Creative Communities of the World Forums

The peer to peer support community for media production professionals.

Activity Forums Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy Video won’t play in canvas, but will scrub

  • Video won’t play in canvas, but will scrub

    Posted by Hamish Boyd on August 1, 2006 at 1:43 am

    Ok…
    I must be on another planet today. What rediculously simple thing am I missing here?
    I can scrub video in the canvas, I can move up and down the timeline. But when I go press play, the playhead will move along but video won’t play.
    when I stop, the frame at the playhead is then shown.

    What am I missing….what box have I not ticked?

    Thankyou!

    Rob Forsythe replied 19 years, 9 months ago 4 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • Hamish Boyd

    August 1, 2006 at 1:52 am

    oh yeah, and it plays out fine on the monitor. Just not in the canvas window.

    I don’t get it.

  • Richard Harrington

    August 1, 2006 at 1:59 am

    toggle W key and see if you are in wireframe mode… or if caps lock key is down

  • Hamish Boyd

    August 1, 2006 at 2:12 am

    thanks for your reply…
    Still no luck though.Caps lock is not on either.

    mmmm….

  • Don Greening

    August 1, 2006 at 2:51 am

    seamus,

    Check to make sure that your canvas is set to “Fit To Window”.

    This happens to me too, about 50% of the time, along with the dropped frames warning. But when I quit FCP and open the same project again it’ll play fine. This has been going on since day 1 with FCP 5.0.4. None of my other earlier versions have ever had this problem. So you’re not alone, seamus.

    – Don

    “Please take a moment to fill out your profile, including your computer system and relevant software. Help us help you.”

  • Hamish Boyd

    August 1, 2006 at 4:31 am

    still no luck. Have restarted as well, have used video monitoring via blackmagic card and firewire. Again both play on the monitor just not in the canvas window.

  • Rob Forsythe

    August 1, 2006 at 1:02 pm

    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.

We use anonymous cookies to give you the best experience we can.
Our Privacy policy | GDPR Policy