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DVCPRO HD on AJ-1400 through firewire to FCP 5.1.4
I have footage shot on VariCam to DVCPRO HD tapes at 1080i. I am trying to capture the footage to Final Cut Pro 5.1.4 through Firewire 400.
I can’t get FCP to recognize the deck. Not sure what I’m missing.
Is it possible to capture the footage with only Firewire? or do I need some sort of HD-SDI as well?
Thanks in advance.
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14 Replies
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I don’t use a varicam, but have the same deck.
You need to go into the menu settings and tweak around. in certain modes, firewire output or downconversion may not work – check the manual.
also, i know the setting has to be HD_SP in one of the settings. will post if i have more info.
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Thanks for the help.
I did have it on HD_SP, though.
As a side note I don’t want to downconvert.
I want to the same quality/format that is on the tape. I know this is “technically” compressed, but I want the highest quality from the tape that I can get, and preferably all through firewire.
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FYI, Varicam can not record at 1080i. This must be your problem. Firewire import only at 720p, you may use the deck to “transcode” the output to 1080i but you must then import to FCP through capture card via HD-SDI connection.
Good luck!
JS
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Hey,
Thanks JS for the info. I wasn’t there for the shoot, but the tapes read as 1080i on the deck.
When you say “Firewire import only at 720p” are you saying that I should try to import at 720p or that the AJ-1400 can’t import 1080i through firewire, at all… like ever?
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To be clear,
My main problem (I think) is that I can’t get FCP to recognize the deck.
I had a DVCPRO50 deck in recently and everything worked perfectly fine (import/export/passthrough).
With the AJ-1400, it doesn’t matter what settings I try in FCP (Device Control: Firewire NTSC, Firewire Basic, DVCPRO HD Firewire), I always get the External A/V error:
Unable to locate the following external devices:
DVCPRO HD (1080i60) (1920 x 1080)
DVCPRO HD OutYour system configuration may have changed, or your deck/camera
may be disconnected or turned off.Please check your connections and click “Check Again”, or click
“Continue” to set external device selection to None.[] Do not warn again
Continue Check Again -
btw the director just told me he recorded in with a varicam in 1080.
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are you set to local / remote. Dumb question, but have to ask.
try switching your cable.
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Paul,
It doesn’t matter what the director says, the Varicam only records in 720p either at 59.94 or 60 systems frequency. That doesn’t mean you can’t transcode the playback on a 1200A or 1400 VTR to “output” a 1080 signal into your NLE or projector or whatever.
In order to record 1080 from a Varicam you either need to transcode the 720 to 1080 by passing it through one of the previously mentioned decks (e-to-e)and record it on a second deck set to 1080 or use some other sort of standards converter between the camera and the deck. In this setup you need to also provide trilevel sync in 1080/59.94 to both decks.
The HDX900 makes this transcode inside the camcorder and allows 1080 recording, but remember that it is also a native 720 camera and is merely a transcode and not equal in quality to a native 1920×1080 camera. The only such camera in Panasonic’s camcorder line is the new “3000” which is not yet deliverable.
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I understand having to ask, but yeah I had it on remote. And I have even tried local.
And I tried three different cables, all of which work on other external drives and decks.
Thanks anyway.
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Wow.
Thanks again for all the information. I will pass this on.
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