Converting HDV to ProRes via Firewire VS exporting from the timeline

I very much appreciate the article by Andrew Balis on capturing HDV to ProRes via Firewire. In the Pros and Cons chart there is one Con that makes me reluctant to use this as a part of my workflow, that is the lack of ability to log the media. In other words, if I dump my media files, I will not be able to recapture them from tape like I can if I import as HDV. However, the quality that this promises makes me not want to give up on using ProRes.

Then there is Ken Stone's article "Exporting HDV Video from the Timeline to Standard Definition DVD" which is also very helpful. If I consider both of these articles together, correct me if I'm wrong, it seems that I can get the quality of working in ProRes and also the ability to recapture my media files in the future if necessary.

The workflow would be to capture as HDV, edit to my heart's content, and then at the end, export as ProRes. This way I could at least get back to the point I was at, with all of my edits editable right before I exported as ProRes.

My question: is there any difference in quality between converting to ProRes on capture and exporting as ProRes at the end?

Thanks!

Some people need to stay in HDV because they have to lay back to tape, you my want to for other reasons. This is not a problem if you're running the latest FCP (and have a fast Mac).

Working in a HDV timeline and exporting as ProRes would produce the same quality as capturing as ProRes in the first place. When you export to ProRes from the timeline there is a complete ProRes render of all effects.

Capture as HDV, export as ProRes, works well.

--ken