CatDV 7.0 is a cross-platform media cataloging and video logging tool. The CatDV product family has several members, all sharing the same basic user interface but with different features:
This reference guide describes all these versions. When there are differences these are indicated in the text.
CatDV will import and catalog media files and movies in most popular formats, including:
Media files are indexed with thumbnails, not just for the whole file but for each scene. Unlike other cataloging applications CatDV is aware of timecode and knows about scenes within a movie file, so as well as media files it will also import:
With the Professional Edition you can also import arbitrary files of any type into the catalog, not just media files but also related supporting files such spreadsheets, Word documents or project files.
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. CatDV lets you organise digital camera images and MP3s as well as digital video, providing a common interface to locate and manage all your digital media.
To make it easy to organise your media, each clip is annotated with metadata that can be used for searching and sorting the catalog. This includes both technical metadata (such as file path, audio sample rate, video format, date and time of recording, or camera exposure details) which are extracted automatically from the media file, and annotations explicitly entered by the user (such as clip name, description, project, or clip status). Once extracted, this metadata is cached in a CatDV catalog file (or a central database if using the workgroup server), and therefore provides a permanent and instantly accessible record even if the original file is offline (eg. on removable media).
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. Use the Verbatim Logger to type in spoken dialog (perhaps to create subtitles) or other comments while a clip is playing.
Full-resolution video files are very large and it is usually impractical to keep them all on-line at the same time. CatDV will create low-resolution preview movies to show the contents of clips when the original media files are off-line. To restore off-line media CatDV generates capture logs for use with the batch capture capability of your editing application.
Although CatDV is not intended as a full editing application you can create a simple composition or sequence by trimming and concatenating together clips of interest. All editing is non-destructive as CatDV deals with references to your media files.
You can export clips or sequences as either self-contained or QuickTime reference movies, or you can convert a movie using a different codec, for example to create a web movie, perhaps adding subtitles or a burnt-in timecode at the same time. You can batch convert multiple movies in one operation.
Several unique utility functions are provided, such as a convenient timecode calculator, or adding a burnt-in security camera-style date and time display. You can consolidate DV media files on disk based on an edit decision list by trimming and deleting unused material. CatDV will analyse most media files and display detailed technical information about the file, including the format of individual tracks, frame durations, sample counts, a dropped frame analysis, and more, helping you to diagnose capture and playback problems. You can also print catalogs, display them as HTML, and more.
Using the optional CatDV Server and a relational SQL 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.