[Leland Gray]

I have an editing lab with 12 Mac Pro’s (2009) and I’ve been using JVC SR-DVM700 decks. I can tell you firsthand that cables can cause problems. I ordered some basic FireWire-800 cables, and I for the life of me couldn’t get ANY of the Mac Pros (FCP) and decks to communicate. I bought new cables, and like magic, they all worked. So, I would definately try a different brand of cable.

[Leland Gray]

I solved the problem today. You’re never going to guess.. ok, you might.

It was the FireWire cable!

We tried plugging in a Sony HVR-Z1U and FCP still wouldn’t recognize that, but we plugged in a LaCie external drive with a difference FireWire cable and that worked without issue.

So, we walked over to our TV studio and grabbed a different cable (different brand) and BOOM! it worked like a charm.

Apparantly, not all FireWire cables are capable of transferring video? None of the 6 cables I had (GGI FireWire-800 9-pin to 4-pin DV Cable – 6 ft) worked. So, looks like I’ll be ordering some new cables!

Thanks for everyone’s input!