Connecting monitor to Mac Pro to work with FCP suite

[David Roth weiss]

Welcome to FCP, welcome to the Cow Jim. Okay, now that we have the formalities out of the way, let’s get down to your formal education…

First, there is a big difference between computer monitors and video monitors and TVs, and there is a huge difference in the cards and other devices that feed signals to them, and they are not interchangeable. So, you cannot feed your TV a proper video signal from your laptop computer using it’s internal display card, which is improperly called a “video card,” thus causing many a high level of confusion.

The least expensive route for displaying a proper video signal to a TV or monitor is to output the video signal over firewire and route that through a video camera to the monitor via composite cables (i.e. red,white, yellow RCA cables. This is spelled out in the FCP manual, and Shane Ross has a FAQ around that you could search for here on the Cow.

Another solution is to acquire a video I/O (input/output) device such as the Matrox MXO for $950, which somehow turns the computer display signal into a true video signal. There are more expensive I/O devices as well from AJA and Blackmagic as well.

Hope this helps…

David

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

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[John Fishback]

You need an input/output device. It connects to your MacPro with a PCI card or Firewire cable. Your monitor connects to that box to view the output. Likewise you feed video into the box for capture. You’ll have to decide how much you want to spend and how capable the box must be in terms of SD and/or HD. There are many choices.

Blackmagic/DeckLink products https://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/

Matrox https://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mxo2_mini/

AJA https://www.aja.com/products/kona/

John

MacPro 8-core 2.8GHz 8 GB RAM OS 10.5.5 QT7.5.5 Kona 3 Dual Cinema 23 ATI Radeon HD 3870, 24″ TV-Logic Monitor, ATTO ExpressSAS R380 RAID Adapter, PDE enclosure with 8-drive 6TB RAID 5
FCS 2 (FCP 6.0.5, Comp 3.0.5, DVDSP 4.2.1, Color 1.0.3)

Pro Tools HD w SYNC IO, Yamaha DM1000, Millennia Media HV-3C, Neumann U87, Schoeps Mk41 mics, Genelec Monitors, PrimaLT ISDN

[Jim Nicholson]

Hi
Thanks for the response. Not that it would make a difference but I have the Mac Pro (desktop) many make this assumption and think I have the Mac Book Pro (laptop).
Getting back to my dilema, I am coming from the PC world where all my computers had video cards (aftermarket of course) that could easily output to video monitors or tv’s. As I said the Mac world is all new to me.

I was told by the salesman at the Mac store I bought the box with the most and can do everything my PC could do and more.

Well as you see that was false and although maybe there is some sense of truth to that but they left out the fact that yes as long as you buy all the big dollar items to make that work. I thought I did when I bought the Mac which cost more than all 4 of my powerful PC’s and my Windows based notebook all together.

Not to get into a PC Mac war I just want to make this setup work without getting a 3rd mortgage.

So I need that convertor to do it the right way. I am trying to setup an editing studio so running it through a camera would not be the way I want to do it. I was hoping to upgrade as I go as I earned a little then continue to get what is needed to have a decent setup.

Those neat little 13″ monitors I see in the bays of editors I guess are all monitors already setup for the video out of their computers or maybe they are also using a convertor?

I guess I hoped I could buy a used monitor that accepted dvi so I could come off the mac directly to it if I coul dnot use the crt I have.

[Jim Nicholson]

Hi

Thanks for the help. I now capture through firewire to the mac without any extra convertor so if I get a convertor would I still need to capture through the convertor or would I still be able to go through the method I do now?
All I am trying to accomplish is a way to get an output to a crt monitor to color correct for SD. I already have the ability to capture to FCP.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Jim Nicholson] “Getting back to my dilema, I am coming from the PC world where all my computers had video cards (aftermarket of course) that could easily output to video monitors or tv’s. As I said the Mac world is all new to me.
“

Same with the Mac. You pick up a video card after market. My advice is the AJA Kona LHi as this gives you full SD and HD monitoring along with all forms of conversions from SD to HD, HD to SD and 720 to 1080 or vice versa.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author.
Credits include multiple Emmy, Telly, Aurora and Peabody Awards.
Owner, Biscardi Creative Media featuring HD Post
Biscardi Creative Media

Creative Cow Forum Host:
Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Apple Color, AJA Kona, Business & Marketing, Maxx Digital.

Read my Blog!

Twitter!

[Jim Nicholson]

Ok I guess that answers my questions. I will need another video card.

Thanks guys for the help.

[David Roth weiss]

Jim,

FCP is a professional video non-linear editing system. It’s not for everyone, and no one ever said professional video was easy, except maybe the guy you spoke with at the Apple Store. That’s why he’s at the Apple Store and not working in the television and film industry.

In any case, with your big investment behind you, you’re in for the duration now, so get over thinking like you’re on a PC, that was just kid stuff — FCP on your new MacPro is the real deal and it’s going to require that you focus forward and really learn video, otherwise you’re going to get stuck and find yourself with a $6500 torture machine.

Also, it really helps if you learn and use proper terminology so you can get things straight in your mind and so you can converse accurately with those of us who want to help you. I used the term I/O card earlier for a reason — I/O cards have both input and output capabilities, so whenever discussing them you always picture a pipeline in and a pipeline out. However, that does not mean that you have to use it’s input capabilities, you can still use firewire and many still do just that, but it does have the input capabilities. For the record, many who have I/O cards use them only for their accurate display capability, never using them for input or output to tape at all, because viewing an accurate representation of your video is the single most important thing there is in editing. If you’re going to spend days and weeks doing this stuff you do want to know what you’re really doing, right?

BTW, in the future, phone a value added reseller (VAR) such as Promax, Safe Harbor, or even The Video Guys and discuss your needs before buying hardware, the geniuses at the Apple Store are not really geniuses, that’s just sales tool. VARs know much more about video and they will steer you in the right direction before selling things to you, because they have to take them back if they sell you the wrong thing.

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

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Jim Nicholson]

Yes, Yes, and Yes. I have been around the block a few times and do realize that FCP is the real deal. I guess there is a bit of tension 🙂 over the Mac and PC thing. I do love the Mac and admit it is like owning a Chevy Vega (when you could own one) and owning a Ferrari (could never afford to own one) the Mac is a real hard core workhorse and pc’s are good for gamers. But not to start the war just my impression.

I am mad at myself for not educating myself on the setup (tried but wow)spent weeks online and had a zillion more questions after then when I started so I hurried to the Apple store to talk to the experts. After all who better than the maker could answer my questions right?

I bought the biggest baddest box they had and the FCP suite and dumped all but 7k at the store (no monitor). After getting it home realized the advertised massive hd was only 500 gb (whats wrong with that statement) only 500gb I remember when 100 mb was a jumbo. :o) Anyway so I added 2 1 TB hd’s and memory.

Again the Apple guys could or would not answer questions. When I called support because my FCP suite was crashing and doing all kinds of weird stuff (this I feel is built in marketing for pay support) I will touch on that later, I asked about the capabilities of this powerhouse. They could or would not answer, they would not even address the software issues. They kept telling me I really need the Enterprise support even though it was only days after I got this thing home.

I finally demanded to speak to someone that could address my WARRANTY concerns without trying to upsell me. Finally spoke to tech that basically told me to use it a couple weeks and he was sure it would clear up.

Guess what? It did so strange. I first used FCP, Soundtrack Pro, DVD Studio Pro all had issues crashing or locking up or hanging. After repeated crap and re starting and what not it did settle down in a week.

I recently tried to use color , and Live Type and guess what they are doing the same thing. My take on this is their marketing scheme to sell their $900 yr plan. After a week all works. Just long enough for you to call support and get talked into the plan. My thought anyway.

Getting back to the issue at hand, I agree I have to really bear down and learn, which I admit I am doing. I have completed several jobs that are good but I want great. To do great I need to not cut too many corners and do it the right way. I use every means I can find to learn, I keep buying training DVD’s,(so I have them when I forget what I learned) I am active on forums, blogs, and have a few relationships with real experienced people that know their trade.

I learned one thing years ago, first you need to decide who knows what they say they know, and secondly surround yourself with the ones that know their stuff and learn from them.

I hope to learn here and one day be the voice on the other end helping others as I have been helped.

Thanks to all for the help. Watch for more intense questions as I quest for knowledge and the golden BB! Taken from Air America the movie. No ties just liked it.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Jim Nicholson] “I am mad at myself for not educating myself on the setup (tried but wow)spent weeks online and had a zillion more questions after then when I started so I hurried to the Apple store to talk to the experts. After all who better than the maker could answer my questions right? “

For a Mac yes. For a professional video editing setup, as you have learned, not so good. You’ll find most of us, myself included, purchase primarily through VARs that specialize in professional configurations. Myself I go through the WH Platts company here in Atlanta as they are a broadcast centric company that caters to the needs of boutique companies like myself all the way to full broadcast studio configurations. Yes, I can walk down to the Apple Store and pick up a new computer, but I’ve built a 5 year relationship with this company and they know my facility. So when I ask about a new computer, they know all the right questions to ask me about how it will be used to ensure it’s properly set up.

The computer is just one part of the equation, making it work as a professional video workstation requires technical knowledge beyond what is available at your local Apple Store.

Where are you located? I’m sure someone on here can suggest a good VAR for your future purchases and assistance.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author.
Credits include multiple Emmy, Telly, Aurora and Peabody Awards.
Owner, Biscardi Creative Media featuring HD Post
Biscardi Creative Media

Creative Cow Forum Host:
Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Apple Color, AJA Kona, Business & Marketing, Maxx Digital.

Read my Blog!

Twitter!

[Jim Nicholson]

Hi

I am in PA. I have bought all the direct video equipment except the computer and software from B+H photo.
I guess they would be considered a VAR but I already have lost hundreds from their recommendations like what camera bag or case I should get. I bought my Pan AG-HVX200A from them and under what case they suggested was the Porta Brace soft case and nothing else was listed. Bought the one they said and it was for a broadcast camera. Way too big, special order so no returns.

Secondly they offered tri pod leg and fluid head combos which I got one and later found out from the manufacture it was sold that way but had since been stopped because of the exact problems I had. They said it was stopped 6 months to a year prior to when I bought it. Seems like B+H did not agree with them and kept selling it. The legs were not strong enough for the resistance of the fluid head. When you panned no matter what you did it was jerky. I called Monfrotto and as soon as I said what pair I had they said oh no that wont work!

To be clear, it was tri pod legs and fluid head Monfrotto to be exact. I looked on B+H web and I found the fluid head I liked and under other accessories they listed the legs and also had it listed as a kit. B+H put it together not Monfrotto.

So I lost hundreds so far. Any other VAR you might suggest?

newbie learnin