Questions for Robert Lane's Capture Now set-up

[Leonard Levy]

Here's some questions about your set-up:
I don't plan to edit on my laptop, only capture. Maybe very limited editing.

1- Are you guys using the 500 Gig OWC Raid drive as a striped raid or as a mirror drive? I find the idea of the mirror very appealing, but it will record about 20% slower I'm told.
If you are not using it as a mirror , did you get the raid for record speed or aid in playback speed for editing.

2 - I notice OWC also has a PC card > firewire 400 adapter for only $20.
Does the 800 firewire La Cie make a difference in "capture now"

3 - I have a 1.5 GHz 15" powerbook which won't accept Mike Komar's memory. Apparently the kind of memory used by my memory is slower.
Do you think this is a major problem.
I originally got this because I had read lots of stuff sayng even a 1.25 GHz processor was plenty fast for capture.

Thanks
Lenny

[Robert Lane]

Originally Posted by Leonard Levy

Here's some questions about your set-up:
I don't plan to edit on my laptop, only capture. Maybe very limited editing.

1- Are you guys using the 500 Gig OWC Raid drive as a striped raid or as a mirror drive? I find the idea of the mirror very appealing, but it will record about 20% slower I'm told.
If you are not using it as a mirror , did you get the raid for record speed or aid in playback speed for editing.

2 - I notice OWC also has a PC card > firewire 400 adapter for only $20.
Does the 800 firewire La Cie make a difference in "capture now".

3 - I have a 1.5 GHz 15" powerbook which won't accept Mike Komar's memory. Apparently the kind of memory used by my memory is slower.
Do you think this is a major problem.
I originally got this because I had read lots of stuff sayng even a 1.25 GHz processor was plenty fast for capture.

Thanks
Lenny

>> OWC sells different variations of the 500GB drive; it's not necessary to use the RAID version since it's only copying data, not crunching renders or acting as a fast output device.

>> The goal is to create a physically separate bus from the onboard FW bus, so using the FW400 card is just fine. I opted for the FW800 card just in case there was ever a time when I wanted to connect a faster device and/or have the ability to let the drive burst to faster speeds.

>> I spoke to "Mikey" about your system, and although M.K. always wants to make sure you're getting exact-spec RAM, what he has will work just fine. It's OK to use faster-spec RAM, the problem occurs when you try to use slower RAM than what the MB is designed for. In fact, I have (2) 1GB sticks that will work in your PB just fine. It's faster than the RAM bus on your MB, but as I say, that scenario is OK. If there's any confusion about that, give M.K. a call and he can conference me in - we'll sort it out.

[Leonard Levy]

Thanks Robert, I'll call "Mikey" Monday. He was totally confused by seeing a slightly different Powerbook (as he's a PC guy), but expressed great respect for your knowledge.

I have a totally different though related issue though, which if you have any ideas on it would be HUGELY appreciated.
(I'm going nuts here.)
I posted this on DVX User but nobody has responded except Barry Green who hasn't helped so far. Here goes:

----------------
I can't seem to get 720 24P thru the capture window anymore:

I'm trying to capture directly into the Log & Capture window of FCP 5.04 thru firewire from my HVX at the DVCPro 720 24P rate

I know I have done this before, because my FCP browser window has a bunch of streamed captures that are in 24P.
But for some reason everything I try to capture the last 2 days ends up in 60P.
I have both camera and FCP set up for 720 24P ( not PN) and the log & capture window is set to uncontrolled device.
It captures fine, but the frame rate is always 59.94 ( & 13.9 data rate). My older captures are 23.98 and in fact the older capture always did capture at the lower 24PN data rate even though the cam wasn't set up for PN.
I must have changed something but I can figure out what.

Anybody have ideas?
- what should the settings be under
other functions>
Remote
1394 control
1394 CMD Sel
PC Mode

would Time code setting make any difference?I keep changing things and now I am flumoxed.

It should be able to capture at 24P right?

This has got to be something simple.

[Derek Hoffmann]

Will this work with a powerbook 1GHz with 1gig ram 10.4

[Robert Lane]

Leo (Can I call you, "Leo"?) laughs,

Here's a simple, quick thing to double check:

Look at your capture presets and timeline presets in FCP. Make sure they match your shooting mode. This might be causing the problem. If that doesn't work, let me know.

[Robert Lane]

Derek,

If you follow my setup guide you should have no problems. However, since I don't have any older PB's to test with, yours might benefit the most by having a 7200rpm drive installed - unless it already has one.

[Leonard Levy]

Robert,
Those are the first things I checked, and I've rechecked them a dozen times. I can't seem to record either 24p or 30P. I can record them fine to P2. I'm pretty damn sure I've checked both capture and timeline settings in FCP. Though does timeline matter in FCP since that is a sequence setting. I thought I was able to capture different speeds earlier in the same Project. Only when entering the timeline if the speed format was wrong, then it would have to render.
Actually isn't the setup window the same for setting capture or setting up a new sequence?
Antwat I have made sure everything was set for 720 24P.
I even trashed preferences in FCP.

What about the "video playback setting" in FCP does that matter? - there I only see a set-up for 720 60P, or nothing.

Also it always say the compressor is 720 60P but I assume that is normal.
Do any of the settings under "other functions" in the camera, or the timecode settings matter.
I've tried evry combination I can think of.
My friend has the camera so maybe I need to get together with him and compare the set-ups.

[Robert Lane]

Right off the top of my head I'm not coming up with anything other than the obvious troubleshooting steps, like making sure your capture-scratch disk isn't full or that FCP doesn't have a bug in it?

Have you:

- Rebooted recently?
- Used the "Repair Permissions" utility in Disc Utility?
- Done a basic "verify disc" in the D.U.?

Barry G. might be able to help figure out if there is a setting in the HVX that would cause this, but I'm a bit mystified myself. This is one of those situations that's hard to second guess without being there to look at both PB and camera settings.

[Leonard Levy]

I did repair permissions. I also tried it with my G4 tower.

What are your settings under "other functions": re PC mode & 1394 and what are your timecode settings.

I can't believe this won't turn out to be something stupid & obvious.


Incidently I was surprised to see that I couldn't capture 720 HD at all to an external firewire disk on my G4 tower (fr P2 or live capture)- had to go internal.
(350 G4 w/ 1200MgHz upgrade + 1.5 G Ram)
I only used 1of the original ports for my firewire to HVX and had the external disc on a firewire PCI card.

[Leonard Levy]

BTW Leo's OK if it makes you feel good.
My mom used to call me Leonardo when she was mad.
I go by Lenny all the time except when I introduce myself to people for business the first time.
Lenny Levy always sounds a little too "Borsht Belt", though maybe that's accurate.

Thanks again for all your help.

[Leonard Levy]

Oops I got another one for you.
I talked to the folks at "Granite digital" who make drives, hot swap enclosures & firewire cables.
They have done a lot of work with people who are doing video (though maybe not firewire live streaming.)

They thought that repeaters were a bad idea - it could screw up the timing. He also thought that a 32 ft cable would work.

BTW they make what look like great Firewire cables. You might like them. Thick, lots of shielding from interference , built in ferrite cores and little LED lights to make sure the signal is flowing.

http://www.granitedigital.com/catalo...wirecables.htm

[Leonard Levy]

duplicate post

[Hans Damkoehler]

Originally Posted by Derek Hoffmann

Will this work with a powerbook 1GHz with 1gig ram 10.4

Derek,

I have a 1.33 GHz running with 1 gig of RAM and it works great. No problems here. I also have a 5400 rpm system drive.

[Leonard Levy]

I've done it with an 863 Mgz powerbook, but only for short captures, don't know if other problems will arise.
Can't hurt to try it before you spend the dough on a newer one.

[Derek Hoffmann]

Thanks for the info, I'll post when I get my camera in the next week.