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Macbook Pro, Scratch disk issue during log and capture question
Hello,
I just purchased my Macbook Pro. I need to log and capture some video from my camera which outputs on a Firewire 400 cable. I had to get a converter, 4 pin to 9 pin, firewire 400 to 800 cable, to load video to my computer. My issue is that, I planned on having my external hard drive off of the firewire 800 port. How can I log and capture and save to my external HD with only one firewire 800 port on the macbook pro? My external HD does have USB 2.0, firewire 400 and 800, and eSATA inputs. Any thoughts?Thanks,
Tom -
5 Replies
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Hi.
Can you give a little more detail about what you’re capturing with regards to format and how many ports you have on you hard drive?
If you’re capturing SD footage, you can technically connect your camera to the FW and your hard drive to the USB. I personally don’t like doing that because USB doesn’t have as high a sustained transfer rate as FireWire. But, because SD doesn’t eat up that much, it’s doable. Obviously, test out this configuration (let alone any new configuration you use) and check that you don’t have dropped frames or choppy video.
HDV video may get weird. HD video is usually transferred like files, so it wouldn’t really matter except for the amount of time X amount of data needs to get moved. Of course, if you’re using taped based HD (HDCAM? if I’m not mistaken…too many acronyms…), that’s a different ballgame.
Another potential setup is if your hard drive has two FireWire 800 or 400 ports. You can connect your hard drive to your computer using the FW 800. Then, go from the second 800/400 over to your camera.
If your drive doesn’t have a second FW, then you’re stuck with the USB option. Unless the 400 and 800 ports share their link, which I very highly doubt as I’ve never seen that happen.
~ Loïc
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I am capturing from DV tape.
My External HD does have 2 FW 800 ports.
You wrote “Another potential setup is if your hard drive has two FireWire 800 or 400 ports. You can connect your hard drive to your computer using the FW 800. Then, go from the second 800/400 over to your camera.”
I guess I will try this. Any precautions that you can foresee I should take?
Tom
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Plug FW drive into Laptop.
Plug Cam into FW Drive.
Edit.
Use only FW400 (hard drive) and FW800 (Laptop)
Don’t use USB.Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta -
The only things that I always practice is to make sure that the camera (or deck) I’m using via FW is turned off before plugging it in. But otherwise, you should be able to capture no problem.
~ Loïc
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worked like a charm.
thanks
Tom
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