Any experiences with PCI-e, FCP 4.5, and the patch/ workaround?

[Frank Nolan]

So this quote is from that website.

>Upgraded to an iSight iMac G5. Ran the Apple import wizard via firewire to transfer settings and apps. Final Cut Pro 4.5 does NOT run, but there is a fix.
If you remove the two line entry within the Info.plist concerning AGP, FCP will launch. This is a similar tactic posted by other readers to get FCP to run on older systems. (see link/article below-Mike) No word yet on whether or not there are any performance penalties.”< Do you really want to spend $3-4k to find out if there is any performance penalties. Just cause they were able to get the application to launch doesn't mean that much. The problem is FCP4.5 needs the AGP graphics card. If you dont want to upgrade your software you could always just buy the Dual 2.7ghz G5 apple is still making available for PCIx users, although I would think if you're spending a few thousand on a new computer then a few hundred more would be well spent on an upgrade to FCP5.

[Walter Biscardi]

[mus man] “I’m about to take what for me is huge plunge and buy either a Quad or a dual core 2.3. But, I’m using FCP 4.5 right now and don’t want to upgrade until the next version”

You have two choices.

Purchase the upgrade to FCP 5 so it works correctly on the Dual Core.

Purchase the PCI-X Dual 2.7 which I’m pretty certain will run FCP 4.5

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

“The Rough Cut,” an original short film premiering December 7th in full High Definition in Atlanta.
rsvp@biscardicreative.com to reserve seats.
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Andy Mees]

this is an interesting topic … I’d be interested to know if anyone has any particular reason to believe that FCP4 [i] needs [/i] an AGP graphics card, as opposed to PCIe.

certainly, I can believe that Apple may have implemented this measure, circa FCP4, in order to prevent users trying to run FCP on a system with a slower graphics bus, where doing so may have adversly impacted on the percieved ‘fluidity’ of the FCP experience … an experience that is esentially guaranteed by the marketing blurb. nothing like a rampaging horde of disgruntled users with class action on thier mind ([i]”… it said ‘real-time’ but it isn’t…”[/i])

during the development of FCP5 Apple would obviously have already been planning their PCIe move, and have taken the necessary measures, re: plist checks, in advance of FCP 5’s release (long in advance of the PCIe only Mac release)

i would hazzard that this hack would not in any way affect your system other than to enable it to run, and further, that the lack of an authorised ‘enabler’ for FCP4 on these new G5’s, is simply a means to sell more FCP upgrades … which is fair enough of course, business is business.

undoubtedly, of course, FCP5 is better optimised for these new systems, but FCP4 should run without a hitch.

my advice to anyone in the posters position would be to go right ahead and buy the new PCIe mac and strip those lines from the plist file. then, when you’re ready to upgrade to FCP5, you can do so knowing you new machine will be able to make the most of it.

cheers
Andy

[Todd Beabout]

[Andy Mees] “during the development of FCP5 Apple would obviously have already been planning their PCIe move, and have taken the necessary measures”

VERY funny that you should say that. Currently they have NO solution for connecting their new Quad G5 to their XRaid (which I have) because they do not have a PCIe fibre card that is actually shipping. Yes I know it says it is shipping on the Apple site, but I have been assured that it in fact is not shipping. I’d say their planning of the PCIe move did NOT take the necessary measures. Like storage. That’s kindof a biggie.

Just $.02 from someone stuck on an older G5 for the time being.

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Andy Mees]

I hear you! we have 16 of them on order along with 2 more fully populated XServe RAID’s and, you guessed it, a couple of the PCIe Fibre channel cards …. now, I wonder what’s holding up our order ???

[Nestorl]

hello Mus Man. There is a discussion about this issue by Mike at hdforindies.com and the full explanation is at:

https://www.xlr8yourmac.com/archives/nov05/112305.html#S20166

It seems that this is not a recommended solution and most people just suggest upgrading to FCP5

Regarding the PCIe card, Atto will be shipping the new FC42ES on Dec 20th. The drivers for the new quad are already out.

Nestor.

[Arnie Schlissel]

[Andy Mees] “I’d be interested to know if anyone has any particular reason to believe that FCP4 needs an AGP graphics card, as opposed to PCIe.”

Actually, I think what FCP 4 needed for RT Extreme was a graphics card that used Open GL. And I think that a lot of the PCI based graphics cards lacked this feature.

Of course, I have no factual reference to back that up, so I may just be talking out my ear…

Arnie
https://www.arniepix.com

[Samuel Frazier]

Just wanted to thank everyone for the help and advice. The problem is I really don’t want to upgrade now as in another 4 months I’ll want to upgrade again. It still seems very silly to me that a 1.5 year old ap won’t run on a new machine. I don’t hink I’ve ever heard of this kind of thing before. It definitely sucks, but I guess that’s just the way it is.
Anyway, thanks again for all the feedback and links!