Preview disabled in log and capture

Question

Preview disabled in log and capture

I am using Final Cut Pro 7 on the latest iMac i7.

I have a DVCam deck connected to the iMac via a firwire 800 cable.

There is a DV tape with DV footage in the deck.

I am able to control the deck from log and capture but the display is the colour bar window with PREVIEW DISABLED on it.

I have checked and double checked that my settings are correct, that video and audio are selected in capture settings etc etc.

Everything is selected correctly on the deck.

All mu suer preferences and presets are also correct.

I have trashed FCP preferences as well.

The content on the tape is viewable fine on the camera and on an external monitor.

So, in summary:

I am unable to log and capture DV material from the tape even though the deck is controllable from log and capture window.

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Jun 1, 2012 4:11 AM

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Answer 1

dlacb47

Level 1

4 points

May 12, 2017 6:13 AM in response to Graham Kitchener

Hey! I know it's 5 years late but here is what I did to get it to see live playback.

1. Local controls on deck. Even if FC can and have the controls roll playback with local controls on deck

2. Open FC and do your easy setup but set the frame setting to "all frame rates" then select OK

3. Close FC

4. Roll tape

5. When video is playing back, open FC then bring up Log and Capture. Video playback should be in preview.

You should be able to put VTR or player on remote and control from MAC at this point. If you close FC you'll have to repeat the process. If you load other tapes it may show "preview disabled" but should bring preview back after a few seconds of video playback through the program.

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Answer 2

Russ H

Level 7

22,432 points

Jun 1, 2012 6:25 AM in response to Graham Kitchener

Did you shoot DV or HDV?

Russ

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Answer 3

Jun 1, 2012 8:26 AM in response to Russ H

First, make sure you've got the appropriate easy setup selected. It seems strange to me, but I have found that even when I've got all the individual settings correct, I'll sometimes have problems capturing from a deck, but if I go and choose the appropriate easy setup, suddenly everything works.

You might also try a different firewire cable.

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Answer 4

Jun 1, 2012 9:30 AM in response to Michael Grenadier

Russ H: See original post. It is a DV tape with DV footage, ie DV footage shot.

Michael: I did a very careful check, double check, and triple check of the Easy setup, and everything is exactly as it should be. With DV these days there are very few choices anyway.

As for cable: I did try a different cable. No improvement. I also received a new cable today in the mail, connected that. Same problem.

I've only just recently moved over from a G5 with Tiger, and I never had a single issue with anything at all on that machine. This new iMac with Lion had caused me all sorts of headaches. i wish I'd kept the G5 and I would have the issue sorted by now.

So I'm still in a problem area with trying to capture this footage. I'm out if ideas.

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Answer 5

Jun 1, 2012 9:39 AM in response to Graham Kitchener

Do you have IMovie? Worth seeing if you can capture directly to imovie and then convert the dv stream to a dv quicktime.

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Answer 6

Russ H

Level 7

22,432 points

Jun 1, 2012 10:42 AM in response to Graham Kitchener

It's very common to fiind that when people double-check their deck or a camera they discover it wasn't set to setting they remembered setting it to…which is why I asked.

Russ

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Answer 7

Jun 1, 2012 11:34 AM in response to Russ H

how did you trash fcp preferences? This is the best way (imho)

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2491

Here are a bunch of other troubleshooting tips

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2591

Have you installed any other programs that my effect quicktime or fcp?

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Answer 8

Jun 2, 2012 1:49 PM in response to Michael Grenadier

Hi Michael

No iMovie. Latest verson of Lion and the new iMac does not come with iMovie. Thanks for the preferences trash tip.

Shouldn't have to do this work around. Final Cut Pro 7; iMac with i7; latest Lion OS; none of these things exactly cheap so in my view it should just work. This is increasingly frustrating and I'm really beginning to wonder if this is another thing caused by Lion and Apple's new approach of dropping support on this type of software.

Very annoying. I'm at my wits end with this thing.

Graham

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Answer 9

Jun 2, 2012 1:58 PM in response to Graham Kitchener

Hi Graham,

I know this is a pain but can you post your FCP capture settings and your deck settings, I know you said everything is set correctly but, as Russ pointed out, sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees, so to speak. Also can you capture from the camera?

DM

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Answer 10

Jun 4, 2012 7:03 AM in response to Graham Kitchener

Did you trash your fcp preferences using digital rebellions preference manager?

Did you try the other troubleshooting tips?

We can't be of much help unless you approach this in a systematic manner. I understand your frustration and agree that Apple's attitude isn't the best.

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Answer 11

Jun 4, 2012 8:45 AM in response to Michael Grenadier

Hi all

I connected the DV camera using firwire 800 to the iMac and I had success. I was able to capture all the footage in Log & Capture.

However, despite this I am still unable to do the same, using the same cable, with the DVCam deck.

Does this throw any light on possible causes having had success with the camera?

G

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Answer 12

Jun 4, 2012 8:50 AM in response to Graham Kitchener

Probably means there's a menu setting on the deck that's set incorrectly. Connect the deck to a video monitor and usually you'll see the menu's there. They are not usually visible via firewire. what is the make and model of the deck.

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Answer 13

Jun 4, 2012 8:53 AM in response to Michael Grenadier

Wait, are you sure that the material is DVCAM or DV? Seems to me, some cameras record DVCPro (I think) which will play back thru the video output of DV Decks, but WILL NOT output via firewire.

So what's the make and model of the Camera?

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Answer 14

Jun 4, 2012 3:04 PM in response to Michael Grenadier

It's a Sony DVCam DSR 11 deck which will play mini DV or DvCam tapes recorded in PAL or NTSC.

I haven't changed anything on the deck at all since last usung it a few weeks ago with the G5 and Tiger OS. I simply unplugged the firewire and plugged it straight into the new iMac.

The old G5 was running FCP6, but because the G5 and Tiger (it's was a pre Intel machine) won't run FCP7 I decided to use this as the reason to upgrade and chage to the iMac i7 Lion OS.

The material in question is PAL DV on mini tapes.

The camera is a Panasonic DVX100A and only capapble of recording in SD DV.

All the selection switches are correct on the deck. I'm puzzled why I can get the image and capture from the camera, with the same cable, and yet not from the deck.

Thanks Michael

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Answer 15

Jun 4, 2012 3:36 PM in response to Graham Kitchener

by any chance is the capture preset and/or device control set to ntsc? Grasping at straws here as it should work without a problem.

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