I am trying to switch from Premiere Pro to Avid. I have bought and installed Avid Express Pro 5.1.6., but I can't get Avid to connect to my XL2 camera via the firewire.

The error message I get is that the deck is empty, offline or turned off.

Yes, I know what I am doing (to a degree). I can capture with the same firewire connection in Premiere Pro just fine. And I am following the Avid tutorial to a tee. I have done exactly what they said to do.

The only thing I have noticed is that when I check the Communications (serial) Ports settings in Avid it says "no port" and the option for "COM1" is grayed out, so I can't chose it. That seems hinky to me. FYI: I am in a PC platform.

Am I missing a driver?
Do I need an update/patch?
Why does it work fine in Premiere?
Is it even worth all the hassel?

Strike that last question. I am determined to start using Avid.

Fellow videographers/editors, thank you for your support.

Alfred,

Can you control the tape transport?? Try clicking autoconfigure tab is located in pull down above tape name button in capture tool. Also there should be a preset machine control if autoconfigure doesn't work called
"Genric DV NTSC" I think. But try autoconfigure.

Go to the settings tab, double click on "Deck Configuration". You should see a window with two buttons in it connected by a line. The buttons are "Firewire on OHCI" and a deck name (often "Generic" something or other). The buttons are surrounded by a border.

If it doesn't have this, you will not see a deck/camera over firewire. If the buttons are there, but say something else (COM 1 or something) click on the BORDER around the two buttons and delete the channed. Then click on "Add Channel" and add your firewire port on OHCI.

Then in the capture window, you can autoconfigure (with camera on and hooked up with firewire) and your AVID should detect it.

I have followed your instructions which mirror the tutorial instrucitons. I have also reviewed the manual an followed their instructions. I can go through all the motions, but Avid Xpress will not detect my Camera.

I have heard of people getting a new firewire cable and that solving the problem. But my firewire works fine with Premiere Pro on the same computer.

I might try getting a new cable, but I don't think it will help.

It's as if Avid is looking for the Firewire in the wrong location, so it doesn't even detect the connection.

Wondering if this is a windows problems where I need to download a driver?

Willing to try your suggestions. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem.

So when you go to Deck Configuration, you see the channel "Firewire on OHCI?"

If yes, are you turning on the camera BEFORE you start Avid?

Then you open the capture tool, click Auto Configure, but it finds nothing?

In the past, whenever this happened to me, restarting Avid would do the trick.

Only other thing I remember that was a problem was having any other program open at the same time that would take over the firewire port. For example, if you have Premiere open at the same time, or Windows Movie Maker, Avid won't see your deck (if I remember correctly).

Have you tried rebooting the computer?

What camera is it?

If Premiere sees the camera, Avid sure should. Something funny in your settings....

So when you go to Deck Configuration, you see the channel "Firewire on OHCI?"
Yes.

If yes, are you turning on the camera BEFORE you start Avid?
Tried both ways.

Then you open the capture tool, click Auto Configure, but it finds nothing?
Correct. In fact it tells me the device is offline or turned off.

What camera is it?
Canon XL2

If Premiere sees the camera, Avid sure should. Something funny in your settings....

That's what I think too. But I can't figure out what.

I am fairly sure I have done everything as I should. I have been following the turorials to a "t". And I have combed the help index for info. Still glad to hear your suggestions.
AD

There are no other video programs open at the same time?

Well, I've run out of ideas. You might try posting your question on the Avid forums, but if you are running a non-approved system, they might not be able to give you much help. Give it a try, though...

Good luck,
Vito

Vito and others,

Check this out. Did yet another search, this time not on Avid but on google, for the following: "avid" "can't capture"

What I got was the following Avid website that seems to solve the problem so far.

http://www.avid.com/onlinesupport/supportcontent.asp?productID=114&contentID=7965&browse=

I now have control of the deck, but I can't see the video. But that's ignorance, not a technical problems (I think). I will continue with the tutorial and see how things work.

It does frustrate me that I couldn't get the Avid search function to come up with the solution, but had to use a search engine to find the solution on Avid.

Anyway, thanks for all your help.

Care to view my material? Go to: www.advideoproductions.com

By the way, does anyone have any idea what I just did on that Avid site to get it to work? My expertise in in shooting and editing, not in technical settings.

Thanks.

Registering the file let the Avid communicate with the camera, which is what you want, for sure!

You can't see the video in the Avid monitor? Make sure you have tracks V1 A2 A2 selected in the capture tool. If that doesn't work, open up your "Video Display" in the Settings list, and check "Enable Confidence View."

Have fun...

after reading this I have managed to get the controls working with my DV cam, however I still dont see the picture on my screen.

I have made sure that, enable video confidence view is on and still nothing.
Avid seems to snap all my windows back to the worse place, is it possible that its off the screen?