Now you've read all this, this is how to do it:

1. Download the Main Concept Demo Codec from: www.mainconcept.com. If you like their latest version after testing this, buy it.
2. Create a Folder on your C drive named QCAP.
3. Move the Qcap.dll from your System32 directory to the Qcap folder you just created, then back up qcap.dll to a floppy for safety.
4. Now, do a search on your C drive for qcap.dll and make sure it ONLY comes up in the QCAP folder you just created. If it shows up anywhere else DELETE it. You can always move it back to the system 32 directory where it belongs if you decide you don't want this fix enabled.
   NOTE -- Win 2k users: Make sure you enabled the registry tweak or qcap.dll will keep getting copied back to your system32 directory automatically courtesy of SFC and Microsoft.
5. Install the Main Concept codec, you can test this with the Demo off their site.
6. Copy the presets from the zip file below into your Premiere settings directory. We have supplied 4: NTSC/PAL Interlaced and NTSC/PAL Progressive. They start with DVMC------
7. Start Premiere 6. Select one of the supplied presets.
8. Go into settings. Make sure it says DV Playback.
9. Go to video settings and there magically you will find all the codecs. The Main Concept codec should be selected. Although you can at this point select other codecs they will most likely NOT work with the Premiere DV module. All the other settings will match proper DV settings.
10. Make sure you NEVER check always recompress.
11. In the Video Settings hit the Configure tab for the MainConcept codec and make sure all the radio buttons are DE-SELECTED as selecting some of them have caused some output issues. Deselecting them all gives the highest quality compression anyway.
12. Now you can go into the Premiere capture settings and set them up. Save the settings as you wish, preferably some other name so you will always have a master template.
    Note: If you try and adjust capture settings without qcap.dll in the system32 directory, you will get the cannot connect to Capture Device error message.
13. You're all done.

At this point you can capture with the MS codec as a wrapper. You have to have the qcap.dll file in the original location (Windows System folder) to be able to capture. Once done, remove the qcap.dll file from the System folder with Premiere 6 not running and restart Premiere 6 when you've done that. Now you can edit clips and apply filters/transitions, etc. when you reload your project with the Presets we supplied you with. Premiere will use the MainConcept codec to render previews with. You then set up your export settings to use it to export the same way as a Microsoft AVI using the MainConcept codec. Make sure your settings match the project settings EXACTLY and do not check 'always recompress'. To help you do all this switching, Ross (www.geocities.com/aussie01au/) did write two batch files to do all the switching and moving of files for you.

This is how to use these batch files: they are designed to be used with a Windows 98 system, where the qcap.dll file is in the Windows\System folder. If it is in another folder (like on Windows 2000), you will have to modify these batch files. Since you can load them in Notepad to do that, it's really easy.

There are two batch files: MS_DV and MC_DV. MS_DV does copy the qcap.dll file back to the Windows\System folder. You use this one, when Premiere 6 is not running, to be able to use the MS DV codec in Premiere 6 (to capture) and other software that needs this file in it's normal place. The MC_DV file does move the qcap.dll file from the Windows\System folder to the c:\qcap folder you have created manually, and starts Premiere 6 automatically. You can tweak the two files and especially the MS_DV file, by making copies of it and adding a line to start other software that needs to have the qcap.dll file in the System folder. Think about it: use these batch files to start your DV software instead of the normal shortcuts. They move the qcap.dll file to the right location (to or from the Ssystem folder) and start the software in the automatically. Open them in Notepad, study them a bit and try it. You'll see: all this switching becomes easier than I can explain it!

If you've followed these instructions precisely, all MainConcept codec rendered previews will play out Firewire as will all alt-scrub actions, trim mode actions, etc. In short, you have all the benefits of the Adobe generic plugin but with a professional grade codec. If you are testing with the MainConcept demo codec the way to know this is working is that you will see the MC demo watermark on all rendered footage.

You can download the presets, batch files and the registry tweak for Windows 2000 here. The MainConcept codec can be downloaded here (make sure you get the latest codec!). Remember: they only work if you create the c:\qcap folder yourself and the qcap.dll file is in the Windows\System folder. If not, you have to edit these files in Notepad!

This information is provided by Alan. He prefers to remain unknown. He cannot be contacted for support and additional info. But the trick works and works well. Just make sure you follow these instructions step by step and to the letter!

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