Forcing firewire output from FCP to dvd recorder

Most DVD recorders that have FW connections do not accept video via firewire, only file transfers. If you hook up your camera, it might work but I've never seen one that will accept a video feed. The distinction, granted, is subtle. My buddy has some units from LiteOn. FW works as a data input but does not see video played from camera or from his Macintosh. Can't even explain it.

Might tell us what model and mfr.

bogiesan

Erm, yeah, I know the difference between a burner and a recorder. Time to talk to RCA. We have several units from Pioneer and Philips that have FW inputs. None will accept a video signal. Dunno why but it's clear in the instructions. FW is a dataport only. Sometimes it will work capturing from a Canon GL2 but the Sonys we have do not show up as sources either. Very strange but we stopped trying to figure it out.

Since you've also posted at the cow, please go back and close all of your threads with a solution if you get one.

bogiesan

Hmmmm... Well I don't think the firewire can be modified in order to trick something. But don't quote me on that, I am not a fire wire expert. But I do have what could be solution.

I did this a few years back on a system that I was using with Premiere 6.5 (Woah, glad that is in the past) Anyways, I needed to make a VHS copy so I ran out of my computer's fire wire to my camcorder. No problem. Then, from the A/V out of the camera I ran that into the VCR's RCA inputs. Pushed record on the VCR and played the sequence. No problems. Your DVD recorder should have those RCA style inputs somewhere on there. And I figure that you must have the camcorder that you are using. Then just find the A/V out on your camera. So you can try that setup.

Computer -> Firewire -> Camera -> A/V Out -> DVD Recorder

Sorry I can't offer solutions on using the fire wire of the recorder, but I would tend to agree with the above posts about these recorders not being able to handle the input from FCP or from a computer Fire Wire.

Hope this helps.

Message was edited by: JayEnder

Matthew,

I have 2 FCP workstations in my studio, and both of them have set-top recorders attached to them so that we can output 'dailies' and video as you describe. I've got no less than 4 of these set-top recorders, from various vendors, Phillips, Samsung, and Sanyo, and found that the DV inputs on these things are all configured to sense or detect a DV camera. The DV output of FCP doesn't work well with them in my experience.

However, there is a work-around... Normally, our Macs are hard-wired through fire wire to a JVC DV deck, and that deck outputs to a TV monitor. What you can do is take an video out and pair of RCA audio outputs from the deck and route it to your set-top DVD recorder. Daisy-chain or take an output from the camera or tape deck in your edit bay to your DVD recorder, If you have multiple inputs on your TV monitor or a video switcher, you should be able to configure your system to output 'though' a camera or deck that Final Cut recognizes and monitor the output on the TV in real time as you record to the DVD recorder. You will need to switch the input source on your DVD set-top box to the inputs you've wired, and manually start and stop the recording process. Give this a try..

Michael

Condescension and thick skin go with the territory around here. No sweat.

I'm assuming you already know how to convert FW to record composite by routing thru your DV camera so I'm not bothering to go down that road with you. AFAIK, hardly any DVD recorders can see FW video, only data. What's the difference as far as FW is concerned? Dunno. It's a mystery.

Ah, I see there have been other responses offering a general consensus. Sorry we don't have any better advice other than to attempt to get RCA to tell you what you can try.

bogiesan

No, that isn't a commercial DVD recorder - it's clearly a low-end consumer model.

As others have already stated, DVD recorders with a Firewire input do not normally record a signal from a computer. This is by design of the manufacturers to comply with copyright restrictions/requirements from the movie industry.

To my knowledge, there have only been two non-commercial Firewire equipped DVD recorders ever manufactured that would actually allow recording through their Firewire input from a computer; one was the Panasonic DMR-20E and the other was a Pioneer DVR-533H-S. Both were replaced rather quickly by their respective manufacturer when it was discovered that they would function in that manner.

Pioneer also briefly offered a commercial DVD recorder (I forget the model number) that allowed Firewire input recording from a computer ... it originally sold for around $9,000.00 and has long since been discontinued.

-DH

As others have already stated, DVD recorders with a Firewire input do not normally record a signal > from a computer. This is by design of the manufacturers to comply with copyright . > restrictions/requirements from the movie industry.

Ah, copyright; that explains much. I 'll remember that. Thanks DH.

bogiesan

I found your thread searching for the same solution and have this to offer from my own experiences:
JVC used to make a couple of "prosumer" machines (PAL for Europe and the rest of the world) that were capable of accepting a video stream from a Mac. I used them for many years with FCP and iMovie to monitor and record DVs and DVDs in real time. Good quality to. They would also record Quicktime video via Firewire from Apple's application "Simple Video Out"
The last machine was an JVC DRMV1. (Sadly it was hit by a lightning strike and fried)
About two years ago it seems that all manufacturers disabled the full capablities of the "DV" inputs on DVD recorders so that now they only accept video from a camcorder.
No explanation - end of story.
Both Sony and Panasonic (and others) make a "Medical DVD Recorder" that clearly states that it will record from a computer via it's DV input.They cost about US$2000. JVC also make a "pro" DV, HDD, DVD recorder specifically for computer to DV recording, it to retails for about $2K.
All high cost solutions to a low cost problem!
Hope this helps.

A slower solution but one that avoids the DV to analog to MPEG2 chain of the workaround is to simply output the DV via firewire and record it on tape. Then, send that to the DVD-R device. Takes twice as long but you avoid the DV>analog conversion.

Cheers,

x

My current solution is to output from FCP5 via Firewire to a AJA Io then to the Video S input of a Panasonic DMREZ47V. Still real time and only a slight loss of quality compared to a firewire recording.
Still curious as to why all manufacturers disabled DV inputs in consumer machines about the same time but still allow it via "pro" recorders. It can't be a DRM issue or they wouldn't allow it at all...
By the way the Panasonic will display the video stream from the Mac via DV but it contains a number of blocks of scrambled pixels which make it unusable...

I do believe it is a DRM issue.

Cheers,

x