Ikegami Reference monitor image is distorted when using FCP.
 

Here's my setup,
G4 (1.25GHz, 2GB RAM) connected to the Dazzle DV Bridge via Firewire cable.
DV Bridge connected to my Sony VCR via composite cables into line 1 in on the VCR.
Sony VCR connected to Ikegami TM9-1 via composite to BNC cable via line 1 out.

Here's the PROBLEM!!
The image on the Ikegami is distorted, it looks slightly clearer than an unscrambled cable channel. I know that the signal is getting from FCP to my VCR fine as I have watched the tapes after recording them and they look great. But somewhere between the VCR & the Ikegami the signal is getting screwed up. It's not the monitor or the BNC cable since the image is fine going from the VCR to the Ikegami provided FCP is OFF (i.e as long I just use the Ikegami to view recorded material from the VCR the image is fine even without changing the setup of the cables).
Do I have to turn the VCR on first, or the Ikegami, or the Mac or FCP or...I have already lost my temper & am close to throwing the monitor out my window. Any help is appreciated!
Erik

How does the image look if you connect the monitor directly to the Dazzle?

It seems as though the image is not always distorted. I don't know what I did different (I haven't changed the cable config) but I think that the difference lies in both the order I turn the components on and whether or not I boot up a FCP project that had been saved with View Ext. Video> All Frames On. Anyone ever hear of anything like that?

Ken, it's the same. Sometimes the image is fine, sometimes it's distorted.
Erik

Yes, I have encountered something that sounds similar.

Another question: What else is attached to your Firewire bus, Erik?

You may be looping the video signal. Have only one device connected to the FireWire bus. It could also be the Dazzle. Is the green light on, on the top front of the Dazzle unit? If not press the button on the top, back, several times until the green light comes on.

I feel dumb but...What's the Firewire Bus?
Erik

"What's the Firewire Bus?"

Stuff plugged into the same kind of plugs as the Dazzle. Ex: cameras, hard disks, etc. That's called Firewire and it represents a communications and power carrier, or "bus".

What else is plugged into it?