Final Cut Pro and News

T

TEM

Active member
A question for the group. Are there any stations that are successfully using Apple’s Final Cut Pro to cut their entire newscast? We’re experimenting with a few systems at our facility and have had nothing but difficulties thus far.

We’re trying out two types of configurations, one a dual G5, the other a G4 Powerbook, both top-of-the line systems in configuration. The G5 system is connected to a AJA Kona transcoder that carries over all time code information and component video from a Panasonic AG-D450 DVCPro Deck. The other is using a Canopus transcoder that just converts the composite signals from a playback camera or DVCPro laptop editor (yes, redundant, but just for testing purposes) to the G4—it doesn’t carry over the timecode.

With the G5, we get multiple tape transport errors on the computer; you cannot capture items of any significant length without some sort of tape transport error causing the system to stop capturing. The VTR checks out OK

The G4 Powerbook is just a mess. It hangs and /or completely locks up to the point that the system must be forced off. When it does “work,” if you’re scrubbing audio it will loop the last ¼ second of audio and won’t allow you to do anything else for several seconds. Additionally, when you playout video through the Canopus transcoder, the croma either strobes between black & white and color, or the color is completely off altogether.

Needless to say I am not happy at all with our initial tries. These are just basic hardware and system operations and it cannot perform to meet basic news needs. Not to mention, the other obvious issues of networking to a main video server and interfacing/integrating the edit systems with our ENPS news system. I haven’t even approached in finding a solution on how to get video in from our affiliate news servers (Pathfire/Bitcentral). And, there is still the issue of the extra time it will take to ingest, and then playout to tape the stories edited on the systems.

I would like to hear from, if there are any Chief’s or Ops Managers that have done it, how they have overcome the basic and the advanced issues on editing on a FCP system for all the elements for their newscasts. I am having a hard time seeing through the problems and viewing this solution as a viable option for a busy news environment. Don’t get me wrong, I can see FCP as a great production tool… but not stable enough, and overkill for producing 5 1/2 hours of local news each day over two very active and vibrant television stations.

As always, thanks for your help and opinions!
Thomas E. Morales
Chief ENG Videographer
KCOY & KKFX Television
Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, CA
thomasmorales@clearchannel.com
 
B

bottom_feeder

Well-known member
Configuring Kona AJA

You haven't got your system configured correctly. YOu need to adjust the settings for your card.
Actually it would be much easier and cheaper to leave the KONA card out and just get a DVCPro deck with firewire out. You can upgrade an existing deck for around $1200. Unless you're using SD or HD video for news the KONA card is overkill.
 
bluffton

bluffton

Well-known member
Thomas,

I just bought FCP on a g4 laptop for myself and had similar issues and I was merely using firewire directly to my external drive. A buddy showed me this and now my life is much better.

Also, try going into User Preferences tab under Final Cut Pro and uncheck:
-report dropped frames playback
-abort ett/ptv on dropped frames
-abort capture on dropped frames
-warn when importing non-optiimized media

Try this and see what happens.
 
B

bottom_feeder

Well-known member
External Drives

If you'll check the FCP manual it says external hard drives don't transfer data fast enough and can cause you to have dropped frames.
If you don't want to uncheck the abort on drop frames (which can cause you to have choppy video), record to one of your internal hard drives and of course you want as fast a drive as you can get.7200 rpms or faster, preferably 10,000 rpms. For really high data rates, like you may have using your KONA card for SD or HD you probably will need a RAID array to get a high enough data rate to not drop frames.
 
E

egon

Member
I am running a Dual G5 setup with a 500GB GRaid external drive, a D-455 deck running SDI through the AJA-Kona II card and a HD1200A DVCPro 100 Deck running through firewire. I have had very few issues with this setup and have thoroughly enjoyed working with it. Having worked with Avid Newscutter, XPress, and Media Composer (albeit all were older versions), I would say this system is very comparable. Unless you are wanting to sync up with a program like Avid iNews, FCP is the way to go for the money.
 
O

oldman

Active member
the apple heads go round and round with me in my shop...there is alot about finalcut to love....but that said until very recently apple didn't talk to our windows based network and our parent corporation simply banned all apple products leaving us basically in avid land at work. so if you are networking that may be part of your problem.

i personally cut on adobe products (ppro and aef) in windows land at home using canopus boards to speed things up....i have gotten so used to it that the thought of the effort and start up money to shift to apple makes me break out in hives.

good luck tho!
 
H

Hooper2

Member
Help with laptop editing

We are looking into buying an powerbook with final cut pro editing. My question to you all is what is the best way to ingest video through our sony sx laptop deck. It doesn't have firewire. I looked at the blackmagic capture card, but I was told that it can't be installed on a laptop.

Your help and thoughts are appreciated.
 
Canonman

Canonman

Well-known member
Hooper2 said:
We are looking into buying an powerbook with final cut pro editing. My question to you all is what is the best way to ingest video through our sony sx laptop deck. It doesn't have firewire. I looked at the blackmagic capture card, but I was told that it can't be installed on a laptop.

Your help and thoughts are appreciated.
Click to expand...
This thread you replied to is over a year old. But to answer your question, you can get some fairly inexpensive converter boxes from Canopus that will handle composite or Y/C video (and audio), turning it into firewire for ingest into FCP.

http://www.canopus.com/products/videoconversion.php

cm
 
Necktie Boy

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Something doesn't sound right. Looks like a setting is off. FCP should be working without any problems on the G5. I would go to http://www.lafcpug.org. They are the best FCP user group. You should be able to solve your problems.
You didn't say if the Laptop is uses a external drive? That may be the problem. I use a old G4 and it gets the job done.
 
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