About firewire, P. 154) – Apple Final Cut Express 4 User Manual
Page 154
154
Setting Up Your Editing System
If Final Cut Express has communication problems with your DV device,
try the following:
m
Make sure your FireWire cable is properly connected and plugged in all the way.
m
Verify that the camcorder is set to VCR mode.
m
Try changing to an Easy Setup that uses FireWire Basic. For more information, see “
Differences Between Apple FireWire and FireWire Basic
m
Quit Final Cut Express, shut down your computer, turn your camcorder or deck off and
on, then restart your computer.
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 Express 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.
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 Express 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 Express:
 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 Express,
choose an Easy Setup that uses the FireWire Basic version of device control.