MEP 2016 Plus - Compatible for Capture With LKX HD Video Camcorder?

CarpentersMate wrote on 7/4/2023, 1:51 AM

Hi Gang (Hope all is well with everyone)?! Happy 4th!

Was wondering if this low cost HD Camcorder (with USB & HDMI) is compatible for capture with MEP 2016 Plus? My current capture capability is thru an IEEE 1394 capture card. This camera uses an SD card. Perhaps I could pull out one of my two optical drives and install an SD Card Reader? Question: If a particular video file is (over 30 minutes), could this possibly stress MEP as I drag it onto the timeline?

There's a 4K version of this camera for $50 more, but honestly I don't need 4K and I don't think MEP 2016 Plus is capable of 4K capture anyway?

As always thank you for any comments ...

The HD Camera

The 4K Version

My Desktop Computer: Dell Precision Workstation 3620 i7 7700K, 4.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD OS Drive, Onboard Video, External Sound, (2TB External Capture Drive), 64 Bit W10 Pro, Esata 2 Port Card Asmedia.

Thanks again - Mike

Comments

AAProds wrote on 7/4/2023, 3:33 AM

@CarpentersMate

That looks like an interesting gadget, Mike!

It does have a USB connection so conceivably, you could just plug it in to your computer via USB and you'd get access to your video files with Windows Explorer. Alternatively, as you say, you could pull the SD card out and put it in a card reader. You can buy external card readers; you don't need to pull your machine apart to fit a reader into a bay.

The HD video should be OK on your machine. Video file length is not relevant. You may strike trouble with codecs; only an experiment with it would tell that though (or the manual, if you can get one, may detail codec info).

A word of caution; it is cheap for such capability, probably a Chinese job, so... Caveat Emptor! Although Amazon is reputedly good on returns, check the returnability.

johnebaker wrote on 7/4/2023, 4:07 AM

@CarpentersMate

Hi Mike

I would suggest avoiding these odd named low cost cameras, the ones you linked to are available under several different 'brand names' - see this video

John EB

CarpentersMate wrote on 7/4/2023, 6:09 AM

Hi Johnbaker and Alwyn (nice to see you guys again)!

How bout the HD Version? It got 90 good to excellent reviews. 'However' it did recieve more critical thoughts as well .. <

I'll have to do more research unless you guys know something (HD) (Not 4K) for under $500?

John - Alwyn: One more thing - If I do pick up better quality HD Camera, (Not 4K Just HD), would MEP 2016 Plus be workable?

Thank you my good ole' friends

Mike

johnebaker wrote on 7/4/2023, 6:43 AM

@CarpentersMate

Hi Mike

. . . . How bout the HD Version? It got 90 good to excellent reviews. . . .

It has the same issues as the 4K version, in fact I would expand this to any of these cheap cameras - as we say over here 'you get what you pay for' or as Alwyn put it politely 'Caveat Emptor!' - the Australian not so polite version is not printable in the forum ! 😂.

If you are reading the Amazon reviews they should be taken with a large spoon of salt - I never trust them when dealing with well known and odd branded products which are often stuffed with phony reviews.

. . . . you guys know something (HD) (Not 4K) for under $500 . . . .

Look at the Sony Handycam HDR-CX405 and the Panasonic HC-V180K - there are higher spec models within your price range - my personal preference is Sony any time. See B&H Photos website.

John EB

CarpentersMate wrote on 7/4/2023, 7:51 AM

Hi John EB & Alwyn (Thanks for the tips)!

I like the package version of the HDR-CX405 Sadly, no way to connect a 3.5 plug for a Lapel Mic? Same with the Panasonic HC-V180K 🙁 (?)

This Mic modification could 'void' the warranty.. Prob not a good idea ...

Guess I need to keep looking ...?

I've done a lot of business with B&H (inc. refurbs), but their RETURN policy is short & strict. Amazon scores high with returns & packaging right at the UPS.

BTW: Do you guys know if MEP2016 Plus will handle the SD Video Files from any of these cameras?

johnebaker wrote on 7/4/2023, 11:53 AM

Hi Mike

. . . . Do you guys know if MEP2016 Plus will handle the SD Video Files from any of these cameras . . . .

The Sony camera records in XAVC S and AVCHD formats which are variations of the h.264/AVC codec and I never had an issue with loading these into MEP 2016.

The only issue you may encounter is if you record the audio as Dolby Surround Sound, you may still have the AC3 Surround sound decoder still installed, though if patched up to the last version of MEP 2016 then support for this is will have been removed - licensing issues with Dolby. In this case you would have to make sure you set the recording format to AAC Stereo MPEG-4 AAC-LC 2ch

I would not record in SD format on these - opting for FullHD 1920x1080, you are losing nothing with this resolution, and gaining if exporting to SD resolution 720x480 or 720x576 - ie you have additional zoom available to you.

Is the lapel mic going to be for you creating a running commentary, or attached to a guest speaker? A 3.5mm mic input is not very common on camcorders under $500 from the likes of Sony, Panasonic, Canon.

HTH

John EB

CarpentersMate wrote on 7/4/2023, 7:04 PM

Hi again John (always good to see you)

You mentioned:

"I would not record in SD format on these"

I never intended to tape in SD regardless of which camera I settle on. But I'll need the HD content converted to match other SD content for this short documentary which unfortunately will be a mix of archived news excerpts (all of lower resolution and mixed sizes). I once used a simple converter which down-sized any HD, then re-imported back to the MEP timeline. I'm open to suggestions and gonna guess others might suggest the other way around: upsizing all the downloaded archived SD files to HD? With this; I envision a complicated situation. I might be wrong, but haven't seen an affordable 'effective' (non-professional) application for this purpose? The project's scope/purpose is for Face Book or possibly You Tube with a 'focused audience' of former classmates. No Hollywood here 😄

As for camera input features, yes I would like to find a mini jack for a Lapel input for commentary, (my own). I've seen older smaller HD cameras which had that feature. Or I've seen converter cables/connectors for that purpose. Maybe I can find one used? How bout this one?

One other possibility (which I've done many times before), lapel myself and record the audio on another desktop using audacity, (later re-sync). My opinion: the audio will always be superior to that of a camera condenser Mic. which is problematically feet away from the source.

I'm open for suggestions ... Thank You

Former user wrote on 7/4/2023, 7:23 PM

@CarpentersMate Hi, I wouldn't avoid cameras that record in 4k when shopping, most cameras nowadays strive to record in 4k & I suspect most will have the option to record in HD if that's all you need, + when you come to editing downscaling to HD or SD from 4k is always a better option than trying to upscale, upscaling an image you will loose quality, I don't remember MEP16 but there's plenty of converters around if you do need to downscale,

The mic problem will simply be a case of finding a camera with a mic port, wireless is the way forward so a new camera may have Bluetooth & lapel mics to suite aren't expensive,

AAProds wrote on 7/4/2023, 9:54 PM

@CarpentersMate

Prior "downscaling" is not needed for loading into a SD movie in Magix and will result in one more generation of quality loss. Just put your HD content on the timeline and use Section or Size and Position to shape it correctly to match your SD objects. When you export your movie, the HD content will be "downscaled" automatically to match your movie settings.

Re cameras, if you're after one with a mic socket specifically, I'd be looking at second-hand. There are second-hand HD camcorders around (SD card versions), given that phones are now so good.

CarpentersMate wrote on 7/5/2023, 1:48 AM

Thanks Alwyn : "downscaling" is not needed"

Thanks Gid: "I wouldn't avoid cameras that record in 4k"

Yes I'm researching a number of older Handy Cams on Ebay

Thank You Gentlemen

Mike