ADVC-300 with Intel Mac

[tthaler]

Dear Canopus Users

I have a problem with a ADVC300 and either a iMac Intel or Mac Mini Intel with Tiger 10.4.10 and iMovie 6.03.
Import any analog video signal with the ADVC300 works perfectly.
But the export doesn't work at all.
If I use the export within iMovie 6, it will start the work but after 15-30 seconds it will stop an tell me, that the connection to the firewire device is broken.
There is also a problem when I set the playback function to show the DV-project signals also on the firewire port. Only 2 times out of 10 tries, the screen signal will be shown on the analog monitor attached on the ADVC300.
If I use a DV camcorder I don't have any of the above problems.
I got told from Canopus Europe, that the ADVC300 does work perfectly with Apple Computers.
On the other hand, as I did call the German support today (Canopus Germany), the supporter told me, that he doesn't know Apple, but he thinks it should work and I should seek the problem on the Apple side.
A call to the Swiss distributer made me even more spin up.
HE told me, that the ADVC300 is NOT ABLE to handle exported DV video to be recorded with an analog video recorder. He told me, that the ADVC300 is not able to make handshakes with the computer to handle the export.

Does anyone have experiences with ADVC300 and Apple Intel Mac or could the Intel architecture be the problem?

Thank you for any informations to solve the problem or to prove the problem is an the side of Canopus or Apple.

Kind regards
Thoams Thaler / Switzerland

[GrassValley_BH]

A call to the Swiss distributer made me even more spin up.
HE told me, that the ADVC300 is NOT ABLE to handle exported DV video to be recorded with an analog video recorder. He told me, that the ADVC300 is not able to make handshakes with the computer to handle the export.

I'm not sure where they got that information, but it is untrue.
The ADVC300 operates more like a DV camcorder/deck than a "media converter" box.

This also means that

1. When an ADVC unit receives a DV Play command, it goes into Analog-to-DV mode and free-running timecode begins. (ADVC units with timecode translation such as the ADVC700, ADVC1000 and ADVC3000 will simply use the timecode from the attached deck)
2. When an ADVC unit receives a DV Record command, it goes into DV-to-Analog mode (except for ADVC50/ADVC55, which have no analog output)

As far as software goes, this means that DV Device Control should be enabled in the software. Many times people make the innocent mistake of telling their software they have a Media Converter, which usually disables device control. Then when they capture, the software looks for running timecode, sees none, then says the device is not present.

However, your problem seems to be one of output, and not input...

One thing the ADVC's free-run timecode doesn't do is respond to Fast-Forward and Rewind. So, if your application is trying to "cue" the tape to a specific position for output, it won't work. Most times you can simply disable this function, or set pre-roll to 0.

Two more questions, as you say the time line DV playback isn't working properly.

1. Is the ADVC in Digital In (DV-to-Analog) mode when the timeline is playing back?
2. Are you using a FireWire hard drive or other FireWire peripheral?
   Other FireWire devices can interrupt the data flow to the ADVC. DV cameras tend to 'hold' the last frame, whereas the ADVC will eventually give up.

[tthaler]

I'm not sure where they got that information, but it is untrue.
The ADVC300 operates more like a DV camcorder/deck than a "media converter" box.

This also means that

1. When an ADVC unit receives a DV Play command, it goes into Analog-to-DV mode and free-running timecode begins. (ADVC units with timecode translation such as the ADVC700, ADVC1000 and ADVC3000 will simply use the timecode from the attached deck)
2. When an ADVC unit receives a DV Record command, it goes into DV-to-Analog mode (except for ADVC50/ADVC55, which have no analog output)

As far as software goes, this means that DV Device Control should be enabled in the software. Many times people make the innocent mistake of telling their software they have a Media Converter, which usually disables device control. Then when they capture, the software looks for running timecode, sees none, then says the device is not present.

However, your problem seems to be one of output, and not input...

One thing the ADVC's free-run timecode doesn't do is respond to Fast-Forward and Rewind. So, if your application is trying to "cue" the tape to a specific position for output, it won't work. Most times you can simply disable this function, or set pre-roll to 0.

Two more questions, as you say the time line DV playback isn't working properly.

1. Is the ADVC in Digital In (DV-to-Analog) mode when the timeline is playing back?
2. Are you using a FireWire hard drive or other FireWire peripheral?
   Other FireWire devices can interrupt the data flow to the ADVC. DV cameras tend to 'hold' the last frame, whereas the ADVC will eventually give up.

1. If you say, that the ADVC300 does work or behave more like a camcorder/deck then a media converter box, how come that the export to a real DV camcorder (Panasonic) does work perfectly?
2. You mention that DV Device Control should be enabled. But there is no such setting inside iMovie for Mac OS X. Also here the question, why does it work with a real DV camcorder?
3. Yes you are true. The problem is not the import its the export.
4. iMovie doesn't send FF/RW befor it sends the video signals. It only sends the start command to the DV camcorder. This doesn't happen as I did try it with the DV camcorder either.
5. The ADVC300 is in the Digital IN mode at the time I start export to firewire.
6. There are no other firewire devices connected on the original Mac and there are some external firewire harddisk connected at the second Mac, but it doesn't make any difference.

Are you able to test the ADVC300 with a Mac Mini Intel with Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.10?
Can you proof that this setup will work?
Is it better to get in touch with the US support then with the European Support?

Thank you for your repaly.
Kind regards from Switzerland
Thomas

[GrassValley_BH]

Hi Thomas,

Well, I'm not in support, so I can't really say whether they have the resources to check with a Mac Mini Intel version or not.

Hwoever, I know there are people who use ADVCs with OS X and Final Cut Pro as well as iMovie.

ADVC units are sold in the Apple Stores here in the US at least, so they have been qualified for use.

Perhaps iMovie is "looking" for some particular behavior the ADVC is not providing....

Are you running OS X v10.2.1? There was an update specific for the ADVC100 which should also apply to the ADVC300.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107036

Good luck!

[tthaler]

Hi Thomas,

Well, I'm not in support, so I can't really say whether they have the resources to check with a Mac Mini Intel version or not.

Hwoever, I know there are people who use ADVCs with OS X and Final Cut Pro as well as iMovie.

ADVC units are sold in the Apple Stores here in the US at least, so they have been qualified for use.

Perhaps iMovie is "looking" for some particular behavior the ADVC is not providing....

Are you running OS X v10.2.1? There was an update specific for the ADVC100 which should also apply to the ADVC300.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107036

Good luck!

I use Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.10 which is right now the most recent version.
Well I did place support query inside the US support area. Hope I get a quick replay to solve this problem.
If you know of such users you did mention, could I may ask you for there email or can you send them the link to this thread?

Kind regards
Thomas

[GrassValley_BH]

Unfortunately I don't know of anybody off-hand, but lots of people use ADVC on VideoHelp.com forums.