Capture preferences

You can use the Capture Preferences dialog to set options for capturing video from an SDI or HDV device.

Enable the Vegas Video Capture application:
1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Video tab.
3. Clear the Use external video capture application check box.
4. Click the OK button.
From the File menu, choose Capture Video (or click the Capture Video button in the Project Media window) to start the Vegas Video Capture application.
Click the Capture Preferences button in the Capture window to open the Capture Preferences dialog.

NOTE VEGAS Pro does not support analog video inputs for SDI cards. However, VEGAS Pro does support component video output for external preview.

General tab

Item	Description
Stop device on loss of focus	Stops the selected capture device when focus is switched away from the capture application.
Show video when device is stopped	Displays the current frame when the selected capture device is stopped.
Show video when device is fast-forwarding and rewinding	Displays video in the capture preview window when you fast-forward or rewind the device.
Add new clips to project media	Select this checkbox if you want to add captured clips to the Project Media window when capturing is complete.
Simulate device pixel aspect ratio	Displays square pixels in the capture preview window even if the capture format is using nonsquare pixels.
Fail on dropped frames	Select this checkbox if you want to stop capturing if a dropped frame is detected.
When capture fails, stop batch capture	Select this checkbox if you want to stop a batch capture if a dropped frame is detected.
Enable HDV scene detection	Select this checkbox if you want to create multiple files if scene changes are detected. When the checkbox is cleared, HDV clips will be captured to a single file.
Preroll	Type a value in the box to specify the number of seconds of preroll Video Capture should use for batch capture. When you click Capture Clips , on the Clip Log tab, Video Capture will seek to a point prior to your Timecode In setting determined by the number of seconds you enter in the Preroll box. Video Capture will begin playback at the preroll location, and switch to capture when it reaches the timecode you specified in the Timecode In box. NOTE Batch capture will fail if there is not enough lead-in time. The deck must be able to find the timecode that equals the Timecode In value minus the Preroll value. VITC and HANC timecode sources require less preroll than RS-422, as RS-422 needs time to synchronize timecodes with video frames.
Maximum RAM buffer size	Drag the slider to allocate a portion of your system memory as a buffer. During capture, this buffer is used to prevent dropped frames if your hard disk is unable to write a frame. When performing compressed capture to MXF format, increasing the buffer size can help prevent dropped frames when encoding complex frames.
MPEG video quality	When capturing to compressed formats, you can drag the slider to adjust performance. When you drag the slider to the left, you can increase performance by decreasing video quality. When you drag the slider to the right, higher-quality video is captured, and more processing power is required. NOTE Quality settings affect various types of material differently. With some experimentation, you may find that certain types of scenes can be captured at lower quality settings with little or no apparent loss of quality. Other material may need the highest possible setting to achieve the desired quality level.

Device tab (for IEEE 1394 HDV devices)

Item	Description
Device type	Choose IEEE 1394/MPEG2-TS Device.
Device	Choose your HDV camera.
Video	Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the desired video format.
Details	Displays information regarding the capture device specified in the Device drop-down list.

Device tab (for AJA devices)

Item	Description
Device type	Choose AJA Video Device.
Device	Choose your device.
Input	Choose SDI or HDMI. If HDMI is selected, only two channels of audio will be captured.
Video	Choose a setting from the drop-down list to select the format that matches the signal connected to your SDI card.
Audio	Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the desired number of channels for capturing SDI-embedded audio. IMPORTANT Multichannel audio capture is available only if supported by your camera or deck.
Use progressive segmented frame (psf) video formats	Select this checkbox if you want to capture from a device that stores and transfers progressive-scan frames by dividing fields.
Use 10-bit encoding	Select this checkbox if you want to capture 10-bit source material for increased color resolution. Source material with gradients in the background can benefit from 10-bit encoding. When you use 10-bit video in your project, choose 32-bit floating point (video levels) from the Pixel format setting on the Video tab of the Project Properties tab. For more information, see Setting project properties Setting project properties Do not select this checkbox if you want to capture with MXF encoding.
Timecode source	Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the desired timecode source. 9-Pin Remote – Estimates timecode using the 9-pin RS422 cable from the deck. This format is more prone to errors and requires more preroll than RP-188. RP-188 – Uses SMPTE RP 188 timecode embedded in the video. IMPORTANT RP-188 is recommended when capturing HD video.
Timecode offset	If video capture is not frame accurate, type a value in the box or use the spin control to adjust timecode.

Device tab (for Blackmagic Design devices)

Item	Description
Device type	Choose Blackmagic Design DeckLink.
Device	Choose your device.
Video	Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the desired video format.
Audio	Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the desired number of channels for capturing SDI-embedded audio. IMPORTANT Multichannel audio capture is available only if supported by your camera or deck.
Use 10-bit encoding	Select this checkbox if you want to capture 10-bit source material for increased color resolution. Source material with gradients in the background can benefit from 10-bit encoding. When you use 10-bit video in your project, choose 32-bit floating point (video levels) from the Pixel format setting on the Video tab of the Project Properties tab. For more information, see Setting project properties Do not select this checkbox if you want to capture with MXF encoding.
Timecode source	Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the desired timecode source. 9-Pin Remote – Estimates timecode using the 9-pin RS422 cable from the deck. This format is more prone to errors and requires more preroll than VITC or HANC. VITC – Uses SMPTE 12M timecode embedded in the video. HANC – Uses SMPTE RP-188 timecode embedded in the video.
Timecode offset	If video capture is not frame accurate, type a value in the box or use the spin control to adjust timecode. NOTE Applies only to RS-422 timecode sources.