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Duel Adapter/Snow Leopard Solution FAST
I need a solution FAST. I’m about to leave for a 1 month shoot all over that world and my HD workflow has stopped flowing…
Let me start with the fact that I’m a bit frustrated so please read the post with that in mind. I know that my opinion on what is happening is just an opinion and that since my workflow has been interrupted, I’m a bit upset. Please realize that I’m not angry with either Duel or Apple, I just NEED a solution that does not involve reverting 3 macbook pros to Leopard
My HD workflow recently came to a grinding halt on a shoot because of Apple and Duel not updating the drivers for SL. Yes, I realize that it’s my responsibility to check everything out before updating my computers and yes I do a thorough back up before I change anything. However, one cannot check everything and this one slipped through before it was too late. I can revert to Leopard but it is not fair that I now have three $3k MacBook pro’s (less than 1.5 years old) that I can never update the OS again because I need the functionality of this driver.
Having to use one of my cameras to dump footage while shooting stops production (you cannot shoot while transferring data). My client flipped out because we had to stop for over 1 hour and now may not be coming back for more work.
Here is what I got from Duel (read from the bottom up):
I have been in contact with Duel and below is the email chain. They are saying that Apple removed support for their product (which was native to Leopard and removed in Snow Leopard) and that they are not responsible for the update. This is a load of dung. All they need to do is write a new driver but since they discontinued the product they refuse to do so. In my Panasonic-Mac workflow, the Duel Adapter is the bridge between the two. Apple whole heatedly supports Panasonic and P2 with FCP but does not support the IO to import the footage. Sounds to me like Duel and Apple need to come to a truce on this and help out the thousands of users who paid over $100 to purchase the adapter. It’s a driver for heaven’s sake. It cant be that hard to write a few more lines of code to update it for SL.
This needs to be addressed and both Apple and Duel should have the integrity to help the people who spent their hard earned money to buy this adapter as their HD bridge for FCP and Panasonic.
Here is what I got from Duel (read from the bottom up):
Hi Joel,
Actually, from what I understand, the drivers prior to Leopard, although available from our website were a joint effort between Apple and Duel Systems. With Leopard, Apple decided to write the driver and include it with the OS however, with Snow Leopard, they decided to remove that driver and not write it for that new OS. The reason why Apple removed the driver is unknown. As for us developing drivers, development on the Duel Adapter has ceased and hence, there are no plans for any new drivers or bugfixes.
Thanks and regards,
Eric Mena
Duel Systems Technical Support
Original Message Subject: Re: Snow Leopard support
From: Joel Jackson
Date: Wed, February 03, 2010 10:27 pm
To: “su*****@******************rs.com”Thanks for the response although it is rather confusing to me. The drivers prior to Leopard are written by duel and downloadable from your website. So it seems to me that you would just need to update your drivers for snow leopard. How does Apple have anything to do with you writing drivers for their OS? I do realize that Apple’s last OS supported your hardware natively but prior to 10.5 duel wrote it’s own drivers. If it is a question of cost, I would be willing to pay for new drivers as would others I’m sure.
Your product is the keystone in my workflow. I have invested over $100,000 in creating a video capture workflow based on Apple MacBook pro, panssonic p2 cameras, the duel adapter, and Lacie hard drives for rigorous field shooting. Once again, I must say that the duel adapter is a key component in my (and many others) HD video workflow. Any insight into why you cannot write a new driver to support the new mac OS would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.
Kind regards,
Joel Jackson
jo**@**********oc.com
720.980.9577On Feb 3, 2010, at 9:23 PM, su*****@******************rs.com wrote:
Hi Joel,
Unfortunately, we do not have drivers planned for Snow Leopard. This issue is actually caused by the removal of the drivers from Snow Leopard that were built-in to Leopard. It was a decision made by Apple therefore, I would advise you to contact Apple about having them include those drivers again.
Otherwise, the only path to take is to downgrade to Leopard or Tiger or alternatively, using Boot Camp to run Windows XP or Vista.
Thanks and regards,
Eric Mena
Duel Systems Technical SupportJoel Jackson
https://www.creativebloc.com/port.htmlJoel Jackson
http://www.creativebloc.com/port.html -
25 Replies
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The fast answer is to buy a P2 card reader from Panasonic. I feel your pain, I too have useless Dual Adapter. I would hope that Panasonic did not have anything to do with the disappearing drivers. But we do know that Apple will scuttle connectivity with other companies products, if if suites their needs. Look at I-Tunes! We are all just 1 software update away from any of our 3rd party devices, intentionally or not
disappearing from the desktop of our Macs.
I would shell out the money for a an Aj-Pcd-20 drive off of E-bay. If you can.
Don WalkerJohn 3:16
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Yeah, that’s a great $2k solution. If I have to I will. Do they make a smaller 1 or 2 card version? I can’t find it if they do. I will traveling around the world on this shoot and carrying another big piece of equipment is no fun.
Have you experimented with the Nexto di drives?
Joel
Joel Jackson
http://www.creativebloc.com/port.html -
Ok, one more question. Instead of buying a $2k p2 reader, what about buying a cheap PC laptop with a pcmcia slot. How would I then transfer the footage to a mac compatible drive to edit? The PC would need the drive formatted as fat 32 with a 2GB file size limit and that would mess up my clips that are longer (ie bigger) than 2GB.
Joel Jackson
http://www.creativebloc.com/port.html -
Craigslist in my area is full of G4 MacLappys with the slot you need. Usually a few hundred bucks. More than enough horsepower for file transfer. You could even put FCP 6 on it for preview.
joe
editmojo.com -
Why not just revert back to 10.5? There is nothing in 10.6 that is essential to FCP. If your $100k solution works fine with 10.5, I’d just go back to it for the time being.
Again, there is nothing lost in any functionality of Final Cut Studio 3 in 10.5.
10.6 has some nice bells and whistles in the general OS but doesn’t seem worth the hassle when you have so much riding on your current solution. I’d rather do that than buy a Panny P2 reader or carry another PC laptop on the road.
Chi-Ho Lee
Film & Television Editor
Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer
http://www.chiholee.com -
I would revert if I did not want to ever again update 3 fairly new computers. I have three of these edit/field laptops that are less than 1.5 years old. It’s not feasible to never again update the OS on these systems.
Even though it will work, I’m still gonna buy the p2 reader by panasonic. Found one for $1200 on ebay. I can count on that always working with my P2 media. Eventually I will have to buy at least one more but it is a permanent solution that will not become obsolete or prevent me from upgrading my systems.
I’m still mad at Duel. It’s almost a class action lawsuit waiting to happen (lol)
Peace,
JoelJoel Jackson
http://www.creativebloc.com/port.html -
Alternatively, you could just buy a portable firewire drive. Install leopard onto that drive and then just boot from that drive when you need to transfer P2. It’s an extra drive to carry along which is a consideration but it works.
Jon
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Now that is a brilliant idea. No time to test it out before this shoot but it is absolutely a great solution if it works. Nice thinking Jon.
Best,
JoelJoel Jackson
http://www.creativebloc.com/port.html -
Given that case, buy yourself a $100 500gb 2.5″ drive and install two partitions – one in 10.5 and one in 10.6. Boot into which ever you need.
3 new boot drives for your MBP are even cheaper than a $1200 P2 reader.
Chi-Ho Lee
Film & Television Editor
Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer
http://www.chiholee.com -
Why do you have the NEED to update the OS? What does it gain you? Now? Absolutely nothing, so going to SL does nothing for you but make things not work. Get a good working system…and then keep it working. There is no reason to update the OS if things are working. I sometimes edit on machines that are running OS9 and Avid Media Composer Meridian. or Avid 3.5 and Tiger. Or FCS1 and Tiger. Those are perfectly working system.
I am running FCS 3, fully updated, on Leopard. it works great. There is no need to constantly be fully upated. If you want things to work, and don’t want to spend $2K on a reader (neither would I), then keep a working configuration. JUST FOR THE OFFLOAD STATION! That’s all you need. The offload machine on Leopard using Leopard. I am using my Powerbook G4, running Tiger 10.5.11, and FCS 2. Because it works. This is just for offloading.
Or get a cheap PC for offloading.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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