FCP crashing! in DVCPRO 720-24p with AJ-HD1200A deck

[Jeremy Garchow]

If that same deck is crashing two computers, what do you think the common denominator is? Have you had the deck checked?

Jeremy

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

My first thoughts were that perhaps the Deck could use a little cleaning. Don’t know where you are located, but if you have a lot of humitidy or dust, the machine may have collected enough crud to throw off the ability to read TC and thus cause some problems. It can also happen with a questionable bit of tape that has been exposed to an extremem in weather and not yet re aclimated.

But all of the crashing on the computer takes a toll as well, at least it does on my PC and so it might stand for a bit of clean up as well.

Hope this helps,

Jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, AG-DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[Gary Adcock]

[dpray] ” lots of rebooting to get clips to actually capture on the 2nd try, lots of checking settings, the usual BS associated with occasional TC drops and end-of-tape stuff. Never as easy as DV ftg.”

Something is not correct, except when running beta software, I have never had any of these issues. Capturing from the 1200a has always been as easy as working in DV. (except in 720p50) Time code Drops and end of tape issues are related to how you work– not whether the deck is functioning properly.

[dpray] “Whenever there is questionable footage on the 1200 deck, or at other random times, I’m seeing an E-2 error message on the deck and Final Cut Pro is completely crashing” Questionable footage??? Speed ramping, capturing bars and tone laid on tape, rewind the tape in camera for preview all can effect how the TC ins laid and therefore capture.

[dpray] “It’s not my G5 system (OS X 10.4.4) it’s not my FCP (5.0.4)– because I’ve tried the deck on a friend’s G4 w/same software– same exact FCP crash. Also, “ HHHMMMM!!! I’m with Jeremy on this one.

[dpray] “Also, this is the same system that has worked before with the same footage (and same varicam settings on all the tapes)”
The EXACT same tapes? one you have digitized in a prior session? then you know what you need to do.

Bothered checkin the hours on the deck?

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com

[Dpray]

Thank you Jeremy, Jan and Gary for responding to this. Logically, I agree it’s the deck. The deck rental house insists that it just came back from the factory and they’ve had no problems with it. I keep wondering if it’s the fact that I’m on OS X 10.4.3– have you heard whether or not that might be a bad thing? (the other G4 I tested on was running that, too)

And to answer your question, no my capturing sessions from December and September were not the exact same tapes, but they were from the same camera, same settings, etc. this is all one project and we’ve been duplicating everything all along). Finally– for the record– I never rewind tapes in the field, nor do I allow full shut downs. Battery changes are the only “known” possible TC hits, and don’t always create a bump.

Thanks

doug

[Walter Biscardi]

[gary adcock] “Something is not correct, except when running beta software, I have never had any of these issues. Capturing from the 1200a has always been as easy as working in DV. (except in 720p50) Time code Drops and end of tape issues are related to how you work– not whether the deck is functioning properly.”

I’ll second that. We’ve had our 1200A for over a year and it’s no different than capturing our Beta or DV footage. Something in the setup is defintely wrong on the FCP end I would think.

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

Director, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

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

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

[Walter Biscardi]

[dpray] “I’m on OS X 10.4.3– have you heard whether or not that might be a bad thing? (the other G4 I tested on was running that, too)”

Why haven’t you updated?

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

Director, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

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

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

[Chris Wyatt]

Hi Gary and Walter this is a slightly sideways issue but still related to this thread.
I am about to install a suite based on a Kona 3, G5 Quad with 6Gb of RAM and FCP 5.1 for
editing up to 40 hours of DVCPRO HD from Panasonic Varicam shot at 720p | 50 so the threadline

“Capturing from the 1200a has always been as easy as working in DV. (except in 720p50)”

is very scary for me.

Could you please help by explaining what the capture problem is from this deck to FCP 5.0 or above?

Thanks in advance.

[Dpray]

Apparently it was the deck. After the “Error 02” message continued to show on the AJ-HD1200A, even when put onto my other editor’s G5 (the 3rd system I’d checked), it became obvious. I returned it to the rental house, got a replacement, and everything seems to be fine so far, several tapes into capturing. The other clue was that the little green “720p” light had never shown on the first deck. No big deal except for the 8 hours of downtime and troubleshooting… alas, such is post.

I still think the 1200-FCP relationship is more touchy than when capturing DV or from other decks, but this is probably due to the fact that my footage is all run-and-gun, handheld style, from tape insert to eject. It’s a luxury if I can run bars and tone at the top of a tape. Capture-sensitivity is the price I pay.

And for anyone thinking otherwise, I still think the varicam-FCP-720HD “tapeless post” is by far the best way to go for documentaries. I’ve used film, DVX, Sony900 1080i, HDV, DVcam, you name it– the Varicam footage is gorgeous, the camera is superb, and I now have over a hundred hours of full res footage sitting on this little tower by my G5 (8 x 400gig drives). That’s my online.

Thanks for the previous advice about capturing.

doug

[Gary Adcock]

[footagehead] “Could you please help by explaining what the capture problem is from this deck to FCP 5.0 or above?”

720p25/50 is not a supported format in FCP. It became an accepted standard in the EU late last summer.

You can use the Kona 3 card- take the Kona 3 720p24 varicam easy setup and change ALL of the 24fps info to 25 save as a new setup and work.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com