FCP & VTR error messages

Question

Level 1

5 points

FCP & VTR error messages

I have been installing several FCP 5.1 on new MacPro Intel G5's since last December. And I have been getting reports from the editors who operate these systems that they are getting error reports from FCP about the VTR. We have tried many different approaches to solve the problem, but to no avail. Part of the problem is that it is intermittent. What we are using are brand new MacPro Intel G5's with with 8GB RAM. Besides the internal OS drive, there is another internal 500GB drive for FCP media. The MacPro is at 10.4.8. FCP is at version 5.1.4. We are using Blackmagics MultiBridge Pro as the video/audio interface. That is at version 5.9.2 which is current. This uses the Decklink machine control software which is also 5.9.2. We connect machine control via a 9 pin RS-422 cable. The video is connect via the SDI port on the MultiBridge and the SDI on the VTR. We are using the 8 bit uncompressed setting. The throughput on the hard drive is more than adequate. Audio is analog. The tapedecks are Panasonic DVC Pro. We are using the Panasonic RS-422 protocol setup in FCP Device Control Setup. What the editors are reporting is that while digitizing they will get this error message on the screen and FCP stops digitizing. The first error message reads as follows "Tape trouble. Check VTR. Do not attempt to eject tape or use transport without checking VTR first." They will then click the OK button and this error message will appear twice again. After the third time they get this message. "Capture Now has reached the end of the tape. All existing footage between the point where you started the capture and the end of the tape was captured successfully" They click on OK and the error message disappears and that is it. The VTR is still running and is not at the end of tape. The editors rewind the tape to where the digitizing was halted and then begin again to digitize. The error message may or may not appear again. There is no break in timecode. FCP does not crash, there is nothing listed in any of the log files. Has anyone else run across this? Anyone have any ideas for a solution? We've tried just about everything we can think of. Thanks in advance for the help.

TiBook 867 among others, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Mar 7, 2007 6:52 AM

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Answer 1

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Mar 7, 2007 7:03 AM in response to Serengeti

Interesting problem as far as I could see. I hope someone comes along to offer up some ideas. I can't read the post.

Paragraphs are wonderful things. They help old eyes make sense of a jumble of tightly packed words and allow you to create emphasis on key points.

good luck.

x

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Answer 2

tallguy

Level 4

1,415 points

Mar 8, 2007 7:50 AM in response to Serengeti

if you turn character on on the vtr and monitor an NTSC monitor you might see an E-09 or E-02 where the problem occurs. E-09 is the "end of tape" or more specifically no control track. happens in dvcpro land when checking back tapes on set and not hitting the RTZ button E-02 usually means dirt on the tape or head or a problem with the camera the tape was recorded in. It is low rf from tape

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Answer 3

Mar 23, 2007 7:52 AM in response to tallguy

I have a problem tape that gives me the message "Capture Now has reached the end of the tape, etc." every 18 seconds or so after which the VTR stops and happily starts to rewind. The tape was recorded in DVCAM and I had no problem capturing it some time back in November on a different machine. Now the same client wants me to capture it again and the tape simply does not work.

As I have saved all the previously captured material on the original drive in the office and also made a backup tape on a miniDV cassette (again recorded in DVCAM), I thought that the backup tape would work but no such luck! The symptoms are the same - 17-18 seconds of playback, then "end of tape" and rewind. This behavior does not change when I simply play the tape back or try to capture to FCP, iMovie or iDive. Setting capture to Non-controllable device also did not help because it was the VTR that could not handle the tape, not FCP.

This is very strange - the first capture in November gave me no trouble. Then I used a new Sony HDR-25 or some such deck, at home I have a new DSR11; the tape is the same. Going in 18-second capture sessions, I have downloaded all the material that the client needs but it was very embarrassing sitting near the guy and not being able to reign in the machinery. I searched this forum but found no workaround. Can anyone point to a place where things like this get explained, advice given, empathy offered? Thank you.

PowerMac G5 DP Mac OS X (10.4.8) Sony DSR-11, FCP 5.1.2

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