CatDV 3.0 is a cross-platform media cataloging and video logging tool. The CatDV product family has different members, all sharing the same basic user interface but with different features:
This reference guide describes all three versions. When there are differences, these are indicated in the text.
CatDV will import and catalog media files and video clip data in most popular formats, including:
Media files are indexed with thumbnails and can be played back either as previews or as full screen presentations.
CatDV helps you to keep track of which video clips are where on a tape (and which projects they are used in) by maintaining a catalog of clips, each with timecode in and out values and thumbnail previews. Each clip can be annotated with meta data (such as clip name, description, project, status, date and time of recording, or camera exposure details) that can be used for searching and sorting the catalog.
CatDV lets you organise digital camera images and MP3s as well as digital video. You can present slide shows containing a mix of media formats.
Full-resolution video files are very large and it is usually impractical to keep them all on-line at the same time. CatDV uses both thumbnail images and low-resolution preview movies to show the contents of clips that are currently off-line. To restore off-line media CatDV generates capture logs for use with the batch capture capability of your editing application.
To simplify logging the contents of a tape and creating a first rough draft of an edited program, CatDV supports automatic scene detection of captured footage. You can review each clip and enter a name and keywords describing the scene, mark it as "good" or not, and enter "in" and "out" points to select portions of interest within the clip.
With QuickTime-compatible video capture hardware CatDV will scan a tape and capture previews in a single operation. (If you don't have compatible hardware, however, CatDV will work just as well with media files captured using your existing editing application.)
Although CatDV is not a fully featured editing application you can create a simple movie by stringing together clips of interest. You can export clips as either self-contained or reference movies, or you can convert a movie using a different codec, for example to create a web movie. You can also consolidate the media files on disk by trimming and deleting unused material.
Several unique utility functions are provided, such as adjusting the timecode values of a program to match the timecode generated after printing to video to permit recapture from a program tape, exporting "whole tape" batch capture logs, or adding a burnt in security camera-style date and time display.
Using the optional CatDV Workgroup Server and a relational database you can store clip details in a central shared database accessible via a local area network, thereby allowing different members of a team to work together.