This topic was covered recently, so do a search on iBook and edit and you should have a variety of opinions to choose from. But your satisfaction will really depend on your level of expectations. For me, the iBook is a little to slow and the screen, a tad too small. However, some users are very happy editing on the run with an iBook. Try to get to an Apple Store and give one a trial run.

twas a bit early when i wrote that. Obvioulsy Danny devito will be golem.

Are you trying to edit divX in FCP?

just trying to get something small enough to sit on the hd for now.

How do i connect TV to my iMac G4
 

hi

please can someone tell me how to connect my TV to my iMac G4, Final Cut Pro 4.

Many Thanks!

You can connect your camera via FireWire, then connect your camera's AV outs to the AV ins on the TV.

Thanks :)!

Problems importing FCP AAF into AVID
 

My company has been running tests of the best way to get Final Cut Pro sequences into AVID Symphony systems for online. We are running Final Cut Pro HD on various systems. We did a test of the CMX-2600 EDL's and they still seem to have the various problems that they had in the past. In the apst, while we were using Final Cut Pro 3.0 we used Automatic Duck to export OMF files, which seemed to work fairly well, though usually required a little finessing of the final project. Now I would like to use the AAF Export plug in, but on our test we ran into issues.

We were trying to get the AAF to go into an AVID Symphony for Online, but the symphony wouldn't recognize the AAF file, and wouldn't open it at all. I am wondering if this is a Mac to PC file convertion issue. I have heard that AVID Xpress Pro imports FCP AAF files perfectly, but do not have Xpress Pro to test this. If this works we can use one Xpress Pro system to convert our AAF files over to AVID sequences, and u! se that sequence to ONLINE on the symphony.

Does anyone else have any experience with this, or have tried getting AAF's into AVID systems

Last time I tried divX does not edit easily in FCP.

Your best bet is probably DV, which is 13GB/hour. I don't know how to rip a DVD into DV though.

Adding 2nd HD to G5 1.8 Dual
 

Which is the best recommendable internal hard drive I can install as a 2nd drive for capturing (storing) video of FCP4 on the G5 1.8 Dual?
I know it has to be a ATA, also i'm looking for the biggest HD out there.
Is it 160 for an internal one?
Should I just get an exact replica of the original HD in the G5? Where will I get the best price and service?
Thanks any suggestions appreciated.

DSR-11 FireWire Failure
 

The FireWire interface of my DSR-11 seems to have failed. It had been working fine for months and then just suddenly stopped. Still functions as a VTR, however.

The failure happened after an upgrade to system 10.3.4.

What happens is this. When the DSR-11 is plugged into the firewire port and I look for it in the firewire bus with system profiler I see "No information found." as if the whole bus was missing. When I unplug the DSR-11 the FireWire bus reappears, albeit empty.

Same thing happens, unfortuately, when I plug the deck into my G4 of PowerBook G4 with system 10.3.3, so it looks like it's the deck.

What I'd like to know is what caused the failure. Someone the Apple FCP fourm suggested the upgrade might have caused it if the deck was on during the upgrade. We have had some close lighting strikes in recent weeks (but have a whole-house surge protector). Can't understand why it would just stop working.

Fortunately, the deck is still under warranty. Anyone have any troubleshooting ideas before I call Sony?

Was the deck on during the upgrade?

I can't remember if it was on or not.

A few general questions about FCP HD before I buy it
 

Hi,

I'm thinking about this new FCP HD on a dual 2 gig G5. I'm currently used to editing on a PC with a Matrox Digisuite LE (SD system-yes, nothing but problems). I can't handle it anymore, and want to change platforms to something stable.

I've got some general questions about FCP HD. How much does it do in real time. When I work on my Digisuite, all effects and transitions are rendered. Color correction is rendered, etc. But to make general cuts and basic edits (including fades in and out and fading from one clip to another), it does all this in real time so there's no rendering, which would be great when the system is working . . . ahem.

Anyway, I can handle doing fx and transitions with rendering, but how about color correction? Is it real time. How about cuts/general edits and fades in and out and one clip to the next? I know some systems have to render a selection ever time you want to preview it. FCP HD is not like this is it?

Also, I've heard FCP HD tends to run slowly sometimes. Are there bugs in it because it's a new program?

I'm just tired of problems and would like something stable. Could someone give me just a few pluses and minuses of this new product?

THANKS!!!

mac compatable DLT drive.
 

I am looking for a mac compatable DLT drive. I have a powermac G4 dual 867. I need it to send a master copy to a DVD replication house. I noticed that most DLT drives connect via SCSI. what do i need to connect it to my mac?

with a G5 2gigahertz machine I would say that every possible Real Time (RT) effect will be there for you.

You can look at the Apple FCP site for a list of the RT effects but with a G5 Dual, it will do them all I"m sure.

There are some things you'll have to render out but that's with every NLE I think.

Color Correction for FCP is TOP NOTCH. I think it was Steve from DigitalFilm Tree that said it was as close to a De Vinci system as you could get without spending 50 thousand dollars more.

CC in FCP, and in any program, is an artform (which I'm sure you're aware of) but there is some good stuff out there on it.

DigitalFilm Tree has a CC training DVD that is pretty good but most of the same information is in the Apple Pro Training Series book for FCP 4 'Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques'.

You can see a sample of the CC section over off Ken Stone's fantastic FCP site:

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage...age_index.html

There's a ton of good information and several reviews of FCP and links to great sites.

I'm running it on a Dual G4 system and it's stable as a rock. Haven't noticed any slow down on mine.

Depending on the Mac you're using, you'll need a SCSI controller that is compatible with your OS, a SCSI cable and a SCSI terminator, preferably active. Have you investigated other options with your replicator? I would pick my replicator first, then provide the format they prefer.

To the best of my knowledge the biggest SATA drive available is 250GB. If you are going to RAID the drives, you should get an exact match, at least to the size drive.

most i have talked to perfer a DLT for DVD9 and higher. I was thinking i could pick up a Quantum 4000 dinosaur off of ebay for like 350 and then just buy the card that wouldnt be a bad investment either way i think. Plus the fact that no DVD holds more than 20gb as of right now i dont think i can go wrong. It would give me 20gb uncompressed. this would also help because we have 4 big dvd projects on the way.

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : To the best of my knowledge the biggest SATA drive available is 250GB. If you are going to RAID the drives, you should get an exact match, at least to the size drive. -->>>What does "RAIDing" a drive mean?
All I want is a separate HD just for capturing video, 160MB will do, but if the 250MB are a good price, i'll do that.
I read somewhere that it has to be a Serial ATA (SATA) for it to work on the G5.
So I should make sure its a SATA, at least 7200rpm, and 8MB buffer? Anything else I forget?

No, that is all you need. You can do a search on RAID, much has been discussed on that topic.

Wow, sounds awesome!

Great! Thanks for the reply!

That's a pretty bold claim. Can FCP do power windows like Da Vinci does?

Power windows = applying color correction to only a masked area of an image. Skies and faces are some examples of things where you want to use different color correction.

2- Boris red plug-ins are not real-time on a dual 2ghz system. They don't seem to have the optimizations for the G5 processor to allow them to be real-time. However, most of the Apple filters are optimized well, which makes the G5 fast.

Kevin is quoting someone else, and just says it is close to Da Vinci, not the same. He doesn't mention 3rd party plugins, just RT Effects, which are built in.

"That's a pretty bold claim. Can FCP do power windows like Da Vinci does?

Power windows = applying color correction to only a masked area of an image. Skies and faces are some examples of things where you want to use different color correction."

I've done this with Commotion using rotosplines and the motion tracking tool. Definitely not real time, but a great deal of control nevertheless.

Perhaps it can be considered hand-cranked windows? :-)

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

audio playback in the timeline
 

I am working on a project and (fcp4, macg4, 1gig) on two places in the timeline one track (its an sample) won't playback properly. It actually does playback backwards but not frontwards!!! I am using about 8 tracks but on other places it gives no problem.. Its getting worse because now on certain places I get a buzzing distorted sound!!! any idea what?

FCP4 and transfering clips
 

I currently have the "stock" hd that came with the system, it has everything I have on it, including my FCP4 clips/captured video.
I will eventually get a 2nd internal SATA drive, 160-250GB range.
My question is, how do I transfer my clips/video from the stock HD to the 2nd HD? Do I just drag and drop or do I have to do it through FCP4 and if so, how?
I'm just worried about the program not finding the clips or screwing up the projects/clips.

Why do you need to move the clips? If you absolutely have to move the clips, use the Media Manager.

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : Why do you need to move the clips? If you absolutely have to move the clips, use the Media Manager. -->>>Is that in FCP4?
I would want to move them, so I have all my clips on the 2nd HD, not scattered.
I've heard it's a great idea to have all your FCP4 footage on a separate drive.

upgrade to Final Cut Pro HD
 

I'm currently running Final Cut Express on a dual 1.25 G4 with 10.2.8. Soon, I will be upgrading to Pro. The catch is that I will be transferring files/clips between my computer and another with 10.3 and Pro HD. I've read about FCP 4.5 files not opening properly in 4.1, so it looks like I'll have to upgrade both to Pro HD and 10.3 in order to coordinate with the other computer.

So here's my questions...
Is this correct?
How well does 10.3 and Pro HD function on a dual 1.25 G4?

I have a dual Gig G4 and FCPHD works just fine :)

Cheers

p.s. check out my 30+ Final Cut Pro Quick Tips (including new HD tips) on my site.

Thanks, Stephen.
Did you reformat and clean-install when upgrading to 10.3 or just upgrade on top of 10.2?

I just did the upgrade. Didn't have a problem. Although some may suggest doing a clean install. If you have the time to do it, go for it.

Cheers

New version of Squeeze released
 

Any good "Final Cut" wallpapers?
 

I'm using some generic wallpaper that came with panther, looks boring...Anything themed with Final Cut would be good :)

genral error 36
 

when i try to open audio/video settings in the menu, it gives me "general error 36"
and wont open

fcphd

sorry, general error 34

General Error 34 is a disk full error. How full are your drive(s). It seems unlikely that full drives would cause this problem, but you never know. I would start by trashing FCP's preference files. Instructions are posted at the top of this forum. Be sure to get all three files and to repair permissions afterwards. Please post back if your still having issues after trashing the preferences.

ok, my disks arnt full. i trashed prefs and still wouldnt worked. i restarted after trashing prefs, and everythins ok.

THANKS a bunch you just saved me

Also video cards can be bought for the G4 that have an S-Video output.