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Black and Code Wrong Timecode via Firewire to Panasonic 1200A
I’m having the following issue trying to black and code, and then edit to tape via firewire to a Panasonic 1200A, recording at 720p59.94. I am using a Mac Pro and when I try to black and code, the wrong timecode is put on the tape. For instance, if I choose to start at 00:58:00:00 (the default), the TC will start at a random number, like 01:30:22:10. I have deck control, and black is output, but the TC is wrong. What is puzzling is that correct TC is output via print to video. My system has FCP 7.0.3 and Snow Leopard 10.6.6, on a Mac Pro Octo-core Intel Xeon, with 8GB RAM.
I have tried everything I can think of to isolate the problem, including the following:
1. Repaired permissions
2. Zapped PRAM
3. Reset SMC
4. Logged in as different user. Same problem.
5. Tried to output from a different computer. I did this from my MacBook Pro and it worked perfectly. So it’s not the deck settings, it’s not the firewire cable, and it’s not the tape stock.
6. Removed all 3rd part PCIe cards: Blackmagic Decklink Studio 2, Sonnet eSATA card, and OWC firewire 800 card.
7. Deleted Blackmagic software installation
8. Installed new system on a new internal hard drive, and then installed FCS 2. Same problem outputting correct timecode.
9. Ran Techtool. No problems reported.
10. Tried both front and back firewire ports.Outputting to this deck has worked for me in the past, so I’m not sure what would be causing FCP to output the wrong timecode. The Mac Pro is past the 3-year AppleCare term, so I’m hoping the hardware is not the problem.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
James
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8 Replies
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Mastering to the 1200 with timecode accuracy via firewire is pretty much impossible. It isn’t a mastering deck. You can pretty much only crash record. The 1400 was better.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
You can’t edit to tape via any deck with firewire.
You can print to tape via firewire and that’s why you had success before and with your laptop which of course was firewire out.RS422 device control is necessary to utilize edit to tape functions.
Chad Brewer
Senior Broadcast Videotape Operator
TeleVersions, LLC -
And you wanna hear soemthing really nuts? You can black and code the tape with rs422, but can’t do an assemble edit via rs422.
Firewire could kind of work for an ETT, but it’s not very accurate. It was a lot of trial and error. The 1400 did work a lot better.
This is what I used to do when the 1200 was around. Totally convoluted, but it worked, just leave enough preroll to allow you to hit the crash record. Must have an HDSDI rs422 capable capture card, and another deck that has rs422 control and tc out:
https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/8/936893
Jeremy
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Thanks for the responses. Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough in my initial post, but I can black and code to the 1200 deck and do an assemble edit, via firewire (see test #5). That is not the issue. The essence of the problem is that I used to be able to edit to tape and black and code via firewire from the Mac Pro, and now I can’t. And I can’t figure out what has changed so that the firewire functionality has been compromised. Any insight into what could have changed (other than the items I delineated in the first post), would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
James
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Is your timeline 720p23.98?
Any other firewire devices, that is, what are you using for storage?
This was the exact same project that worked on your MBP or different project?
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Hi Jeremy,
Yes it is a 720p 23.98 sequence, and it is the same one that I tested on the MBP. I also tried black and code from a new project and got the same weird timecode result.
Thanks,
James
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[James Salkind] “Yes it is a 720p 23.98 sequence, “
OK, do me a favor as a test.
Fist of all, do you have another deck there that supports for real rs422 control (something like a trusty old beta deck UVW1800 or whatever)?
Second, s a test, make a 59.94 timeline and add part of your 23.98 sequence to the 59.94 sequence. Render. Put FCP in a DVCpro HD 59.94 easy setup, then try the black and code.
And as I said before, the black and code and fw layoff for the 1200 is not accurate and it always varied, for me anyway.
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Calling it a night. I’ll try the 59.94 test in the AM.
Thanks.
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