No firewire playback

[Tom Meegan]

Originally from a post by Kevin Monahan.

https://www.fcpworld.com/home.html

I think item six is the only one that is no longer relevant.

Try things in this order until you find the “cure”:

1. Make sure you have View (Menu) > External > ALL FRAMES set.

(If the ALL FRAMES option is grayed-out… jump to step 6 below and continue.)

2. Make SURE your Canvas window (right window) in FCP is set to “Fit to Window” and that it has not been “pushed off” the edge of the computer screen.

3. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu (Box Icon with broken sides) is checked on Image or Image+Wireframe… NOT just Wireframe.

4. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu is checked on RGB… NOT just Alpha.

5. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Easy Setup… is set for DV-NTSC (or DV-PAL, if that’s where you are).

6. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Audio/Video Settings > A/V Devices (tab) > Mirror on Desktop > must be CHECKED. (If not, playing video will not appear in the Canvas.)

7. Make sure the “Log and Capture” Window is CLOSED and not just “hidden” behind other windows.

8. Turn off the power to the Camera/Deck/Converter Box, then turn it back ON.

9. Make sure the camera is in VTR mode… or the deck is in DV (DV, iLink, or FW) input.

10. Re-check and make sure your FW cable is well-connected at both ends (or try a new cable.)

11. Important: Quit FCP, then Restart FCP.

12. Now again, make sure you have View > External > ALL FRAMES set…

If it still does not work. “Trash” the FCP Preferences on the Mac

https://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_trouble.html

[Bobalu]

Followed all steps. Trashed prefs. Not working. Firewire is connected because I can use log & capture. External monitor updates when canvas is paused.

10.4.10
QT Pro 7.2

Could it be a codec in my sequence settings?

Perplexing!

Bobalu

[Bobalu]

Also… I do get play through from the viewer window!

Bobalu

[Rob Forsythe]

Tom Meegan’s post reprinted an older version of my list below.

Give this longer one a try-

This list contains virtually everything to try to enable:
a. External Monitor VIDEO and AUDIO via FireWire & DV deck or camcorder.
b. Viewing in the Canvas window on the computer screen.
c. Being able to record on the external FW DV deck or camcorder.
d. Being able to capture from a FW device.

If working this list doesn’t cure the problem… you may have a serious PROBLEM!

Try things in this order until you find the “cure”:

1. Make sure you have only ONE (1) FireWire deck, camcorder, DV capture “card”, or D-to-A converter or video device attached to the computer at a time. Any more than one DV device can cause loss of signal and control.
2. Make sure you have View (Menu) > External Video> All Frames set.
(If the ALL FRAMES option is grayed-out… jump to step 6 below and continue.)
3. Make SURE your Canvas window (right window) in FCP is set to “Fit to Window”… AND that it has not been “pushed off” the edge of the computer screen or “pushed into” other windows.
4. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu (Box Icon with broken sides) is checked on Image or Image+Wireframe… NOT just Wireframe.
5. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu is checked on RGB… NOT just Alpha.
6. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Easy Setup… is set for DV-NTSC (or DV-PAL, if that’s where you are).
7. Some camcorders/decks work better under “FW (NTSC/PAL)” -or- “FW (NTSC/PAL) Basic” control (in the capture settings). Try either setting to see which works best for your device.
8. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Audio/Video Settings > A/V Devices (tab) > Mirror on Desktop > must be CHECKED. (If not, playing video will not appear in the Canvas.)
9. Make sure the “Log and Capture” Window is CLOSED and not just “hidden” behind other windows.
10. Make sure you have chosen FW output for A/V:
Final Cut Pro (menu) > Audio/Video Settings… >
Video Playback: Apple FireWire NTSC (720 x480)
Audio Playback: FireWire DV
11. Turn off the power to the Camera/Deck/Converter Box, then turn it back ON.
12. Make sure the camera is in VTR mode… or the deck is in DV (DV, iLink, or FW) input.
13. On a Sony camcorder or deck, make sure the menu setting “A/V > DV Out” is set to OFF.
14. Re-check that your FW cable is well-connected at both ends (or try a new cable).
15. Important: Quit FCP, then Restart FCP.
16. Now again, make sure you have View > External Video > ALL FRAMES set…

If it still does not work. “Trash” the FCP Preferences on the Mac
“FCP Rescue” is a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences.
It will also restore your user settings afterwards.
Download:
https://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14729

If you have “lost” your entire FW connection between the Mac and the device, go HERE:
https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301852

>Then, start again at my “step 1” above.

[Stainsbyn]

What if the ALL FRAMES option is not grayed-out. But it doesn’t change when clicking on it..

[Rob Forsythe]

[stainsbyn] “What if the ALL FRAMES option is not grayed-out. But it doesn’t change when clicking on it..
“

Then, I’d try Trashing the FCP Preferences again.

[Bruce Barker]

It’s a ridiculously old post, but in case somebody’s still chasing this type of problem: no matter what I did on my FCP 7, I could only get that “single frame” output via Firewire whenever the play head was stopped. Went through all Rob’s excellent suggestions about a million times, plus tried some ridiculous this-can’t-work settings just for experimentation. No full-motion video no matter what, until… I UNCHECKED the “Mirror On Desktop” box. This stops the video on the Canvas, but sends full-motion video to the outboard gear! And it also keeps working, even is your Canvas isn’t placed properly (behind something else, for instance). Who knew?

I won’t begin to guess why this worked (almost seems like the Mac was being forced to choose between two mismatched video outputs, but again, I check everything), but give it a shot if all else fails.

Running FCP 7 on a quad-core Intel Mac Pro, Firewire output to either an ADS Pyro A/V Link or a Sony HDV deck (only one connected at a time, per Rob’s instruction). Yay!