Hi Felipe,

I'm not trying to be argumentative and I'm a hard core Mac user (ask anyone around here). I'm also a former Store Operations Manager for Apple Retail. It's my humble opinion that you need to open your eyes and consider Windows XP Pro just another tool in your tool box. After all, if Macs weren't meant to run Windows, Steve Jobs would have never OK'd it.

OK.

I suggest it purely as a very inexpensive alternative to your hardware options since cost appears to be your most significant constraint. A complete and viable solution for less than $200.

Good luck with whatever solution you go with.

John.

sincerely, thanks !

but i would like to see more apps of this nature for macs.

i do have some qualms with adobe and not having or creating certain encoders for intel based macs, and i have submitted my complaints throught the proper channels, only to get a politically correct answer.

ADOBE get with the program ! spend the money to design the encoders ! quit messing around. ! <3

I've done a couple jobs with an analog switcher and it's worked out fine. Here's a low-budget option:

Mac (you already own I assume)

Production cameras (you also already own I assume)

Camcorder with analog-digital passthrough ~$300 (I use a Canon Elura 100 bought used from BH)

Datavideo SE-500 analog switcher - $1000 (there are better ones but you said you're on a budget)

We captured into FCP, but if you want to webcast it live, there are several programs that will let you do that with your Firewire input on your Mac.

So there you have it - $1300 or less, low-budget, switches up to 4 cameras, decent quality for web, uses a Mac -- problem solved.

(BTW, arguing about Windows on a Mac is kinda silly. Seems like it's just another tool in the Mac user's favor. Our hardware works both ways... (-: It lets us take advantage of tools like John Miller's without needing two computers, which we would have had to do a couple years ago. PC users still wish they could run FCP! )

nice !

well, well im using ustream.tv as my live web streamer for one, so i dont have a dedicated server for this... ...yet

2. my macbook pro will not log and capture, so using a dedicated application to capture the video, is out of the question for now.

i dont understand the camcaorder with analog to digital passthrough suggestion, why would i need that, if i was trying to run the setup you suggested.

why wont this just work for me. i think it would.

nNovia FireSwitch Switcher a 4 canali DV/IEEE-1394

The analog to digital passthrough is to convert the analog mixer output to DV so you can capture to your MacBookPro. If you get a firewire switcher obviously you wouldn't need that step, however I didn't use a firewire switcher.

I can't really comment on the switcher you posted a link to - never used it, don't know anything about it. Just telling you my experience and how I solved the same issue you're up against. I think there are several options in front of you that people have brought up, you just have to pick the one most attractive to you at this point.

Your MacBookPro should be able to log and capture unless for some reason your firewire port is broken or you don't have DV capturing software. Both are fixable - you can get software (obviously) or if you need an additional firewire port, you can get an ExpressCard with a firewire port and capture that way. I use that to add a second firewire bus and reduce the conflicts between my external hard drive and my capturing camera, and has allowed me to use some of my older firewire drives that wouldn't work on the single firewire bus.

Anyway, if I was you I'd pick a solution that seems attractive to you, spend the money, and get shooting. That'll answer a lot of your questions. Don't get lazy if you hit problems, which you undoubtedly will no matter what you try - understand and work through each challenge you run into. That's how you distance yourself from your competition, not necessarily having the 'perfect' setup from the start, because there isn't one.

That's just my thoughts on it. Do whatever you want, man. Just stick it out until it works for you.

thanks yo, very well spoken.

BUT... reason i cant use final cut pro to log and capture is that FCP requires a harddrive that spins no less than 7200 RPM. The macbooks all macbooks, use slower 5400 RPM drives.

That nnovia should work great. Keep in mind that everything will be a "hard cut." The benefit of a Video Switcher would be a T-bar you could pull for cross fades. If you get a chance, watch the little video I put together with the product manager of the worlds most popular switcher, the Edirol V-4. It's the episode called "Video Switchers" at DV eStore Theatre

One solution would be to pipe your cameras into an Edirol V-4 then connect the S-Video Output into a Canopus ADVC110 then Firewire out into your MacBook and capture with QuickTime Player Pro. (change the input in your QT prefs then simply hit "New Movie Recording"
I've been capturing DV to Mac laptops with 5400 RPM drives for years. Here's an analog video passing through an Ultimatte DV real time chromakeyer and then captured through a Canopus ADV110 (Analog to DV converter) DV Gear Talk
Worked brilliantly!
And yes, new MacBook Pro's can be custom configured with 200GB 7200 RPM drives. We sell them :) ....and the mixers.....and the canopus'

nice suggestion there, thats what im talking about, a real viable solution and proof as well.

FCP is my problem, it requires a 7200 RPM drive to log and capture

iMovie and QT capture fine, you are correct sir.

thanks !!!

more more more !

nice episode ! very informative and well put together.

Did you do all their info-mercials.

who do you work for? self or commecial ?

thanks !


also:::::


Do they make a cheaper digital video converter, the Canopus ADVC110 goes for about 250, and the edirol v4 for about 800 to 1000.

One of these if you can pick one up:

Datavideo DAC-100 Digital-to-Analog Converter

excellent !!! now you guys are thinkin !!

how about one of those, coming from one of these that the cameras are connected to.

Rca Vh911 Video Source Selector | Brandsplace


dont mind the site that i found it on, or the model or manufacturer, all I want is the capability.

You'll get glitches when you switch. It's meant for simple switching in your living room between a DVD player and a satellite box, for example.

yea, thats what i was worried about, i suppose if it was digital, vice analog or better said mechanical switches it would/should work better, but it would involve buying them and testing it.

Nope. The "real" switchers use one of two methods:
-Framestore synchronization: this delays the incoming signal until the scan lines are at the same place and then either "cuts" or "dissolves" the feeds together, which are now synchronized at the same line in the scan; or
-"True" synchronization using phase and subcarrier to actually change the timing of the scanning circuitry of a device to that both devices are synchronized (see above)

The "bang box" method used by A/V selectors literally just moves contacts from one source directly to another, regardless of where the signals are at, creating what we call sync roll or sync tear.