'Incompatible Compression Settings' when using edit-to-tape

I'd been having trouble using edit-to-tape, which I needed to use because of difficulties in gettng my camera into record mode manually.

I'd get an error which states that there are "Incompatible compression settings | You may have attempted to output a clip with compression settings that do not match the current output settings. Try nesting the clip in a sequence with the correct settings". When editing to tape, I'd just mark the in point on the tape (e.g. 00:00:00:01) and hit the 'Assemble' button.


A guy call Doug Snyder over at Creative Cow found a solution for me ...

Regarding the Incompatible Compression error I've found this solution (thanks to Dan Spiess).

It seems that the three little buttons on the Edit to Tape window are broken. The way to do this so that you don't get an error is to drag the sequence you want to edit to tape from the FCP Browser window to the FCP Edit to Tape window. At which time you get the "actions overlay" with three options: insert, assemble or preview. Drop your sequence on the appropriate area and it works.

You can't edit to tape at the TC you designated. There's no room for preroll. I don't know about the error message, but E2T will fail with that TC setting.

All the best,

Tom

Well, I also tried much later on the tape (15 minutes in) with the same result.

I was posting about the compression error and the workaround.

If you want to use the assemble button in the E2T window, make sure you load the sequence or edit item into the viewer before you press the button otherwise it won't know what you're editing. I wouldn't call this a bug, perhaps just working the way you might expect.

All the best,

Tom

Assemble a finished sequence i'm working in TL to tape is the right workflow... load it in to the viewer is unnatural that's why none is going that way.

The conseguent error popping up is misleading furthermore:

"Incompatible compression settings. You may have attempted to output a clip with compression settings that do not match the current output setting. Try nesting the clip in a sequence with the correct setting."

What people may understand from this?

Sorry i forgot it's always a operator error.

Eri

Quote

The way to do this so that you don't get an error is to drag the sequence you want to edit to tape from the FCP Browser window to the FCP Edit to Tape window. At which time you get the "actions overlay" with three options: insert, assemble or preview. Drop your sequence on the appropriate area and it works.

FWIW, Dragging your sequence icon from the Browser directly to the appropriate ETT Overlay (usually, Assemble, in the case of DV) has ALWAYS been the solid workaround method, for this most troublesome FCP feature called Edit-to-Tape. From 1.0 onward, this has been the fail-safe method.

And, of course, being sure you have marked an IN point on the tape, with sufficient pre-roll, as Tom notes. And, of course, RTFM on the difference betwen the "Mastering" mode and the "Editing" mode, as noted in the pulldown menu at the top of the window.

ETT has never quite worked right, and from what I recently experienced, and this bug-post affirms, it still doesn't, three years later.

--Ralph

The Canvas window works in exactly the same way. If you select a clip in the Browser amd hit an edit button in the Canvas it does not edit the shot from the Browser. It always edits the shot from the Viewer. E2T works the same way. You can drag a clip from the Browser to the Canvas, which is same as dragging a clip or sequence from the Browser to the E2T overlay.

All the best,

Tom