OK I give up, a little help here please.

I've been reading the manuals for both the HVX and the G4 to find out how to connect the two and get them working together and I can't find the info. I've got FCP studio 5.0.4 on the laptop but so far I can't get any connection going between it and the HVX using firewire. The Panasonic book covers the basic operating instructions using P2 card (P25-28) and the tape drive, (P29-31) but if there is a page of instructions on connecting to a laptop I've missed it. I'm know I'm not all that technically sophisticated with the camera and computers, I just need to know how to get them talking to each other so that I can start learning how to use them to film my film. The G4 manual says that when I plug in a camera it will automatically detect it, but it hasn't happened yet. The instructions on page 30 of the G4 manual say to see the HVX book, but again if the info is there I've missed it. Is there a basic how to book or links that anyone can point me to, to get me started? Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated.

Barry, hurry up with that book and DVD.

David

Er.... Have you tried searching this forum?

Maybe this thread will help:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=61937

David,

What Matt said - there's tons of information on this forum about the G4 Powerbook and the HVX. Just search the threads and you'll soon get more info than you can handle.

Er.... Have you tried searching this forum?

Maybe this thread will help:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=61937

Yes, I was at the UCSF Apple/Panasonic sales pitch hoping that I could get some useful info on the camera and computers. The info I need is basic operation info with the HVX and laptops and that isn't really discussed much here as most of you guys are much more advanced than I am on using the equipment. The HVX book is pushing the P2 solution and I need to use laptops and RAID drives. To put it another way most of you here are working on the tenth floor and up and I'm still trying to figure out my way around the basement, equipment wise.

Now if we were talking about story ideas, a tale that would make a great film, well that I can do very well, which is why I have made the investment I did in the cameras and computers etc.

David

David,

What Matt said - there's tons of information on this forum about the G4 Powerbook and the HVX. Just search the threads and you'll soon get more info than you can handle.

Thanks Robert, I have gotten a lot of good info from you already. I set up my laptops according to your guide.

David

David, what are you trying to do?
Connect it what way? Do you want to capture to the laptop?
If so:
1. make sure you have the same set-ups in both camera and FCP. ( i.e: 720 24P) including Capture and sequence settings in FCP
2. Capture window must be set to "uncontrolled device" and you cannot have the camera set to "Native mode"

That should be a start, but frankly I'm confusing myself the last day or so. Everything I'm capturing is in 60P instead of 24P right now and I'm sure (pretty sure) it used to come in as 24P so I'm not sure what I'm doing differently.
Unfortunately Apple & Panny tell you nothing.

David, what are you trying to do?
Connect it what way? Do you want to capture to the laptop?
If so:
1. make sure you have the same set-ups in both camera and FCP. ( i.e: 720 24P) including Capture and sequence settings in FCP
2. Capture window must be set to "uncontrolled device" and you cannot have the camera set to "Native mode"

That should be a start, but frankly I'm confusing myself the last day or so. Everything I'm capturing is in 60P instead of 24P right now and I'm sure (pretty sure) it used to come in as 24P so I'm not sure what I'm doing differently.
Unfortunately Apple & Panny tell you nothing.

Yes, though these cameras are prosumer they assume the user has a good basic grasp of the cameras, computers and the workflow, which I don't. I'm hoping that Barry Green's new book and DVD will start at the basement and work its way up for us neophyte film makers and not no the tenth floor for all the semi pros. I knew about the native mode in 720, but I'm not there yet, I need to get the camera working with the computer. What I want to do is use the G4 for two things, as a monitor for the filming, and as the smart device for capturing to the OWC RAID HD's I bought to record to. I have a Quad G5 with FCP studio for editing but I can do some of that with the G4's too if need be. What I need is a HVX200/Apple FCP book/DVD for dummies I guess.

David