JVC GR-HD1 and FCE HD: capture supported or not? Confused. Need workarounds

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Level 2

435 points

JVC GR-HD1 and FCE HD: capture supported or not? Confused. Need workarounds

My brother has a JVC GR-HD1 camera which he bought recently, assuming it would be Mac-compatible because he blindly believed Apple's marketing about being able to communicate with any video camera.

He also bought FCE HD (even though he's a complete noob). When he connects his camera, he gets a brief multi-colored garbled image and then an error message which says "No video found."

Now, I've scoured several forums around the 'net and some people seem to be capturing video from their GR-HD1s using FC and others who say that it's not supported by Final Cut. So which is it?

Strangely, his iMovie HD recognizes the camera and imports the footage. If iMovie can capture the video, should Final Cut Express HD also be able to do the same? And can he import the iMovie file into Final Cut Express without losing any image quality? Or should he using DVHSCap and convert the raw stream using MPEGStreamClip?

Thanks.

iMac G5 17 2.0 Ghz, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Sep 13, 2006 7:34 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 13, 2006 7:53 PM in response to Mango

--When he connects his camera, he gets a brief multi-colored garbled image and then an error message which says "No video found."

He should be connecting and powering up the camera before launching FCE. There is also a known Quicktime issue that can be fixed by carefully following the instructions here

--So which is it?

It is supported. But, at least until the next update, only at standard 30fps.

--And can he import the iMovie file into Final Cut Express without losing any image quality?

Don't use iMovie. It handles video in a completely different way than FCE, and you will have a heck of a time working with it if you import from iMovie captures.

Troubleshoot the problem to get FCE to see the camera if you want the best editing experience with the best quality footage.

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Answer 2

Mango Author

Level 2

435 points

Sep 13, 2006 9:33 PM in response to thrillcat editorial

Thanks for the tips. I'll pass them on to my brother. Hopefully he can make it work.

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Answer 3

Mango Author

Level 2

435 points

Sep 13, 2006 11:55 PM in response to thrillcat editorial

Unfortunately, your suggestions didn't work. I found out that he has FC Express HD 3.0, no version 3.5. He doesn't want to pay $99 USD for the update. Did the JVC compatibility come with the 3.5 update?

FCE HD 3.0 first spits out the message that it is searching for "timecode." This goes on for a while and then it says "no video found."

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Answer 4

Sep 14, 2006 12:43 AM in response to Mango

Has he configured the Easy Setup for his camera?

For standard DV it should be DV-PAL or DV-NTSC according to your video standards.

Ian.

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Answer 5

PieroF

Level 5

4,283 points

Sep 14, 2006 3:20 AM in response to Mango

In addition to Ian suggestion let me ask what procedure did your brother use: for example, he could avoid Capture Clip and try Capture Now.

In this case first he has to play the video, either clicking on the play button in the FCE Capture window, or by using directly the play button on the camera; then, he can click on Capture Now button. This should prevent FCE form searching for timecode.

About using iMovie: if really you cannot capture with FCE using iMovie is better than nothing... Just remember that you'll have no original timecode (for possible future Capture Project), and you'll have to render audio for all imported clips before any editing. See if this helps: importing iMovie Clips into FCE.

Piero

iMac G5 20" iSight 2.1GHz 1.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.7) 2x250 GB LaCie Porsche, MV4i PAL Camcorder

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Answer 6

Mango Author

Level 2

435 points

Sep 14, 2006 12:14 PM in response to PieroF

Thanks for the additional suggestions. Unfortunately, they didn't work. One windows says that "Preview is disabled." I also found out that the garbled colors he was seeing is actually a color test screen (vertical color bars) that you sometimes see on TV.

Troubleshooting this is made more difficult because my brother is in another city. I have to assume that he's falling my directions accurately.

I'm still wondering if the version 3.5 update would fix this problem.

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Answer 7

Mango Author

Level 2

435 points

Sep 14, 2006 12:19 PM in response to PieroF

One additional thing: he doesn't have Quicktime Pro. Does he need it for this to work?

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Answer 8

PieroF

Level 5

4,283 points

Sep 14, 2006 1:27 PM in response to Mango

I'm pretty sure that you don't need QT Pro for capturing, and that FCE 3.5 should not make a difference (but I cannot test myself).

About your previous post: "Preview disabled" appears also in my case together with the color test screen. Check below that screen: you should read "VTR" (or "VCR") meaning that the camcorder is actually connected; then manually playing the camera and clicking Capture Now works with me (but if the message is "No connection", than you cannot capture).

In addition, have you (your brother) followed thrillcat suggestions? I read they solved your problem in some cases.

Piero

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Answer 9

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,809 points

Sep 15, 2006 9:12 AM in response to Mango

First, what format are you working in, HDV or DV. I think the camera will shoot both. You have to make sure the capture settings you use in FCE match what you're shooting.

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