About firewire, P. 169) – Apple Final Cut Pro 6 User Manual
Page 170
Chapter 11
Connecting DV Video Equipment
169
III
About FireWire
FireWire (also called IEEE 1394a or i.LINK) is the consumer and professional standard for
DV-format digital video. DV devices typically use FireWire 400 connectors. There are
two kinds of FireWire 400 connectors: a 4-pin connector (typically used to connect to
video equipment such as camcorders or decks) and a 6-pin connector (used to connect
to computer equipment). However, some newer video equipment uses the 6-pin
connector and some video cards use the 4-pin connector. See your equipment’s
documentation for more information.
Final Cut Pro and a DV device can communicate remote control information using
FireWire. Typically, you use FireWire for device control when you are using a DV format
such as DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, or DVCPRO HD.
For more information about FireWire technology, go to the Apple FireWire website at
The Differences Between Apple FireWire and FireWire Basic
Video devices vary greatly in their functionality and adherence to FireWire
specifications for device control (the technology that allows Final Cut Pro to control
your DV camcorder or deck via FireWire). For this reason, there are two versions of the
FireWire protocol you can use for device control and capture in Final Cut Pro:
 Apple FireWire: This is the default.
 Apple FireWire Basic: This is a simplified device control protocol for camcorders and
decks that aren’t fully compatible with Apple FireWire. Using this protocol doesn’t
affect the quality of captured video or audio.
It may not be obvious which camcorders support the complete FireWire device
control protocol and which only understand FireWire Basic. If you’re unsure, try an
Easy Setup that uses the standard FireWire protocol first (NTSC or PAL FireWire). If
you’re not able to remotely control your camcorder or VTR using Final Cut Pro, choose
an Easy Setup that uses the FireWire Basic version of device control.