In Adobe Premiere Pro, you can use the comprehensive set of controls in the Capture window to log and automatically capture DV footage to your hard disk. You can quickly and efficiently log clips you want to capture, then batch-capture them all in one session.

1. Connect your DV device.
Connect your camera or deck to your computer using an IEEE 1394 cable, and make sure both the device and the computer are turned on. Make sure that the tape you want to capture is loaded into the device.

2. Prepare a project for the clips you'll capture.
Start Adobe Premiere Pro and open or create a project that was created using one of the DV presets in the New Project dialog box. When you use a DV-based preset, make sure the preset's audio sample rate (48 kHz or 32 kHz) matches the setting on your camera at the time the tape was recorded.

3. Open the Capture window and make sure it sees the device.
Choose File > Capture, or press F5. The status line above the preview area tells you about the connection between your device and Adobe Premiere Pro. If the status line reads "Capture device offline," check to make sure all cable connections are secure and the device is on. In some cases, you may need to click the Settings tab in the Capture window and make sure the Device Control options are set correctly.

4. Set up the Logging tab.
In the Logging tab in the Capture window, make sure the settings in each section are the way you want them.

The Setup section specifies whether to capture audio, video, or both, and where in the project Adobe Premiere Pro will log the clip.

Note that logged clips are not captured immediately; they are stored as offline files in the Project window until you use the Batch Capture command to actually capture them. If you want to stored logged offline files separately in the Project window, create a new bin in the Project window and it will appear in the Log Clips To option. You can set the locations of captured files using the Settings tab.

Use the Clip Data section to set up the information you want entered with each logged clip. This data becomes the default for each clip you log, so it's a good idea to enter this information before you start. You can also adjust the clip data as the content changes during playback, because you can edit clip data while the tape is moving.

The only other options you may want to set before logging are Scene Detect and Handles. Scene Detect automatically splits a tape into multiple clips based on scene breaks that Adobe Premiere Pro detects, such as when you pause the tape while recording. Handles are extra frames you capture so that you have flexibility for editing and transitions. For transitions, you should capture the equivalent of at least one second of handles before and after each scene.

5. Adjust the Settings tab.
In the Settings tab in the Capture window, make sure the settings in each section are the way you want them.

The Capture Locations settings let you specify the folder or disk where Adobe Premiere Pro saves clips when they're captured. By default, captured files are saved in the My Documents folder.

The Device Control section includes Device settings you can adjust if Adobe Premiere Pro has trouble recognizing your device. The lower part of the Device Control section contains settings you can adjust in the course of normal capture; however, for DV capture the only option you might use is Abort Capture On Dropped Frames. The Preroll Time and Timecode Offset options are more commonly used when capturing footage from analog devices.

6. Log clips.
In the Capture window, use the tape transport controls to move to the first frame of the first clip you want to capture, and then click Set In. Use the controls to move to the last frame of the clip and then click Set Out. Click Log Clip, change the clip data as needed, and then click OK. Adobe Premiere Pro adds the logged clip as an offline file in the Project window. Repeat this step as many times as needed for the other clips you want to log.

As you log clips, feel free to adjust options as necessary as the content on the tape changes. For example, as the tape plays back, you can adjust the Log Clips To Bin or the Clip Data options as you anticipate an upcoming scene. Or if you clicked Set In or Set Out a little earlier or later than you intended to, you can type in a new timecode or slide the In or Out point slightly by dragging the timecode numbers to the left or right.

7. Batch-capture logged clips.
You can batch-capture any clips you've logged, as long as your capture device is online. Select offline files in the Project window, choose File > Batch Capture, and click OK.

You'll see options in the Batch Capture dialog box, but you do not need to use them unless you want to override the default capture settings. When batch capture finishes, the offline clips in the Project window are replaced with the captured clips.

If you simply want to capture one or two clips quickly, there's no need to log clips in advance. Use the device controls in the Capture window to find the first frame you want to capture and click Set In. Use the controls to find the last frame you want to capture, click Set Out, and then click In/Out in the Capture section. When the clip is captured, enter clip data when asked.