FCP, dropped frames and timecode errors......

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Now that I am back on here, I already have some issues that I would love to get opinions from the troops :blush:

I've been talking to knightly about a dropped frame problem I have been having with my FCP and he has been quite helpful but the problem still exists, so on the off chance that someone else has seen this or experienced this:

When I attempt to capture my footage I get a dropped frame alert and the capture is stopped. In order to fix this problem, I have:

1. Changed User Settings from 'make a clip' to 'warn on capture'
2. Cleanded the cameras heads
3. Re-installed FCP 4
4. Done a 'repair' on my Mac G4
5. Moved all footage off of my laptop hard drive onto my external hard drive

Actually, now the error I get is a timecode problem. :rolleyes: ...sigh...

Since I am not a complete idiot, I have considered that it might be the tapes. But the problem is on every tape I use, recently taped (last week) and previously taped (some months ago.)

Has anyone ever experienced this sort of thing before? What did you do to fix it?

...damn! this is so un-cool! I have at least 3 things I need to pull together and I can't capture anything! :grumpy:

Any help would be appreciated......

-- spinner :cool:
 
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You won't lose any project files by removing your preferences.

Considering that the Ken Stone crowd, Apple, and other Final Cut experts all say to do this when FCP gets flaky, I believe your hesitation is simply prolonging your agony. This is the first thing I do when FCP gets strange, and it takes less than 2 minutes to update my scratch folders and easy config.
 
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oakstreetphotovideo said:
You won't lose any project files by removing your preferences.

Considering that the Ken Stone crowd, Apple, and other Final Cut experts all say to do this when FCP gets flaky, I believe your hesitation is simply prolonging your agony. This is the first thing I do when FCP gets strange, and it takes less than 2 minutes to update my scratch folders and easy config.
Click to expand...

...to that, I say: :seeya: :D

I always feel as though I'm going to mess something up, I'm not where I want to be Mac-wise, computer-wise...


-- spinner :cool:
 
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I'd suggest you read the step-by-step guides carefully. Also, you don't need to delete your preferences, you can just drag the respective files onto your desktop and if you end up having trouble, you can always drag them back.
 
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Do I really want to remove a file that has plug-ins?

What do I do with these files I remove? Will FCP 'replace' them on my next project or should I just leave them on my desktop?

-- spinner :cool:
 
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...okay, so I removed the:

com.apple.FinalCutPro.plist and the Final Cut Pro User Data file.

I reset my capture scratch file and the preferences. I am still having the same problem....


-- spinner :cool:
 
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I am pretty sure it isn't the tape. It isn't stopping in the same place and does capture after. I also made sure that the heads were cleaned. I even changed the tape and it is happening on the second tape I used...


-- spinner :cool:
 
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I know you've tried swapping cables. You said you have 2 cameras, do you have the same problem with both of them? I've experience this problem, but I've always been able to make it go away with a different cable, a head cleaning, or deleting my preferences. It still could be some other system or hardware problem. The next step in Apple's troubleshooting guide is to re-install FCP. I don't know why you should ever need to re-install software, but it's not my idea.

Doug
 
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I do have one last idea that should eliminate any possibility that you've configured something oddly. If you don't want to try this, I won't feel bad, but it's a good way to troubleshoot some problems.

Create a new user account on your computer. It needs to be administrator account, if you're going to capture to external disks, or you'll have to jump through some other hoops with permissions.

Log off of your user account and log into the new user account.

Open FCP, do the setup, again; no need to do too much configuration, just your scratch disk drive and the Easy Setup for DV-NTSC firewire basic.

Try your capture and see if it's any better.

(you can remove the new user after you finished, but you may want to keep it for future diagnostics)
 
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I have checked everything but the firewire cable. Frankly, I didn't think that this cable would be the problem considering I haven't done anything but plug it in. No folding or kinks in it. Do firewire cables wear just from sitting on your desk?

-- spinner :cool:
 
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I've had them go bad with no abuse. I suspect the cable was faulty in the first place; maybe a poorly bonded connector, and eventually the connection worsened. These things can happen just with changing temperature, as the different parts of the cable will expand and contract at different rates, so a bad crimp could come loose while a cable just lying on a counter. Of course, it can also work loose just plugging and unplugging.

However, you are correct in assuming that if a cable is of good quality and constructed without defects, it should not just stop working. Unfortunately, most cables are manufactured quite cheaply.
 
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One more thing about faulty cables. When things won't work and you try everything and nothing helps, then all of a sudden everything works again for a while, but just as quickly the problem comes back when nothing has changed, the cable is probably the most likely point of failure. If your computer were flaky it would crash all the time, but a faulty cable can work flawlessly one time, because the connector just happens to make a good connection and you're not moving it around, then, after being replugged or moved a little, it can just stop working, or go back to intermittent failures.

I thought you had already swapped cables, otherwise, that's the place to start. In cases like yours where "it worked last week", and "oh, that fixed it, it's working now", followed by "oops, it's not working again", you've either got a dirty heads, a bad tape, or a bad connection (most likely the cable).

Short FW cables aren't expensive. If you don't have a couple, I'd recommend you purchase a couple more. Don't purchase the cheapest cables you can find, but you don't need to go overboard, either.
 
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...I have just changed the firewire cable and I still have the same issue. I attempt to capture my video and the picture will freeze after capturing the majority of the clip.

This happened before and what I did was give it a re-boot, but that doesn't seem to be doing the trick today.

I would really prefer not to have to re-install FCP every time I have a new project...

-- spinner :cool:
 
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If I were you, I'd refuse to re-install FCP, as I don't believe that is a fix for anything. I know someone is going to tell me it worked for them, but as a software developer, I'm not sure how software wears out. I had really hoped a cable replacement would do the trick. As far as I know, you've done everything that makes sense to do. You may want to retrace your steps and be sure that nothing got switched around in all of your diagnostic attempts. Go through all of your settings (again), do the Easy Setup and make sure you get exactly what you need. If it used to work, it should still work.
 
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I went to one of the DV sites that talk Final Cut Pro and found that alot of people seem to be having this same problem and that it seems to be an issue with Quicktime. Well, I have edited 5 projects on this system and the Quicktime has always worked. And I also found that this happens when I try to import clips longer than 5 minutes in size.

I think I am just stuck. I am not in a position to put anymore money into this system right now. I always seem to be pressed for time or money right when I don't have either.

I think right now, I will try to keep my clips shorter than 5 minutes until I can re-install my system. It would also seem like I would not have to re-install FCP for every new project. Grrrr :grumpy:

Thanks for the help and advice...I'll let you know what develops...

-- spinner :cool:
 
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What button are you using to do the capture? Capture now? There is a maximum capture time length (hence the question about the length of the capture) which is by default set to 30 minutes. That may have been reset at some point during the troubleshooting process for the other stuff. Check in there some where (either system or AV settings).
 
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Nope, after about 5 minutes the video stills. I also tried changing my settings for how long the clips can be. I had it set at 20 minutes, but I changed it to 45 minutes (what the default is). No change.

So, for now, I am shortening my clips. I have had to cut certain things in the middle of actions but I think I can figure out how to fix this problem. At least the footage is going in...


-- spinner :cool:
 
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