IoHD Software Install: OK in Yosemite, not in El Capitan

[Shane Ross]

What edit software are you using? Because both Avid and Adobe say NOT to update your OS to El Capitan.

https://community.avid.com/forums/t/135954.aspx

No link for Adobe, but a head Adobe guy said this at a user group meeting in Los Angeles.

Shane
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[Peter Fagan]

Neither, unfortunately; I’ve been capturing a load of analog archival stuff using AJA’s own app, then doling it out afterwards to a stable of FCP projects.

I’ve got my machine rebuild routine down to a science so I’ll drop back to Yosemite if I have to. Replacing the IoHD will have to wait until it gets a certain number of projects out the door.

I’ve got mail out to AJA support.

I hope AJA won’t let this one lie as their installer serves more than just my trusty IoHD.

Apple, for example, have just built a fresh installer for legacy Java because Illustrator CS6 needs it.

[Shane Ross]

Oh…wait wait. IOHD! Not IoXT. Sorry, I misread. Sorry, AJA stopped supported that hardware ages ago, as it only worked with FCP classic or it’s own app. When FCP 7 was discontinued, they discontinued making drivers for it. I don’t think the drivers are supported under Mavericks, Yosemite…or even Mountain Lion. The fact that they work nonwithstanding. The later OS versions you go after support stops, the more likely it won’t work.

Why did you update to El Cap if you are still using very old software and hardware? What does going to El Cap gain you that made you need to do this?

Shane
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Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Peter Fagan]

I knew I was out in the wastelands already so I had nothing to lose seeing how far the AJA software would last. And I’m still getting value out of FCP7.

If I’d just taken it as read that the stuff wouldn’t work under Yosemite I’d have missed out on months of productivity in a nice, fresh OS.

So you’ll have to pardon me for being experimental. No smear on AJA if I’m S.O.L. and party time if they deign to tweak the installer. I’m prepared to mark my optimism wrong and downgrade. Just not right now.

[Peter Fagan]

AJA got back to me. They too had been surprised that this end-of-life driver was still working as late as Yosemite. But as you guessed, there’s no management interest in exhuming the corpse for the benefit of El Capitan.

Eminently fair, really.

I’m back on Yosemite now and when the IoHD has finished its work I’ll just prep a compatible boot disk to mothball along with it.

Quick look was running irritatingly slow in El Capitan anyway…

[Aidan Fraser]

Thanks for the info Peter. I know this thread is over a year old but I’m hoping you might be able to tell me two things:
What version of the AJA software were you using?
What are/were your Mac specs.

If I can get it to work, the IO HD seems to be the cheapest way to capture high quality analog to ProRes.

-Aidan

[Peter Fagan]

Hi Aidan, the IoHD has been a great box for compressing ProRes. One caveat: the TBC in my VHS decks didn’t satisfy the thing and I ended up using a dedicated digitiser/TBC connected by SDI to the IoHD.

My system is a 2010 MacBook Pro 17 which I’ve kept peppy by maxxing the RAM and swapping in an SSD. I’m still on Yosemite plus whatever updates the App Store has offered me, short of El Capitan.

The AJA software is the the latest available, same as before. 10.3.2 with VTR Exchange 5.2 as the capture app. I can’t remember if 5.2 solves any problems but you’ll notice that the 10.3.2 package comes with VTR Exchange 5.1. The log and capture window in FCP can be used in place of VTR Exchange.