Hi,

I'm using a secondary monitor to preview HDV footage being viewed through FCP's Digital Cinema Desktop Preview. I get a proper fullscreen image on my secondary monitor, but when I try to play the footage, either by hitting the spacebar or J, K, L controls, it doesn't play -- it only shows the current frame that the playhead is on in the timeline.

The footage doesn't move; it only works when I scrub over the video track, but it does not play in motion. If I hit the spacebar to play, I see the playhead moving through the timeline, but the video image stays frozen in both the Canvas and the digital cinema desktop until I hit pause/stop. Very odd.

I have already switched on "all frames" in the video monitoring menu....and I'm on safe RT.

Sorry for the basic question -- I must be missing something here and have never worked with HDV before.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

FCP 5.1.2
MacBook Pro 17" 2.16GHZ
2 GB RAM

Problem solved -- In the A/V settings menu, you need to have "Mirror on Desktop" checked on for the video to play fluidly.

That is good information. Glad you figured it out. What type of monitor are you using? How are you connecting it? I am adding a Panny 17" monitor to my G5 and have not yet decided on the best method of connection.

I think the only way you can connect a digital cinema desktop monitor is through a port on your graphics card. The G5's, and many other Macs, have cards with two DVI ports (or one DVI and one ADC port).

Is your panasonic a computer monitor or a production monitor? I think digital cinema desktop is really intended to be used with computer monitors. Also note that it doesn't display the full HD quality, but just an approximation. It can be pretty useful nonetheless.

Hey Boyd, I just saw your post. I am adding a Panasonic LH1700, Production Monitor. I am still unclear on the best way to get a SD preview from FCP running on a G5. I am thinking of DVI out adapted to S-video. Then maybe down the road adding a AJA card for HD. I have seached DVi and have not come up with a good solution.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=2199&A=details&Q=&sku=399256&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Those are terrific monitors - they had some at the DVinfo Texas Shootout and I was impressed. But it would really be a waste to use one of them with Digital Cinema Desktop which is a pretty low quality preview intended for a computer monitor. I think the only reasonable way to connect one of them to your mac is with an HD card unfortunately.