-
New MacBook- FW and USB2 questions/confusion w/FCP
So to my horror there is no firewire on the new macbook. At first I thought the sky was caving in on me but then as I read some posts it seems that the new cameras are tending towards USB2. Now I’m pretty sure FCP only captures with device control through firewire but is it still possible to capture with USB2 with the simple capture now feature? Also with the new cameras that record to disc can that footage be imported to FCP? How is the quality of USB2 captured video? My guess is that since USB was too slow then USB2 probably is as well.
Ah, my own fault but it never dawned on me that apple would try to force me into a MBP for a lot more money just by dumping the FW.
Apple, love and hate’m…..
happy as a clam in a mud flat at high tide.
-
17 Replies
-
Fred,
I just bought one of the new MacBook Pros. It’s not that they don’t have FireWire; they just ditched FW400 for FW 800. You can buy a 400 to 800 cable and that may work for capturing direct from a camera. Haven’t tried it yet as I’ve been shooting with solid state cameras for the past year.With regard to the solid state or hard disk based cameras, all the ones I have encountered capture from USB only. These cameras usually shoot a codec that FCP can’t natively edit with so the cameras actually mount on the computer as a hard drive as opposed to being recognized as a ‘tape deck.’ You use Log and Transfer instead of Log and Capture and FCP will transcode the footage from the camera/drive into a codec FCP can play with (like ProRes 422 or DVCPro HD). Once you use this workflow, the old 20th century method of linear capture will seem very antiquated!
—
Anthony Dalesandro
anthony@anthonydalesandro.com
https://www.anthonydalesandro.com -
Firewire is only needed to capture TAPE based formats. DV, HDV, DVCPRO HD. Newer cameras that record to SD cards and hard drives, yeah, you’ll be using LOG AND TRANSFER or other conversion software.
BUT…here’s the rub.
USB is NOT suitable for media storage…you need at least firewire for this. Especially with the AVCHD formats, they come in as ProRes and you really need Firewire 800 drives for this, or eSATA. USB might cut it for DV for somepeople, but it is not recommended.
IMHO, this was a boneheaded move on Apple’s part. BUT, they are making it fully a consumer computer. Works with iMovie via internal drive or external USB, as it imports AVCHD as Apple Intermediate Codec. But this is NOT a good machine to use for editing. Sorry, this is APple forcing you to buy a MacBook Pro.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks for the rapid response. That’s good to know about the USB cameras. And FCP is still usable just a bummer that the device control feature is lost.
As far as the firewire question, I didn’t get a MBP I just got a simple MacBook and it has no firewire at all. But as I’ve been out of the game now 7 years I don’t even have a camera so it really doesn’t matter too much at the moment anyway!
One thought would be an external drive that has firewire and capture to that? I guess it would depend on the speed of the drive.
happy as a clam in a mud flat at high tide.
-
I forgot to add that after the capture to the external drive then I would bring the clips onto the main drive via the drive’s USB connection and then edit from there. WIll the MacBook internal drive be too slow?
happy as a clam in a mud flat at high tide.
-
[fred poisson] “One thought would be an external drive that has firewire and capture to that?”
How? You don’t have a firewire port.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
The external drive having both usb and fw. Capture with FW to the external then transfer to the MacBook throught the USB connection. Then edit and preview from the internal drive. But not sure if the MacBook internal drive will be fast enough.
happy as a clam in a mud flat at high tide.
-
gotcha… but if I can get USB video in and edit it then I’m still alive. Really don’t wan to drop the 700+ $’s to get the MBP.
happy as a clam in a mud flat at high tide.
-
Like Wes said…you cannot capture to the drive via firewire if you are connected to it via USB. You can connect it to ANOTHER computer and then capture to it. And then you can try to edit with it connected via USB…worth a shot. It will be better than your internal drive, that will be occupied with things like running the OS.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I believe you are mistaken, if a external harddrive has multiple interfaces you can only use one at a time with the exception of daisy chaining firewire devices…
I am fairly condident that you can’t daisy chain from usb to firewire
((that just sounds like a headache coming on)) -
Fred, I am going to be honest, and I know you may not like it, but you should return your new MacBook and spend the extra money to get a MacBook Pro.
The MacBook has no firewire and while yes it is true that some newer cameras that are drive based let you transfer the files via USB, there are a few more things to consider.
First ALWAYS store the media that you are working with on an external drive, the system drive has enough to do already.
Because video has high data rates, to work with it properly, your media drive needs to be able to sustain a constant data rate. USB cannot provide a constant data speed like FireWire can because USB uses bursts of data.
A drive based camera can get away with having a USB connection because you only transfer the files off of the camera via that connection. The internal connection that feeds the video data to the drive uses a connection that allows for a constant stream of data.
So again like I said you will be much better off returning the machine and getting a MacBook Pro.
There are no “technical solutions” to your “artistic problems”.
Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity!
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up