Autodesk 64006-051108-9001 User Guide - Page 99

DV 91 DV DV (Digital Video) is a standard digital format commonly used in digital video cameras. DV is a high-quality format that integrates well with desktop systems. There are currently three formats of DV tape: MiniDV, DVCPro, and DVCam. MiniDV is the most common and generally is the format used by consumer cameras. DVCPro and DVCam are professional formats. All three share the same or similar file formats. The DV format is far superior to Hi8, S-VHS and other consumer formats. DV is digital, so it does not suffer from generation loss when transferred digitally (via IEEE 1394, for example). A DV copy of a DV tape is identical to the original. Most MiniDV cameras can be connected to your computer via an IEEE 1394 port. IEEE 1394 is also known as FireWire and i.Link. For information on capturing DV to your computer, see "Capturing Video" on page 9. Working with DV Sources Generally, developers use DV streams as a source to be encoded into a delivery format, such as QuickTime or MPEG. The DV format uses non-square pixels, which are different from the square pixels of other source formats. For more information on working with non-square pixel material, see "Aspect Ratio Correction" on page 34. Some DV cameras support progressive-scan video. This records each frame as a single noninterlaced image, instead of two separate interlaced fields. Progressive-scan source material often doesn't play as smoothly on television as interlaced material, but is great for desktop and streaming delivery because it contains no interlacing artifacts. You should look for this feature when buying a DV camera and use it when filming for desktop delivery. Creating DV Streams Cleaner lets you export the source material into DV streams for output back to tape. Make your own DV setting by choosing DV Stream in the Format menu of the Output tab in the Settings window. This creates a DV Stream that is compatible with DV cameras. When exporting DV streams, use the Options button in the Output tab of the Cleaner Settings to open the DV Export Settings dialog. This dialog enables you to specify the video format (NTSC or PAL), as well as the audio data rate and if the Audio format is locked. Check the Locked option only if your DV camera supports locked audio. Most consumer cameras only support unlocked audio, which costs less to support and offers good audio/video synchronization for most purposes. The DV format defines image size, frame rate, encoding and other parameters - you can't alter these settings, so there are very few options when creating DV streams.