Capturing HDV in MCP 5.1.4

[Jeff Mueller]

It’s a long time since I used FCP 5, but I find that Canon Firewire and all versions of FCP have issues and idiosyncrasies, but if memory serves FCP 5 and HDV were a nightmare. FCP 7 is much better.

I’ve never used an HV20 but with the Canon XLH1 and XHA1 a few tricks to bear in mind when connecting to FCP via Firewire: Make sure that the camera/vtr is in straight HDV playback mode (turn OFF automatic mode and turn OFF down-conversion). Do this before connecting. Do not mix different frame rates or interlaced and progressive footage on the same tape, this is a disaster. By following these rules I rarely have issues in FCP 7, but my memory of FCP 5 was that there were a few more requirements: don’t plug the camera in through a daisy chain, for best results connect and power on the camera before booting the computer and certainly before starting FCP. Of course make sure your Easy Setup matches the camera and things seem to be smoother when the camera is on an AC power source. Not sure why a bunch of this matters but it seemed to with 5 and to a lessor degree 6.

Hope this helps.

Jeff Mueller
http://www.ApertureVideos.com
Santa Barbara, CA

[Michael Gissing]

You really should be running FCP7 with Snow Leopard. FCP 5.1.4 is about four years older than the OS so I am not surprised it is showing up this sort of compatibility issue.

[Michael Chirgwin]

Thanks guys, sadly upgrading to 7 is a very expensive fix.
What you’re saying is that it’s the usual OS versus software clash. What’s weird is that MC5 and 10.6.4 are supposed to be made for each other and they won’t capture HDV either.

[Michael Gissing]

I don’t know Avid MC5 so no idea why you can’t capture HDV with it, but if you have upgraded the OS for Avid, then it also makes sense to upgrade FCP so you get all the yummy flavors of ProRes which MC5 can now edit with.

[Michael Chirgwin]

I’d really like to but my AJA Io would also need to be replaced and the software and harware upgrade cost in Australia is over $6000. I Went to Avid some years ago during the FireWire issues when Apple went to Intel processors. I think that the current problems must be related to QuickTime.

[David Roth weiss]

Upgrading to FCS3 costs just $299.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

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[Michael Chirgwin]

Thanks David, with current problems Avid is having with MC5 that looks pretty reasonable. I’d like to be sure that the HDV capture issues have been fixed though. FCP CS3 is 64 bit isn’t it?

[Shane Ross]

Yeah, compared to Avid MC5 which is $2400.

You can’t see the deck in the Avid MC software? Did you go into the Deck Configuration and set it up?

Shane

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[Michael Gissing]

Michael, what are you using to edit on? Do you have an intel mac? Why can’t you use the AJA Io with Snow Leopard?

I have SL & FCS3 and have absolutely no problems capturing HDV via firewire. I don’t understand what you mean by saying it is a quicktime issue. I suspect it is an issue running old software on a new OS, but if you also have a non intel mac, then Sl isn’t supposed to be installed on it anyway.

[Michael Chirgwin]

Shane, Mc5 sees the deck eventually, in a HDV formatted project and only a couple of weeks ago captured HDV from a Canon HV20 but now it stops after a few seconds with a video has stopped abruptly message.
Michael I ‘m using a current MacPro 8 core with Snow Leopard and QT 10. It captures HDV perfectly with iMovie