From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>
Date: July 11, 2005 1:46:12 PM MDT
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: Am I barking up the wrong tree?
Hi Andrew;
Just to be crystal clear, Astro IIDC doesn't support the DFG/1394-1 for image capture.
We do sell a driver for the DFG/1394-1 which I and others have used with BTV Pro (or other QuickTime apps like Equinox etc.) to capture video clips with - but it doesn't work with Astro IIDC. Also the DFG are pretty expensive ($350 USD) where as for playing around you can use a USB A/D converter box for like $30 to $100 USD.
As to stacking and aligning, their are quite a few products on the market and you should look at Neale Monks great article at
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1044
for a summary (bottom of the page).
HTH..
Milton J. Aupperle
President
ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.
Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5
1-(403)-229-9456
www.outcastsoft.com
On 11-Jul-05, at 1:32 PM, andrewcpaterson wrote:
Thank you Milton. That was really excellent info. I think that I
understand now. I can hack around / learn with what I have (plus some
software bits) and when time and $s permit, get a DFG/1394-1e and pair
that up with Astro IIDC to get a high end astro-imaging system.
Thanks
andrew
--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@o...> wrote:
> Hi Andrew;
>
> On 11-Jul-05, at 10:18 AM, andrewcpaterson wrote:
>
> > Hi Folks:
> >
> > I'm putting together an Astro-Imaging system based around my LXD-55
> > SN10, the set of various Macs that I own and my Colour Mallin*Cam (a
> > sup'ed up security video camera). The Mallin*Cam has only composite
> > and S-Video outputs so, I'm using my (older) Sony digital video camera
> > to convert from S-Video to firewire. Now I just need to periodically
> > grab frames from the video stream (the Mallin*Cam pre-integrates at a
> > variety of settable rates but outputs the latest image continuously).
>
> Astro IIDC only supports IIDC (also known as DCAM) FireWire Cameras.
> IIDC is s specific protocol developed so camera manufacturers and
> software developers can talk to each other. We both either follow the
> spec or nothing works properly.
>
> This spec doesn't include Sony DV camcorders, Sony / Miglia / et all
> DV video converter boxes, Canon Cameras with a FireWire port, DVC
> cameras or the PL66x series of PixelLinks cameras - which all use
> FireWire, they have as much in common with an IIDC cameras as does a
> FireWire hard drive does - which is nothing other than they use
> FireWire for I/O control and transferring data.
>
> > So... with that background... I'm thinking... this Astro IIDC software
> > is purpose built for Astro-Imaging... probably the right thing for
> > capture and stacking.
>
> The key here is "IIDC", as it's built for Astro Imaging with IIDC
> cameras - not any other HW (ie analog, USB, PCI, Ethernet etc.)
> interface or protocols.
>
> > Only hitch is... I'm way out in left field WRT
> > the supported camera types. Will Astro IIDC help / work for me or
> > should I be using something else? What?
>
> Nope - not with that analog camera it won't work.
>
> The first thing you need to get is an Analog to Digital video
> Converter like a a DV video box (which is 6:1 compressed and throws
> out a lot of color information and data), a USB converter (352x288 30
> fps maxim - compressed to JPEG format), a Miglia type PCI TV
> converter box (desktops only) or a FireWire DFG/1394-1 (uncompressed
> video which works with color or monochrome security cameras NTSC or
> PAL). The Sony boxes don't have real time adjustment of things like
> saturation, brightnes,s contrast sharpness, which the USB, PCI TV
> tuner or DFG/1394 devices can do.
>
> After that, you can use various products (iMovie, BTVPro, Equinox
> etc.) to grab the video to disk and work with it from their.
>
> HTH..
>
> Milton J. Aupperle
> President
> ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
> Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
> #1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.
> Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5
> 1-(403)-229-9456
> milton@o...
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