Powerbook Capture Question?

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

On many Powerbook/iBook systems you can loop the FW device (camcorder or deck) through the Hard Drive on a singe FW400 port.

And/or, if you can get the FW800 port to WORK on either the deck/camcorder OR the HD, then there is no “downside” to doing so.

You can try either of these methods on your Mac and see which works best.

[Ed Dooley]

Barefeats.com did a test comparing the built-in FW800 port to a LaCie FW800 carbus card. A couple of diffrences, but generally the same speeds.
https://www.barefeats.com/fire42.html
Ed

[Bill]

Ed thanks for the link. My question was more towards why spend the extra dough on a 800 cardbus when you can get a 400 much cheaper and use the built in 800 port for my drive. Barefeats has some good reviews and very helpful tests.

just press apple-z

15″ g4 1.25
2.0 gb ram
superdrive
lacie 320 bigdisk
fcp hd
lots of mahjong

[Alexander Kallas]

Hi Ed,
If you look at your PB System Profiler, it will show you that there is only one F-W 800 Bus.
Even though there are two FW Ports ( a 400 and an 800) the bus speed will drop to the slowest device ( eg camera at about 100mbs) with these attached.
My LaCie 800 card creates a whole new 800 FW Bus. (look at the system profiler with the card attached). The 400 may be a few $s less, but at the cost of speed.
Cheers
Alexander

[Oliver Peters]

I’ve had no problem capturing DV and HDV 1080i to an external drive using the internal FW400 for the camera/deck and the internal FW 800 for the external drive. In fact 2 drives are chained. I presume the drives drop to 400, but it has been working without issue. A card is recommended but not always essential. This is on a 1.5 PB with 2GB RAM.

Sincerely,
Oliver

Oliver Peters
Post-Production & Interactive Media
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Alexander Kallas]

[Oliver Peters] “using the internal FW400 for the camera/deck and the internal FW 800 for the external drive. In fact 2 drives are chained.”
Oliver,
You realize that you are using different ports (shapes) on the one F-W bus. Depending on the situation you MAY get caught out capturing, then what?, you’ll have to rush out and buy a F-W 800 Card.
Cheers
Alexander

[Oliver Peters]

[Alexander] “You realize that you are using different ports (shapes) on the one F-W bus.”

I totally understand that. It isn’t recommended, but most of the time in the real world it generally isn’t an issue. I’ve seen far more problems with several FW drives chained together and these bogging down the system. I have also hung an AJA IoLA or an Avid Mojo off of this FW400 port with a drive connected to the FW800 port. Also no problems.

Sincerely,
Oliver

Oliver Peters
Post-Production & Interactive Media
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Bill]

Oliver: thanks for the input, i would assume they tell you it is not recommended, not becuase it doesn’t work but it “may” have issues. I have gone ahead and been batching abounch of tapes and so far no problem.

Alexander: I am still a little confused why i should get a 800 card buss over a 400. i only need one 800 port and it is built in…. i could use the 400 cardbus for my deck and tada they are on seperate buss’ and everyhting is happy …right?

just press apple-z

15″ g4 1.25
2.0 gb ram
superdrive
lacie 320 bigdisk
fcp hd
lots of mahjong

[Alexander Kallas]

[bill] “Alexander: I am still a little confused why i should get a 800 card buss over a 400. i only need one 800 port and it is built in…. i could use the 400 cardbus for my deck and tada they are on seperate buss’ and everyhting is happy …right?
“
Bill, you can do that, but you will not be able to Raid 2 800 drives,
You are sacrificing speed by using a 400, how much cheaper is it?
Cheers
Alexander