Problem Capturing from Sony HVR-A1U to FCP 5 using HDV preset

[Gabriel Wakeman]

Hi,

i just got a Sony HVR-A1U and am new to HDV. I am a professional editor so i have a full understanding of FCP. Here are my problems and questions.

Specs of system : Power Mac Dual 2Ghz G5, 1.5GB Ram, GeForce FX 5200 64mb (Do i need a better GFX card?)

1) When i setup the project settings at the start I selected HDV 1080i/60, it automatically states "Codec not found. You may be using a compression type without the corresponding Hardware card." I am quite sure that i have all the codecs i could have without having a hardware card, since i don't have a hardware card. Does this mean that i need a blackmagic HD card or a Kona card just to process the HD into FCP as HDV 1060i/60 even though it is through firewire?

2) I advanced to the Log & Capture mode with the HDV settings, set properly across the board. I can not see picture, can hear audio and can log clips. When i capture it captures black for video but captures the audio just fine. I figure this is because of the missing codec which encodes HDV for FCP from Sony's HDV encoding?

3) I can capture on the fly with the Apple Intermediate Codec, no Log and Capture screen comes up, just a dialogue box that asks me to name the clip. I understand what this codec is and find that i am stuck at the moment using this until I find a way to capture the other way. Is there anyway to have the Log and Capture screen launch using this codec?

4) I can not have pre-logged clips using other methods and then batch capture them using the Apple Intermediate Codec, it just reverts to capturing on the fly. Anyway to Batch Capture using the Apple Intermediate Codec?

Funny thing is that i can digitize fine in iMovie HD although i don't know what codec it is using. This totally baffles me that it works in a certain manner, i can get the job done, but not the way i should be able to. I've been using FCP since '99 and have never encountered something in this manner. And since this is my first experience with FCP and HDV i have nowhere to go from here except get some help or settle for what i can do and change my normal post-production workflow.

A question i really want to know about is whether i need an extra hardware compnent, i know i asked that question above, and i could understand if i did. (i.e GFX card or Capture card - even though i am going through firewire)?

I appreciate any help, i might not respond over the next couple of weeks because i am shooting in Europe and will be back stateside at the start of February, so i will not be active on this post until then. Any input would be great and when i get back i will have loads of footage that i will need to digitize, so i will be very open to help with troubleshooting as well.

Thanks again!!!

Gabe

PowerMac G5 DP 2Ghz, 1.5GB Ram, GeForce FX 5200, 20" Cinema Display Mac OS X (10.4)

[Boyd Ostroff]

The graphics card shouldn't matter - if there was an issue with it then FCP wouldn't run at all. You shouldn't have any problem capturing HDV on that system with FCP 5. Do you have the latest updates to all your software?

I would try the standard routiine of trashing your FCP preference files for starters. Then I suppose I'd try reinstalling FCP and Quicktime from the original disks, then updating Quicktime and FCP to the current versions using software update.

You should be able to capture without installing any special software or hardware, and the workflow is basically the same as regular DV.

[Gabriel Wakeman]

it is so strange, i fixed this problem by re-installing FCP and viola it works, I previosly tried trashing the prefs, no luck, so re-install was the last option, and it worked, but now i have to set FCP up again the way i like it. Oh well, as long as i can log and capture HDV!!!! YEAH!