Importing, transferring, capturing, and digitizing

Capturing and digitizing

Andrew Devis demonstrates capturing and batch capturing from miniDV tape using Adobe Premiere Pro in this video tutorial on the Creative Cow website.

About capturing and digitizing

To bring footage that is not already in the form of a file or set of files into a Premiere Pro project, you can capture it, or digitize it, depending on the type of source material:

Capture You capture digital video from a live camera or from tape: you record it from the source to the hard disk. Many digital camcorders and decks record video to tape. You capture the video from tape to the hard disk before using it in a project. Premiere Pro captures video through a digital port, such as a FireWire or SDI port installed on the computer. Premiere Pro saves captured footage to disk as files, and imports the files into projects as clips. You can use Adobe After Effects to start Premiere Pro and start the capture process. Alternatively, you can use Adobe OnLocation to capture video.

Digitize You digitize analog video from a live analog camera source or from an analog tape device. You digitize the analog video, convert it to digital form, so your computer can store and process it. The capture command digitizes video when a digitizing card or device is installed in the computer. Premiere Pro saves digitized footage to disk as files, and imports the files into projects as clips.

For a video tutorial on capturing and importing assets, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0231.

Note: While capturing footage, you can monitor audio levels in the Audio Master Meters panel.

More Help topics

Importing footage into Premiere Pro

“Importing assets from tapeless formats” on page 65

System requirements for capturing

To capture digital video footage, your editing system needs the following components:

•For DV or HDV footage, one of the following:

•an OHCI-compliant IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link) port or capture card

•a non-OHCI-compliant IEEE 1394 capture card with presets, drivers, and plug-ins written specifically for Premiere Pro.

•For HD or SD footage playable on a device with SDI or component outputs, a supported HD or SD capture card with SDI or component inputs.

•For HD or SD footage stored on media from file-based camcorders, a device connected to your computer capable of reading the respective media.

•For recording audio from analog sources, a supported audio card with an analog audio input.

•A codec (compressor/decompressor) for the type of footage you want to capture. Premiere Pro has its own codecs for importing DV and HDV footage. Plug-in software codecs are available for other types. Hardware codecs are built in to some capture cards.

•A hard disk capable of sustaining the data rate for the type of footage you want to capture.

•Sufficient disk space for the captured footage.

Last updated 1/16/2012