NLE Mac / Final Cut questions from 2005

Boyd Ostroff · November 17th, 2005, 03:43 PM

http://www.computerworld.com/softwar...106263,00.html

Quote:

The improvements in speed in the new hardware are dramatic. My After Effects projects ran more than 60% faster compared with the Power Mac G5 with dual 2.5-GHz processors, and Apple says that X-Code compiling is nearly 80% faster than on earlier models. Final Cut Pro standard-definition rendering yielded results that were 50% faster for me compared to the dual 2.5-GHz machine.

A.J. Briones · November 25th, 2005, 11:25 AM

hi everyone. i am having major render problems with magic bullet editors v2. when adding the look suite filter in fcp, the clip shows black & white (regardless of what look i give it) unless i uncheck "use gpu". so fine, i figure my gpu is not supported for realtime. i uncheck it and everything is fine.

HOWEVER, when exporting to mpeg2 using compressor, the preview shows up as black & white, and the mpeg2 file created is black & white.

anyone seen this before? please help!

thanks in advance.

Robert Simon · November 28th, 2005, 11:48 AM

Just for fun a shot a silly short with a character sitting in a chair underneath a portrait of herself. The portrait is actually video and comes to life, and chaos ensues. I was first going to do this using greenscreen material inside the picture frame, but then decided I could do the same thing using a 4 point matte to cut out the picture so the video underneath could show through. I thought this would be cleaner than greenscreen.

This works, but I realized after the fact that if the "real" charactor moves in front of the picture frame, she is cut off by the matte (duh!). Short of re-doing this with a green screen picture frame, is there anything I can do to salvage the shot with the matte? I've heard about something called a "difference matte"; what does that do? There are only two points in the movie where she crosses in front of the picture, for about a second in total, but it obviously ruins the illusion. Thanks!

December 1st, 2005, 07:01 PM

Just trying to limit unpleasant surprises here.

Under the "Easy SetUp" menu in FCP 5.0.3 I see the option for:
DVCPRO HD - 720p24

What I don't see are options for: DVCPRO 50 & DVCPRO 25

Should there be settings for DVCPRO 50 & DVCPRO 25, or would it all just fall under the DVCPRO HD - 720p24 setting?

I realize this may not be a question that can be answered until the HVX200 is available, and we are actually editing footage from it in FCP 5, but I felt really bad for all of the folks who got the JVC HD100 and then quickly found there was no HDV 720p24 setting (and to date... still isn't).

Jeff Pryor · December 3rd, 2005, 01:13 PM

Anyone run into an error message when trying to open a previously saved multitrack project? It says error in opening file, try again...
I haven't touched any of the root files.

Jemore Santos · December 4th, 2005, 08:52 AM

Hi everyone

Just wondering if you get the same effect; I have a JVC GY-HD100 and when ever I fastforward when I'm in the capture window of FCP on 720p I see a pixelated streak/line. You know, when you fast forward your footage, everything becomes pixelated and then every 7 seconds or so a streak would come up, is it normal? is it a drop out? is it my tape?
Anybody had that?

John Arman · December 5th, 2005, 11:42 AM

Has any one had this experience ? I use Mac G-4 with GL2 as a play back deck and FCE. After dopping the video back to the Camera the sound was off on one of the clips and only one. I checked it out on the computer and the computer clip was not off ???????

Scott Schuster · December 8th, 2005, 08:21 PM

Hope someone can explain this problem.

I transfered an old film I did on 16mm that I never edited to Dv cam. The audio was recorded on a pro nagra reel to reel deck and I also transfered that to dvcam.
I am using FCP 4.5 and and have imported the audio and video separately as NTSC dv.

I shot the film using clapper sticks and when I sync clap sound to picture the audio stays in sync for several seconds then goes out of sync.

If anyone can explain to me why this is happening I will greatly appreciate it.

Robert Lane · December 15th, 2005, 07:33 PM

(Note: I wasn't sure which forum this should go in and since this deals with Mac NLE's this seemed like the most logical place to put this)

I have a new Quad-core G5 w/5 external Firewire 800-speed drives (OWC Mercury Elite Pro Aluminum). I was originally going to transfer the LaCie Firewire 800 PCI card to the Quad from my Dual 2.7 but the Quad uses the newer PCIe slots so of course it won't fit.

I purcashsed directly from SIIG their PCIe Firewire 800 card (2 ports 800, 1 port 400) that is labeled as Mac compatible on their website. However, my Quad will not boot when drives are connected to the card.

I called SIIG tech support. The answer: "We don't have a Quad G5 to test our cards with, so we have no way of knowing the compatibility...". They just issed an RMA so I can return the card.

LaCie will be releasing their PCIe card in January but until then there is no PCIe Firewire 800 card available that is G5 Quad compatible.

For those wondering why this is such an issue:

The internal G5 Firewire bus controls both 400 and 800 ports, and is only as fast as the slowest device connected to it. The only way to avoid having faster 800 speed devices pulled down in speed is to have them on their own separate physical bus, which means installing a PCI Firewire card. Without an available card, that means that all my 800 speed drives will never see anything faster than whatever my Sony deck is connecting at, which is probably less than 400 speeds.

Christina Hajdinjak · December 18th, 2005, 02:41 PM

I shot with the sdx900 for the first time and upgraded my system to fcp 5...thinking life would be great. But now i cannot capture any video.

Has anyone figured out system settings for the AJ-SD930BP and FCP 5 over firewire? (the rental house gave me this deck instead of the AJ-SD93)

Thanks for any suggestions!
ch

Joseph Wong · December 31st, 2005, 01:59 AM

My system is a G5 2.3GHz DC with a KONA LHe which I bought recently. When I try to monitor my FCP timeline on an external monitor through the KONA card, it gives me a horrible image that is flickering and wavy. I've tried plugging the cable into both a consumer and a LCD screen using downconcert composite and component but it still does the same thing. Does anyone have the same problem? I'm working with HDV 1080/50i footage and I've checked all my sequence settings are correct. Please help!

November 25th, 2005, 11:25 AM	#107
A.J. Briones Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 275	magic bullet editors v2 problems with fcp / compressor hi everyone. i am having major render problems with magic bullet editors v2. when adding the look suite filter in fcp, the clip shows black & white (regardless of what look i give it) unless i uncheck "use gpu". so fine, i figure my gpu is not supported for realtime. i uncheck it and everything is fine. HOWEVER, when exporting to mpeg2 using compressor, the preview shows up as black & white, and the mpeg2 file created is black & white. anyone seen this before? please help! thanks in advance.

November 28th, 2005, 11:48 AM	#108
Robert Simon New Boot Join Date: May 2004 Location: Aurora, IL Posts: 16	Using Mattes in FCE2 Just for fun a shot a silly short with a character sitting in a chair underneath a portrait of herself. The portrait is actually video and comes to life, and chaos ensues. I was first going to do this using greenscreen material inside the picture frame, but then decided I could do the same thing using a 4 point matte to cut out the picture so the video underneath could show through. I thought this would be cleaner than greenscreen. This works, but I realized after the fact that if the "real" charactor moves in front of the picture frame, she is cut off by the matte (duh!). Short of re-doing this with a green screen picture frame, is there anything I can do to salvage the shot with the matte? I've heard about something called a "difference matte"; what does that do? There are only two points in the movie where she crosses in front of the picture, for about a second in total, but it obviously ruins the illusion. Thanks!

December 1st, 2005, 07:01 PM	#109
Guest Posts: n/a	FCP 5 & HVX200: DVCProHD/50/25 - Easy Set Up Options Just trying to limit unpleasant surprises here. Under the "Easy SetUp" menu in FCP 5.0.3 I see the option for: DVCPRO HD - 720p24 What I don't see are options for: DVCPRO 50 & DVCPRO 25 Should there be settings for DVCPRO 50 & DVCPRO 25, or would it all just fall under the DVCPRO HD - 720p24 setting? I realize this may not be a question that can be answered until the HVX200 is available, and we are actually editing footage from it in FCP 5, but I felt really bad for all of the folks who got the JVC HD100 and then quickly found there was no HDV 720p24 setting (and to date... still isn't).

December 3rd, 2005, 01:13 PM	#110
Jeff Pryor New Boot Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Brainerd, MN Posts: 12	Soundtrack Pro Error Anyone run into an error message when trying to open a previously saved multitrack project? It says error in opening file, try again... I haven't touched any of the root files.

December 4th, 2005, 08:52 AM	#111
Jemore Santos Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Tokyo/Sydney Posts: 297	Horizontal smear Hi everyone Just wondering if you get the same effect; I have a JVC GY-HD100 and when ever I fastforward when I'm in the capture window of FCP on 720p I see a pixelated streak/line. You know, when you fast forward your footage, everything becomes pixelated and then every 7 seconds or so a streak would come up, is it normal? is it a drop out? is it my tape? Anybody had that? __________________ "eyes through a digital world"

December 5th, 2005, 11:42 AM	#112
John Arman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bismarck ND Posts: 49	Sound was off Has any one had this experience ? I use Mac G-4 with GL2 as a play back deck and FCE. After dopping the video back to the Camera the sound was off on one of the clips and only one. I checked it out on the computer and the computer clip was not off ???????

December 8th, 2005, 08:21 PM	#113
Scott Schuster Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 28	old film to dv with sync issues Hope someone can explain this problem. I transfered an old film I did on 16mm that I never edited to Dv cam. The audio was recorded on a pro nagra reel to reel deck and I also transfered that to dvcam. I am using FCP 4.5 and and have imported the audio and video separately as NTSC dv. I shot the film using clapper sticks and when I sync clap sound to picture the audio stays in sync for several seconds then goes out of sync. If anyone can explain to me why this is happening I will greatly appreciate it.

December 15th, 2005, 07:33 PM	#114
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA Posts: 2,823 Images: 15	SIIG Firewire 800 PCIe card not G5 Quad compatible - yet (Note: I wasn't sure which forum this should go in and since this deals with Mac NLE's this seemed like the most logical place to put this) I have a new Quad-core G5 w/5 external Firewire 800-speed drives (OWC Mercury Elite Pro Aluminum). I was originally going to transfer the LaCie Firewire 800 PCI card to the Quad from my Dual 2.7 but the Quad uses the newer PCIe slots so of course it won't fit. I purcashsed directly from SIIG their PCIe Firewire 800 card (2 ports 800, 1 port 400) that is labeled as Mac compatible on their website. However, my Quad will not boot when drives are connected to the card. I called SIIG tech support. The answer: "We don't have a Quad G5 to test our cards with, so we have no way of knowing the compatibility...". They just issed an RMA so I can return the card. LaCie will be releasing their PCIe card in January but until then there is no PCIe Firewire 800 card available that is G5 Quad compatible. For those wondering why this is such an issue: The internal G5 Firewire bus controls both 400 and 800 ports, and is only as fast as the slowest device connected to it. The only way to avoid having faster 800 speed devices pulled down in speed is to have them on their own separate physical bus, which means installing a PCI Firewire card. Without an available card, that means that all my 800 speed drives will never see anything faster than whatever my Sony deck is connecting at, which is probably less than 400 speeds.

December 18th, 2005, 02:41 PM	#115
Christina Hajdinjak Tourist Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1	FCP 5 system settings dvcpro50 24pa and dv I shot with the sdx900 for the first time and upgraded my system to fcp 5...thinking life would be great. But now i cannot capture any video. Has anyone figured out system settings for the AJ-SD930BP and FCP 5 over firewire? (the rental house gave me this deck instead of the AJ-SD93) Thanks for any suggestions! ch

December 31st, 2005, 01:59 AM	#116
Joseph Wong Tourist Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1	horrible image that is flickering and wavy My system is a G5 2.3GHz DC with a KONA LHe which I bought recently. When I try to monitor my FCP timeline on an external monitor through the KONA card, it gives me a horrible image that is flickering and wavy. I've tried plugging the cable into both a consumer and a LCD screen using downconcert composite and component but it still does the same thing. Does anyone have the same problem? I'm working with HDV 1080/50i footage and I've checked all my sequence settings are correct. Please help!