Preview disabled in log & capture - FCP7 on iMAC i7

I've been using a G5 forever, and recently changed over to a top-of-the-range iMAC i7.

I've connected my DVcam deck via firewire, chosen the correct capture preset settings, but no matter what I do I cannot get the Log & Capture window to display the footage, and thus import it from the DV tape. It just shows the colour bar window with PREVIEW DISABLED displayed.

I've trashed FCP preferences etc etc, but nothing is working.

The device is recognised because I am able to control it from the Log & Capture window, so clearly the connections are fine, just no video displayed, or audio heard, when the deck plays the tape.

And yes, video is selected in the log & capture window settings.

Any help would be appreciated.

Are you capturing DV or HDV?

- Loren
Today's FCP 7 keytip:
Do a virtual Audio Mixdown to lighten playback load with Command-Option-R!

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Now available at KeyGuide Central.
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It's a DVCam deck, so, yes, DV tapes.

As I said in my original post, FCP is set up correctly in terms of user preferences, capture and sequence presets etc etc. In Log & Capture I am able to control the deck but I get no image or audio. The video and audio boxes are ticked in the log and capture settings too.

So, though i can control the DV deck I have no content showing, only PREVIEW DISABLED.

As an extra piece of info, I have the deck connected via firewire going via a Lacie hard drive first before it enters the iMac. The reason for this is the DV deck cable is 400 not 800. So I've ordered a cable with 800 connection on it and when it arrives I will try connecting that directly to the iMac to see if that makes a difference. I'm not convinced it will because as I say, I can control the deck from log & capture with this configuration, but it might be worth a try for the cost of a cable.

Did you shoot it yourself and know it's DV though? HDV tape looks exactly the same as DV, but can give the symptoms you're describing when playing in a DV deck. Sometimes you get just a blue screen instead.

Thanks for your suggestions but I'm well beyond the stages your asking about.

It is a DVCam deck. DVCam decks cannot play HDV tapes.
Anyway, that aside, yes I shot it myself.
It is a DV tape.
It has DV content.
It is not HDV
The deck is controlable using Log & Capture.
All settings are correct
The Log & Capture window shows just the colour bar window with PREVIEW DISABLED
There is no video or audio displayed or heard
The connection is firewire 4-pin 400 via a Lacie hard drive on it's way to the iMac i7

So, in summary, the deck is controllable but does not display video for capture despite all settings being correct.

Awaiting a firewire 800 cable to connect the deck directly to the iMac instead of via the Lacie hard drive in the hope that solves the problem. Someone else on this forum had tried that and it worked. So for the low cost it's worth a try.

However, if at this stage, with the information above, there is something glaringly obvious that I'm doing wrong then please let me know.

Thanks

DVCam decks can make HDV tape play, but not display, which is what you were describing. I have one right here and I can put a HDV tape in and and play, rewind and fast forward to my hearts content, just not see anything on my monitors.

Is your deck displaying timecode ok?

It's a DV tape with DV content.

No, there's no timecode when I click the play icon. The tape plays in the machine (rewinds, forwards etc etc) but no time code movement.

You need to narrow down the parameters. For example, I was checking your posts and I don't see confirmation on one very basic issue: Have you tried connecting a monitor to the deck -- without the computer, without FireWire -- to see if the tape even plays just from the deck? Have you tried playing the tape in the camera?


www.derekmok.com

Yep, plays fine on a connected monitor and also plays back fine on the camera.

[As an extra piece of info, I have the deck connected via firewire going via a Lacie hard drive first before it enters the iMac. The reason for this is the DV deck cable is 400 not 800. So I've ordered a cable with 800 connection on it and when it arrives I will try connecting that directly to the iMac to see if that makes a difference.]

I get it. This camera-to-drive config may be fouling your capture. I've never used it because FireWire is very chatty in both directions, and the idea of going to the computer through the drive and then back out to the drive-- yeesh. That's a lot of chat, along with video media.

That iMac has only one FireWire port? Definitely pick up a FW 4-pin to 800 cable-- I use one here very successfully-- but never to a scratch disk first.

- Loren

Today's FCP keytip:

Open A/V Settings with Command-Option-Q !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Loren - thanks. However, 2 days ago I did exactly that: got the new cable, connected it up, and . . . nothing! Zip.

So the problem persists. Not tried using the camera yet instead of the deck though. That's the next and last thing to try. I just don't get this. Is it a Lion problem I wonder?

Graham

Not Lion. I just captured about six hours of DV with a Sony DVCam deck yesterday in Lion on FCP 7.

I was using "camera" and "deck" interchangeably, but yes, you may have better luck using the camera the tape was shot on. But keep the scratch disc out of the loop until you establish you can capture. Do a test capture to the internal drive.

It's a nice little puzzle.

- Loren

Today's FCP keytip:

Open A/V Settings with Command-Option-Q !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

OK, the story continues...

I have tried everything suggested but no resolution. However, here's 2 things interesting that I've just discovered that may or may not throw light on this issue:

Interesting thing number 1
I can get log and capture to work connecting the original camera instead of the deck using the same firewire 800 cable, connected directly to the iMac, i.e., not via any other drive (before anyone jumps on that there's nothing wrong with the DSR11 deck, as you'll see in the next item).

Interesting thing number 2
I opened QT7pro, opened preferences and could see I was able to select either the iSight camera or the DSR11 DV deck (with a DV tape with DV content inside). When I selected the DSR11 option and pressed play on the deck, hey presto, there was the footage displayed in the New Recording window of QT7pro.

So far so good.

I closed QT and launched a new project in FCP7 with the correct settings. Opened Log & Capture and the same problem exists, i.e., I can control the deck, see the timecode advancing in the top right corner, and the audio meters bouncing, BUT, it still has colour bars "preview disabled".
Now, here's the interesting thing...
With FCP7 still open (log and capture window closed), I minimised FCP7 and opened QT7pro again. In QT preferences I selected the DSR11 as before, BUT, this time it will only display the iSight content and not the DSR11 content as it did previously!!!!! Close down FCP7 and QT does display from the deck.

Following many forums advice I tried updating my QT software, but that didn't resolve it, then I contacted Apple support (a misnomer if ever there was one) to try and find out how to "disable" the iSight camera on this iMac i7. They wouldn't advise me and said they wouldn't recommend it.

From my limited knowledge I would say there is a conflict going on. FCP7 uses QTpro, and as I described above when FCP7 is opened QT will not display the DSR11's content.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

Help :-)