When capturing HDV from a Sony deck (set up using "generic" as the "Sony" setting doesn't work!) the capture process occasionally cannot find an in point and suggests increasing the preroll time.

Interestingly, I've gone from 2" to 30" every time this crops up - the last time I changed the preroll from 30" to 31" and it was happy.

This is all well and good when logging and capturing one clip at a time but batch capturing just leaves you with several failed capture attempts because of the lack of a suitable in point (and I assume lack of preroll time to find the in point).

The tapes I use are DV used on a Sony Z1 set to HDV (never had this problem before but then I was capturing SD footage in Final Cut Pro - I guess it could be the issue but as the process is SO hit and miss I'm not sure - I realise that with HD footage their GOP issues... but that's when you loose my attention...)

Importantly, the tapes have a continuous timecode...

Currently a frustrating problem with real life deadlines fast approaching!

I have NOT used it, but many say to try this for HDV capture http://strony.aster.pl/paviko/hdvsplit.htm

Thanks John - this is for Windows and I'm on a Mac - my mistake - I didn't say which platform I'm working on.

Appreciate the response though... and something that might help others...

I'm just wondering why Scene Detect is shaded out in the Capture window when I have my DVCAM deck (Sony DSR-1500A) connected to my computer via a Blackmagic Design DeckLink Studio card using the SDI connection (the DSR-1500A deck has a DSBK-1501 Serial Digital Board installed for direct SDI connection).  The Blackmagic card's capture codec is set to DV, which it's seeing through the SDI connection, so I don't know why there's a problem with Scene Detect being inoperable.