Barry or ? Camera drops in and out on my G4 powerbook.

[David_M_Payne]

I'm having trouble with my HVX dropping in and out on my G4 old/new power book with the PCMA slot etc. If it is hooked up and the power book is turned on I can usually get it working, but the camera never shows up as a drive on the desktop. And frequently in the middle of shooting to an external hard drive using FCP 5.0.4, the computer and program stops seeing the camera when I start and stop it, and I have to shut down everything and start over, which will not be good when we start shooting "Holy War" in the middle of June. Has anyone else had this problem? I've changed firewire cables and Lacie cards, but it happend with all of them at one time or another. I follow Robert Lanes set up procedures to wit:

It's easy to capture via firewire:
Hook the HVX up to the Mac via FireWire
Launch FCP
Set your Capture Scratch location
Open Log and Capture
Go to the Capture Settings tab
Set Device Control to Non-Controllable Device
Set Capture/Input to match whatever HD variant you have the HVX set in (DVCProHD 720p24, DVCProHD 1080i60, etc )
Frame up your shot
Hit the Capture Now button
and away you go!


I'm using a Lacie firewire card to connect the camera to the computer and a Firewire out to the external hard drive and this has me mystified. Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions? I know that when Barry gets the DVD/book done most if not all of these issues will be addressed, but I need to get some practice shooting in before then. (Barry, please hurry on the book/DVD we who couldn't attend the boot camps are desperate out here.)

David

 

[Barry_Green]

NoahK and Evinsky are the experts on telling you all the ins & outs of using FCP log & capture.

For having it show up as a drive on the desktop, you have to go to PC/DUB mode, not MCR/VCR mode. If you're in MCR/VCR mode, then hold the button down for another three seconds or so, and it'll go to PC/DUB mode.

 

[David_M_Payne]

NoahK and Evinsky are the experts on telling you all the ins & outs of using FCP log & capture.

For having it show up as a drive on the desktop, you have to go to PC/DUB mode, not MCR/VCR mode. If you're in MCR/VCR mode, then hold the button down for another three seconds or so, and it'll go to PC/DUB mode.

Thanks Barry. NoahK and Evinsky any thoughts on this? BTW I have two G4's and two Lacie cards as well as several firewire cables and this happens with all of them. ???

David