dvd play through firewire to monitor at DVinfo.net

Frank Meek · November 27th, 2004, 10:34 PM

Hi there,
I am attempting to copy a dvd (mine, a project, the FCP files for which have long been discarded). The project also exists on Beta SP, but I do not any longer have a deck for this format and I live in the wilds of the rural West where such things are not easily borrowed or rented. Additionally, I have purchased a JVC deck for just such copying, and as my luck would have it, the dubbing direction from dvd to VHS is incapacitated and the deck is being returned.
In any case, I thought that there should be a way to route the signal through my Powerbook G4 to my record deck via firewire or at least analog-out to a vhs record deck. I seem to be able to capture analog audio (in stereo) but no video signal. And, I have no clue as to whatever procedure may exist to use the firewire ports for this. I've tried both "S" cables and RCA adaptation of these for the signal out of the Mac.
Any ideas?
(By the way, I searched this forum and came up with "pc cards" and "old Panasonic switchers-as-relays" for this, none of which seems either appropriate or cost effective in time or money as I can certainly wait for my JVC "copy machine" to return).
Is there a way with my Mac?

Mark Sloan · November 27th, 2004, 11:12 PM

Yeah, your PowerBook should output the S-Video and the headphone jack to your VHS no problem. Are you not getting a signal? Make sure you have your monitors set to Mirror...

Frank Meek · November 27th, 2004, 11:35 PM

Mark,
Yep, did all of this but still no through video signal. I will note that all of the systems I'm using - the dv deck (BRDV300U), the monitors, (both Sony) work fabulously of all of my editing and print-to-video uses. In fact, I have this stuff wired through to the vhs decks (and their own B/W monitors) for the purpose of running vhs copies for clients contiguously with my dv output, saving me additional record time. All of this, of course, is through FCP, firewire and the above JVC deck. No problems ever with this. But, the seemingly simple task (now more of an intellectual challenge) of running my dvd through to the vhs decks (again, through the JVC dv deck) has stumped me. It seems so simple.

Mark Sloan · November 28th, 2004, 03:26 PM

The issue is that your DVD player IS NOT able to output to FireWire unless you get a special piece of software. Are you able to get an audio feed through FireWire by simply playing the DVD using Apple's DVD Player?

If the S-Video option isn't working, try the RCA plug instead. Are you getting no signal at all? Or just a black screen? Have you tried hooking your laptop up to a Monitor directly first to see if it works at all?

If you want to rip the files off your DVD try:
http://www.alfanet.it/squared5/mpegstreamclip.html

Frank Meek · November 30th, 2004, 10:17 PM

Mark
Thanks for your sage advice. Once again, I was not as clear as I should have been...I can certainly get both RCA and S-video to "work" in the analog world...but I was hoping to route the DVD signals in the digital world via firewire to the JVC deck. That way I have a DVCpro copy.
I see that your link for this requires some upgrades I have put off. If it ain't broke... anyway, as I move to the FCP 4 plus, then I'll be better prepared for the faster, more "controllable" digital highway.
Again, thanks.

Mark Sloan · December 1st, 2004, 12:20 AM

Well, if your JVC deck does analog<->digital conversion you could hook up those analog outputs on your Powerbook to the deck and record away... but it won't be great. Using the ripper I pointed out will get you your files without degrading the video.

Frank Meek · December 25th, 2004, 10:52 PM

Happy holidays folks!
Mark or Jeff or another board guru:
A further quest to fight the windmills of technology...can I "save," or copy, (I presume with disk copy or some other utility), the contents of my dvd to an external drive, then copy it back to digital tape or burn another dvd via my firewire highway? This, for the record, on a G4 powerbook with plenty of external drives. If so, what's the drill?
Thanks for your time.

Les Wilson · December 27th, 2004, 07:04 PM

Yes. You caan make a copy of the DVD using the Disk Utilitty in your Utilities folder (inside applications folder).
Insert the DVD
Use Disk utility to create an image
Use Burn to create a DVD from the disk image.

You'll only need 4.7GB oof space to hold the image.

November 27th, 2004, 10:34 PM	#1
Frank Meek Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Jackson, WY/Steamboat CO Posts: 43	dvd play through firewire to monitor Hi there, I am attempting to copy a dvd (mine, a project, the FCP files for which have long been discarded). The project also exists on Beta SP, but I do not any longer have a deck for this format and I live in the wilds of the rural West where such things are not easily borrowed or rented. Additionally, I have purchased a JVC deck for just such copying, and as my luck would have it, the dubbing direction from dvd to VHS is incapacitated and the deck is being returned. In any case, I thought that there should be a way to route the signal through my Powerbook G4 to my record deck via firewire or at least analog-out to a vhs record deck. I seem to be able to capture analog audio (in stereo) but no video signal. And, I have no clue as to whatever procedure may exist to use the firewire ports for this. I've tried both "S" cables and RCA adaptation of these for the signal out of the Mac. Any ideas? (By the way, I searched this forum and came up with "pc cards" and "old Panasonic switchers-as-relays" for this, none of which seems either appropriate or cost effective in time or money as I can certainly wait for my JVC "copy machine" to return). Is there a way with my Mac?

November 27th, 2004, 11:12 PM	#2
Mark Sloan Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 346	Yeah, your PowerBook should output the S-Video and the headphone jack to your VHS no problem. Are you not getting a signal? Make sure you have your monitors set to Mirror...

November 27th, 2004, 11:35 PM	#3
Frank Meek Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Jackson, WY/Steamboat CO Posts: 43	Mark, Yep, did all of this but still no through video signal. I will note that all of the systems I'm using - the dv deck (BRDV300U), the monitors, (both Sony) work fabulously of all of my editing and print-to-video uses. In fact, I have this stuff wired through to the vhs decks (and their own B/W monitors) for the purpose of running vhs copies for clients contiguously with my dv output, saving me additional record time. All of this, of course, is through FCP, firewire and the above JVC deck. No problems ever with this. But, the seemingly simple task (now more of an intellectual challenge) of running my dvd through to the vhs decks (again, through the JVC dv deck) has stumped me. It seems so simple.

November 28th, 2004, 03:26 PM	#4
Mark Sloan Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 346	The issue is that your DVD player IS NOT able to output to FireWire unless you get a special piece of software. Are you able to get an audio feed through FireWire by simply playing the DVD using Apple's DVD Player? If the S-Video option isn't working, try the RCA plug instead. Are you getting no signal at all? Or just a black screen? Have you tried hooking your laptop up to a Monitor directly first to see if it works at all? If you want to rip the files off your DVD try: http://www.alfanet.it/squared5/mpegstreamclip.html

November 30th, 2004, 10:17 PM	#5
Frank Meek Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Jackson, WY/Steamboat CO Posts: 43	Mark Thanks for your sage advice. Once again, I was not as clear as I should have been...I can certainly get both RCA and S-video to "work" in the analog world...but I was hoping to route the DVD signals in the digital world via firewire to the JVC deck. That way I have a DVCpro copy. I see that your link for this requires some upgrades I have put off. If it ain't broke... anyway, as I move to the FCP 4 plus, then I'll be better prepared for the faster, more "controllable" digital highway. Again, thanks.

December 1st, 2004, 12:20 AM	#6
Mark Sloan Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 346	Well, if your JVC deck does analog<->digital conversion you could hook up those analog outputs on your Powerbook to the deck and record away... but it won't be great. Using the ripper I pointed out will get you your files without degrading the video.

December 25th, 2004, 10:52 PM	#7
Frank Meek Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Jackson, WY/Steamboat CO Posts: 43	Happy holidays folks! Mark or Jeff or another board guru: A further quest to fight the windmills of technology...can I "save," or copy, (I presume with disk copy or some other utility), the contents of my dvd to an external drive, then copy it back to digital tape or burn another dvd via my firewire highway? This, for the record, on a G4 powerbook with plenty of external drives. If so, what's the drill? Thanks for your time.

December 27th, 2004, 07:04 PM	#8
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Yes. You caan make a copy of the DVD using the Disk Utilitty in your Utilities folder (inside applications folder). Insert the DVD Use Disk utility to create an image Use Burn to create a DVD from the disk image. You'll only need 4.7GB oof space to hold the image.