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System requirements for capturing

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

For DV or HDV footage, either an OHCI‑compliant IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link) port or capture card, or a non‑OHCI‑compliant IEEE 1394 capture card with presets, drivers, and plug‑ins written specifically for Adobe Premiere Pro.
For non-HDV HD or SD footage, a supported HD or SD capture card with SDI or component inputs.
For recording audio from analog sources, a supported audio card with an analog audio input.
A codec (compressor/decompressor) for the type of data you need to capture. Adobe 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 into some capture cards.
A hard disk capable of sustaining the data rate of the type of digital video you need to capture.
Sufficient disk space for the captured footage. The length of a captured clip may be limited by your operating system.
A project that was created using a preset in the New Project dialog box in which all settings match the footage you plan to capture.

Note: Some DV and HDV camcorders require a connection to their power adapters to activate their IEEE 1394 ports. Other camcorders may go into sleep mode or demo mode if left in the camera mode without tape activity for a period of time. To avoid these problems, connect your camcorder to its power adapter when setting it up for capturing or dubbing video. If the camcorder goes into demo mode with the power adapter connected, disable this feature using the camcorder’s menu system.

Comments

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Comments

LoveLore said on Oct 26, 2007 at 1:06 PM :

Linking to a list of compatable capture cards would save me a lot of time searching.

You can probably parley those links into a cashflow from video card companies.

smuratore said on Oct 26, 2007 at 4:14 PM :

That's a good idea that will probably make it into a future revision. In the meantime, please visit the page of capture card partners here: http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/capturecard_partners/

No screen name said on Feb 26, 2008 at 2:37 PM :

If I have firewire connectivity on the camera and computer, do I need a capture card? Will it get me any improvement in video signal quality?

smuratore said on Feb 26, 2008 at 2:56 PM :

For DV or HDV capture, a capture card will add nothing in speed or quality to FireWire capture, though a card may give hardware support to some effects.
You can find the typical workflow for DV or HDV capture here:
http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/PremierePro/3.0/WS1c9bc5c2e465a58a91cf0b1038518aef7-7fa8.html
Capture cards are a necessity for capture from SDI or analog source, however.