To answer my own question, I guess the firewire network isn't a direct solution to the problem of live video output from Jitter.

I'm now looking at the Pinnacle Studio Movie Box Plus, an inexpensive ($200) PCIe board that can both capture and output HDV format video via firewire. Any experience with this out there, outputting from Jitter to a HDV camera?

Well, I've never seen as many negative reviews as I have for the Pinnacle Studio Movie Box Plus. Especially when I don't see ANY that say they have it working.

I note that Blackmagic Design has cards that might work well to output recordable 1280 X 720, albeit a bit pricy. I know their video capture cards are excellent. Anyone have any experience outputting Jitter video over one of their cards?

-Robert

So this external box from Canopus will take a HDMI signal (such as the output from my 9500 PCi card) and translate it in real time to a HDV signal:

Features Connects HDMI-equipped video equipment to FireWire (IEEE 1394)-equipped computers and devices for video editing Converts 1280x720 HDMI to 1280x720 HDV, and 1920x1080 to 1440x1080 HDV Compatible with Windows and Macintosh operating system-based HDV editors No need to install drivers or any software applications Powered by FireWire (IEEE 1394) connector**

Downside is a $999 price. Any better ideas? -Robert

I'm using a matrox mxobox in combination with another computer (a macpro) with a Black Magic intensity pro card... But that is also rather expensive. I think you can also just use a dvi to hdmi adapter and a Black Magic Intensity (without the pro, has hdmi input). The adapter would set you back maybe 10~20€, the intensity card is somewhere around 250$... Cheaper solution, but you need another computer to capture everything.

Hi Brecht,

Thanks for your reply.

My PNY 9500 video card has a dvi -> hdmi adapter out, so that I have. I've been capturing my audio using a second computer (a Macbook Pro laptop), and perhaps what I should do is purchase a desktop PC and a Black magic Intensity card, and use it to capture both audio and video. That would give me realtime capture at a full frame speed.

What resolution are you outputting and capturing? I am presently outputting 1280 X 720 from Jitter--that doesn't fill my screen. This is a comparatively minor adjustment, but are you using Jitter to output a matrix that fills your screen, then capturing that full screen with the BMI card? Or are you cropping the video once you capture it?

Thanks Robert

Hey Robert,

The matrox mxo box has limited resolution capabilities. 1080i or 720p. I'm using the 720p option since interlaced footage is rather silly.. 1080i basically comes down to 540 vertical lines, and it's not so nice with computer generated imagery.

I'm using openGL so my output is scaled automatically to 720p resolution since the matrox mxo box shows up as a secondary display, on which I put the window fullscreen.

I'm capturing with final cut pro, video only. I don't know how that would work with audio since it wouldn't come through the HDMI, but there's definately a solution to that.

Great. That's roughly how I imagined doing it, with a substitution of Premiere Pro for FCP. Audio is no problem, as you say. So...I'll save my pennies and go for the BMI board and a dedicated capture computer.

Thanks again. Robert