HDV FCP Studio 2
 

Hi. FCP 6.1 will not seem to capture my HDV footage. I shot HDV (16 hours!!!) with my XH-A1, but FCP tells me: 'codec not found. you may be using a codec type without the corresponding hardware card.' I can capture the footage as DV NTSC anamorphic 720x480 but NOT AS HDV. iMovie captures the same footage as HDV Apple intermediate codec and looks really great, but not FCP with the same compressor setting. or any other setting (i've tried lots...)
I have captured HDV in the past with no problems, but after severe compressor problems, I reinstalled EVERYTHING with all the updates. Compressor now works, but now this!
any ideas? Thanks!

Try This:

Go to "Easy Setup" under the Final Cut Pro menu, and in the Easy Setup dialog window select "HDV" from the Format drop down menu. Then in the "Use" drop down menu select whichever HDV preset you want. If you shot your footage in 24f with the XH A1, then select HDV - 1080p24, or HDV 1080i60 if that is how you shot it. If you shot it in 30F, then you'll have to tweak the capture settings. Make sure you hit "Set up" at the end of it all.

If you still can't capture HDV after that, then there is something seriously wrong with your computer or FCP.

Thanks for your reply. I have tried the 'easy set up' as you said (HDV 1080i60, though i shot 30f), but in 'log and capture' the video is not shown in the window, though I can control the camera and footage plays in camera. when i try to capture 'now', it tells me the camera is not connected. I tweaked the settings to capture 'apple intermediate 1080i' and i can capture the footage, but without the 'log and capture' window opening, just a box that allows me to name the footage and either capture or cancel. I have tried many combinations of settings, but this is the only one that allows me to capture and actually see the footage, but only as i capture. I'm hoping the problem is with my ignorance and not FCP or the computer...
i have been reading the FCP 2000 page manuals again, but seem to be missing the big picture, pardon the pun...

Solution-installation problems...
 

OK, this is my first post with an actual solution, not a problem. feels strange...
anyway, i tried to convert the AIC media files to HDV 1080i in Compressor so i could actually have enough hard drive space, and Compressor told me that the Codec could not be found. So I then used Pacifist (a shareware program i downloaded for analyzing and installing software with more precision) to verify the FCP studio 2 installation disc (skipping the content DVDs), cross-checking ONLY the HDV codec package with files on my computer. It told me that 27 files were missing, so i used Pacifist to install the HDV codec package, restarted my computer, and now am happily capturing HDV through the Log and Capture window with plenty of hard drive to spare. I didn't verify all of the FCP disc (if it ain't broke...) but will not hesitate to do so at the onset of any other problem.