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Bad sync audio digitize with DVCPRO-HD via FW in FCP 5.1
For about 2 years now I have been using my G4/1.25 (1 gig ram) laptop to digitize DVCPRO-HD 720p60 via firewire to fw800 drives (using a pcmcia fw800 card for the drive and native fw400 in from a Panasonic 1200A) with no problems.
Since the recent cross-grade to 5.1 and OS upgrade to 10.4.8 (I’m not sure which change might be creating the problem) the system has been unable to digitize with the audio in sync. It does not abort the digitize, and does not seem to be dropping frames, but all audio is about 20 frames delayed and plays back in FCP sounding “choppy”. Interestingly, the media plays back smoothly (but still out of sync) in Quicktime Pro.
I have tried tossing prefs, re-installing the OS (from the “combo” upgrade download), unistalling and then re-installing 5.1 and 5.1.2 (I have not tried downgrading yet – I hope not to have to do that – but it all worked fine in 5.0.x last month), and re-installing Quicktime. No love…
I realize that this old workhorse system is just inside the line power-wise, but it has always been a solid preformer for this kind of work (and a great little “earner” as a result).
The only differences I have been able to see in the new software are FCP’s realtime scopes (which I don’t use when batching) and the fact that now the DVCPRO-HD audio setup via firewire seems to see 8 channels (previously I believe the DVCPRO-HD setup only allowed for two channel input via firewire). I still only need two and have turned off the other 6 channels in the log and capture tool, but it’s no help.
I have been unable to find any reference to this issue on any forum or blog, so i figure it’s something I am doing wrong.
Has anyone run into this problem?
Could I be missing something or is FCP’s new feature set just draggin’ me down?
Please help,
TIA
Ed Pickart
EdIt Creative
Chicago -
4 Replies
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[EdIt Creative] “For about 2 years now I have been using my G4/1.25 (1 gig ram) laptop to digitize DVCPRO-HD 720p60 via firewire to fw800 drives (using a pcmcia fw800 card for the drive and native fw400 in from a Panasonic 1200A) with no problems.”
Actually, if you’ve been doing this, you’ve been adding noise to the signal. Laptops cannot handle DVCPro HD capture natively and the image is degraded. I reported this on the Cow a few years ago. Yes, the laptop will capture, but what you don’t realize is that you’re not getting the full 100mbps recording, it’s somewhere between DV and DVCPro HD. We did many many tests here with our G4 PowerBook 1.5 vs. our G5 Dual 2.0’s and it was the same each test. The signal was cleaner in the Desktop. The new Intel laptops are fine for DVCPro HD capture.
[EdIt Creative] “The only differences I have been able to see in the new software are FCP’s realtime scopes (which I don’t use when batching) and the fact that now the DVCPRO-HD audio setup via firewire seems to see 8 channels (previously I believe the DVCPRO-HD setup only allowed for two channel input via firewire). I still only need two and have turned off the other 6 channels in the log and capture tool, but it’s no help.”
It’s always allowed 8 channel audio capture here on the desktops.
[EdIt Creative] but all audio is about 20 frames delayed and plays back in FCP sounding “choppy”. Interestingly, the media plays back smoothly (but still out of sync) in Quicktime Pro.”
Sounds like your Playback Offset needs to be changed. Are the video and audio waveforms lined up correctly in the application? That is, the audio and video are capturing correctly, but playing back offset? You can adjust this in the Playback Offset. Sounds like FCP 5.1 is slowing down your laptop.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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A good buddy of mine was trying to do this same thing with a laptop (except he was capturing out of an HVX200, which is essentially what you are doing) and he couldn’t get everything is sync either. He upgraded his laptop to a MacBook Pro and sent in for the cross grade. Since he did all that, he is totally successful on DVCPRO HD capture over firewire on a laptop. Funny enough, he lives is Chicago too.
Jeremy
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Thanks for the quick and informative feedback. I see from the replies that my process was walking a line in the first place! 🙂
Gee I sure do hate to have an excuse to by a new laptop…
Cheers,
Ed Pickart -
[EdIt Creative] “Gee I sure do hate to have an excuse to by a new laptop…”
You have the best reason to buy new gear. You need it to get the job done.
Jeremy
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