FCP stops at capture
 

Hi

When I capture in FCP to my Macbook Pro, FCP keeps "hanging" at capture. While capturing the capture preview freezes, while the tape keeps playing. Then the program can't be accessed while the circus ball keeps rolling. I have tried with different tapes, but it's the same. I'm using an external hard drive. "Now" or "batch" doesn't matter either.
Any tips? (I use a Canon XH-A1 and a SimpleTech ext. HDD)

I have seen this when I had external drive connection issues. Try changing your FCP System Preferences so that your internal drive is the capture drive. If that solves the problem then you have an external drive problem. Times I've had this problem, it was a Firewire 800 port on the drive or a port on the Firewire 800 hub. YMMV.

If switching to the internal drive does not solve the problem, then I'd start searching the Final Cut discussions (if you haven't already).

Thanks, Ernest, this was the problem. When I captured directly to the internal disk, there was no problem. Thus the problem is the USB connection to the disk and not the software. I will change the disk, because only the FW connection is working, not the USB. There is a connection problem with the USB not only at capturing.
Anybody had problems with capturing to an external disk via USB byt the way?

Urban

I never use USB for hard disks. Ever.

If you end up buying a new drive, consider getting one with two Firewire 400 ports. A friend connects his camera to one Firewire port in the Drive and then the other port to the computer. USB drives can't do that. He got his drive from OtherWorldComputing and he's using a 1GHz G4 iBook. YMMV.

Interesting. I think I already tried that, but I'll try it again. My disk does have two fw ports.
Anybody uses fw hub with success?

I agree that this may be your issue. The "collective wisdom" is NOT to use USB drives for capture or editing.

I think your disk has problems. Yes. I use a Firewire hub for all my cameras.