On 22 Feb 1999 00:33:28 GMT, "Mike Schmidt" wrote:

>I'm using a SonyEV302 PC with built in firewire and a Sony TRV900 camcorder.
>I would like better quality video than I'm getting with this combo.
>It's better than I was getting with an analog Snazzi card, but I want
>better.

Sorry, mini-DV is mini-DV (an' durn gud, tu!) - it is a
fixed standard (there is no quality difference in the images
made with different FireWire cards (assuming all is
well...).

>I'm seeing digital noise, particularly with scenes with horizontal
>lines - like shutters on my house or vinyl siding.

This is not "digital noise"...

>THe scenes look fine on
>my Sony 27 inch with S-video. I've tried two different monitors - a flat
>panel and Sony 17 inch. My questions:

Remember that the computer image is non-interlaced, with
which you are looking at the TV interlaced image (with time-shifted material appearing between the alternate
lines - the image will not look the same on a computer monitor as it does on a TV...). Take the "bad" looking
image back to tape, then out to the TV - it should look
good again... (though with mini-DV, with lines that are
slightly off horizontal, and moving, "stair-stepping"
is normal). (You may also be viewing the image on the
computer at something other than full resolution, which
would make the screen image look rough.)

>1) Would a high end firewire card provide better results than the presumably
>low cost card built into the Sony?

No.

>2) is my video adapter card perhaps the problem? It's a Matrox 200 AGP 2x
>with 8MB ram.

Should be fine. If you have a 400MHz or faster processor,
you should be able to view a fairly smooth-motion
full-resolution preview image.

>3) Are Horizontal lines a problem with digital camcorders?

Yes, briefly - slightly off-horizontal lines tend to clear
up if there is no motion, then stair-step briefly with motion.

>Thanks for any advice.

You're welcome!