sep 26, 2017 7:36 pm

The camcorder I have (thankfully borrowed, as they are rather expensive) only has S-Video and composite. What sort of adapter would I need to run S-Video into the component input of the Intensity Pro 4k? Wouldn't this require an active adapter?
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Robert Niessner

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostWed Sep 27, 2017 12:39 am

You need a 4-pin S-Video to dual a) RCA or b) BNC (+ 2x BNC to RCA adapters) adapter cable.
Check first that your camera has a 4-pin S-Video output (and not a 7-pin).

Then get adapters like this:
a)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-S-Video-Break ... 2674829514

b)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-Video-To-Dual ... 3028570486
+ 2x BNC to RCA adapters

Those will carry video only. You have to check how to get the audio out - some of the older camcorder had two RCA outputs.

On your Intensity Pro 4k use the BLUE RCA input for S-Video Y (luminance) and the RED RCA input for S-Video C (chrominance). This is a guesstimate from me based on how the Blackmagic Mini Converter Analog to SDI works with S-Video. I'd expect it to be the same for all Blackmagic devices.
Saying "Thx for help!" is not a crime.
--------------------------------
Robert Niessner
LAUFBILDkommission
Graz / Austria
--------------------------------
Blackmagic Camera Blog (German):
http://laufbildkommission.wordpress.com

Read the blog in English via Google Translate:
http://tinyurl.com/pjf6a3m
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Riley Nielsen

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostWed Sep 27, 2017 1:15 am

I have done some of my own research and realized what adapter was needed, and it looks like it may come along with the breakout cable. The card is coming tomorrow so I will know then. My camcorder does indeed have a 4 pin S-video connector and audio won't be a problem. Couldn't one technically create an adapter with an S-video cable and some RCA connectors, or would that be a failure due to lack of shielding?
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Robert Niessner

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostWed Sep 27, 2017 1:48 am

Riley Nielsen wrote:Couldn't one technically create an adapter with an S-video cable and some RCA connectors, or would that be a failure due to lack of shielding?


The S-Video standard is just video out, so unfortunately no - you can't create an audio+video adapter.
But technically it would be possible. The Commodore C64 for example had a larger non-standard 8 pin S-Video output which included audio.
Saying "Thx for help!" is not a crime.
--------------------------------
Robert Niessner
LAUFBILDkommission
Graz / Austria
--------------------------------
Blackmagic Camera Blog (German):
http://laufbildkommission.wordpress.com

Read the blog in English via Google Translate:
http://tinyurl.com/pjf6a3m
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Riley Nielsen

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Re: Intensity Pro 4k 480i Input?

PostWed Sep 27, 2017 3:44 am

Oops, should have clarified what I meant. I am aware that S-Video is video only. :P I was referring to creating a passive video adapter like the one you mentioned allowing me to connect S-Video to the capture card. I believe those would still be called RCA connectors.

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