Final Cut 6.0.3 not recognizing HDV deck for recording

Did you try re-setting easy setup to HDV 60i then opening a new project dragging color bars to the timeline and playing it.

OR

select a clip in the timeline and go to Edit/Item Properties and confirm the settings there

It sounds like you are working in Prores or some other format and there is no real time playback to HDV for recording to tape.

if you can see the timeline when you have the deck set to DV then you have a DV sequence. You would not be able to see it otherwise, unless you have a downconvert setting in the menu of the deck. If so, I would go through ALL of the settings on the deck and make sure you have it set up properly. I think you have the deck I used at my last job, and it took a bit of tweaking to get it to work right the first time. Once you get all the menu configured you should be alright. I am betting heavily that this is NOT an FCP issue but a deck one, and most likely, nothing is broken, just set up wrong...
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addendum: what monitor are you using to view this with? The little monitor on the screen? Does that work all the time, or only when it is set to DV? Not to sound condescending, because I don't know what you already know, but you cannot view HDV on an SD monitor. You need an HD monitor hooked up to the deck. The only way you can see your timeline, as you have already discovered, is to set a downconvert to make the HDV turn into SD letterboxed or pan/scan. If you could post screen shots of your System Settings tabs somewhere that would be a start...

Message was edited by: RedTruck

Message was edited by: RedTruck

If your deck recognizes the HDV signal from the Canon camera it sounds like the deck is set up for HDV input through firewire. Try this: highlight a clip in your timeline and hit command 9 and see what the item properties are.

Looks like you are right on track with your settings. I figured it must be a format issue. I must confess I have very little experience with HDV and I still use FCP 5.14 so now I can only speculate. Hopefully some one else will chime in.

In fcp 5 there was an issue with editing hdv because the packet structure or stream was broken up when cutting between gop segments. FCP had to conform or rewrite the hdv stream for it to be compatible as an hdv stream again. Is is this fixed in fcp 6? It looks like compressor is conforming on the fly for hdv. If you select all and choose render all from the sequence drop down menu (be sure all items are checked). Does that help? It may take some time but it should rebuild the stream and render all effects etc. thereby releasing your processor power to just play the video.

I have been experiencing these same problems but with a JVC HDV deck. I have experienced it on two separate systems with separate decks/cameras and different versions of FCP. The more searching I do the more i am convinced that this is a fundamental bug in either quicktime codecs or FCP Studio.

My old quicksilver with FCP 5 worked like a dream. until I updated itunes which unknowingly also updated quicktime. and bang! output went bye-bye. And my new octo-core with FCP 6.0 has never been able to output HDV in the month ive had it.

I am beginning to think apple did something to break it. but thats just my conclusion. If someone does find an answer I would love to hear it!

Hi Guys Im having the same problem now with Sony HVR-M25, i can capture HDV but when i want to record the edited movie back to HDV i cant output it, but i think its FCP problem because my deck input is HDV/DV and when i make refresh only appears in video playback apple FireWire PAL (720/576)
and when i playback the output is DV cause i can see on the deck i.LINK lights the DV light.
there must be something in the settings i must do can anyone help me plz. Thank you
My Settings i chose Easy setting 1080i 50
and im not trying print to tape im just trying to playback from the Timeline
and im using FCP 6.0.3

I have had the same exact problem with my *JVC HD110*.(dont have a deck)
i tried every combo setting and finally i got it to work.

1. i created a new sequence with HDV settings and dropped my project into it. saved it.
2. mixed down my audio (via the render commands)

3. My a/v settings are as follows:

FRAME RATE 29.97
SEQUENCE PRESET *HDV 720P30 COPY COPY*
CAPTURE PRESET HDV
DEVICE CONTROL *PRESET HDV FIREWIRE*
PLAYBACK OUTPUT VIDEO *DIGITAL CINEMA DESK TOP PREVIEW-MAIN*
PLAYBACK OUTPUT AUDIO *BUILT IN OUTPUT*
EDIT TO TAPE/PTV OUTPUT VIDEO: *HDV (1280X720)30P*
EDIT TO TAPE/PRV OUTPUT AUDIO: HDV

i made sure everything was rendered prior to doing this, one project had the red line over the timeline and another project did not after rendering. go figure
once i hit ok, fcp began to "conform to HDV" my 15 minute project took about 30 minutes to conform.

my jvc hd 110 settings in the menu show playback AUTO, and switch near the firewire is set to HDV. I recorded black for about 30 seconds since it did not work with the other attemps. then I rewound it with 10 seconds of black at the head. ( i doubt this had anything to do with the tape to print) I also gave it black and colorbars with a countdown from the FCP print to tape options.

once it is finished conforming, FCP will direct you to start recording (make sure you are vtr mode) THe screen will be dark blue for a second then follow the video from the monitor. it's about a half second behind

The first few times I did this with these settings, the camera did not recognize it so I had to reconform twice! (i had the no HDV signal in the view finder, or it would just record the dark blue screen)

I shut the vtr back to camera then back to vtr. THis time it worked. And it has worked everytime since then.

I dont know what specific thing I did to make it work. anyone know?
also my FCP set up will not let me Edit to tape in HDV. why is this?

good luck

Well I think MAXTON is right, it works only when u make Print to tape but again as he says sometimes FCP dont recognize the deck thats probably u were working DV then switched to HD u must reconnect the deck or turn OFF and than ON, and the same if ur using Camcorder.

Slottodd,
Have you had any success with figuring this one out? I too am having the same problem. I am using a Sony HVR-M15U deck. I've replicated everything you have done as well. I've also tried capturing back to my sony FX7 camera same problem. I thought it was a conflict with my intensity card, took it out and still nothing, and like you can capture fine. I'm running 6.0.4

Please let me/us know if you find a solution

phil

So what I'm gathering is the only way to record is by "print to tape", and that there is no way to monitor while you are editing, that is by going Firewire into the HVR-M25U and coming out HDMI?

I just purchased the HVR-M25U, oh boy what a wake-up this has been.

Tim