Compatible Camcorders for FCE HD

I'm buying a mini-DV camcorder to use with Final Cut Express HD 3.5 - the specs say that the Canon ZR700 is compatible - problem is I can't find that camera - seems to be outdated. I can however get the Canon ZR800 - I would assume that this camcorder is compatible but thought I'd check to see if I could get a definitive answer before I pop for the $300. to purchase.
Anyone have any experience with this? The "qualified devices" sheet seems a bit dated. Thoughts?

Get a Firewire connected external Hard Drive.
USB 2.0 ones are a bit cheaper BUT they can cause problems with video.
Regarding tapes, get the cheapest you can find from a reputable brand like Panasonic, Sony, JVC etc.
You can get "Professional" grade tapes for nearly twice as much but the difference is precisely NOTHING.
They are exactly the same as the cheap ones except when batches are tested, if the number of dropouts is lower than average, they MAY have a "Professional" label stuck on them.
The actual quality of the audio and video will be identical. As dropouts in ordinary tape are as rare as hens' teeth, it's hardly worth bothering about unless you are an extremely meticulous professional suffering from an obsessive compulsive disorder.
Several years ago we were warned not to mix brands as the different tape lubricants MIGHT react and block the heads.
However, this no longer applies and in any case people like Sony don't make their own tapes and as they frequently change supplier, you are actually unwittingly swopping brands all the time!
Ian.

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Compatible Camcorders for Mac

Does anyone have any ideas as to what camcorders are compatible with Macs? I want to be able to transfer video from a camcorder to my Mac. I haven't purchased a new camcorder yet and want to be well informed before I make a mistake.

My Sony Mini-DV works via FireWire. So, any Sony with iLink should work. I know it's not a camcorder, but the Flip Video imports easily as well. The upside to the Flip is that I just copy video files over, and the downside is no control over specific clips. Advantages to iLink, or Firewire, is that iMovie will control the camcorder, allowing you to fast forward, rewind, etc and get that specific part that you want (or skip the part you dont). There really isn't a downside, other than file size. Higher resolution camcorders will import with a larger file size.

What kind of camcorder would you recommend for FCE HD 3.5?

Hello everyone,
I'm very new here and have been trying to search for the answer to my question without having to bug anyone, but now I am under the gun, as it were.
I need to purchase something within a week and a half and would truly appreciate suggestions from anyone here. Here are a list of my questions and I hope you all will be kind of enough to help me. Thank you in advance.
1- I would prefer a camcorder that records to a DVD, but if tape is way better, please let me know.
2- I see that FCE does not support AVCHD. What other pitfalls are there to avoid in purchasing a camcorder that is compatible with FCE HD?
3- My dream is to have a camcorder that can record in 24p, but can't seem to determine whether FCE HD can support it. Please help!
4- Am willing to pay more for CCD sensor range - is this helping?
5-Would like to shoot in 16:9 ratio and with lines of resolution of 720 and higher, this possible with FCE?
5- With the questions above...what camcorder would you recommend?
I know some of the camcorders that have these features are ranging from $900 to over $1,000 but would consider it a good investment for things I would like to do in the future.
I hope the information I've given is enough for you all to give your suggestions. Thank you again.

They are not bad - just unsuitable for FCE and all good editing programs.
There are several totally different kinds of Digital Video - many people mistakenly think all "digital" is the same.
DVD, Flash Memory or Hard Disk camcorders produce video in a version of the MPEG format.
FCE etc. only handles video in the DV or QT format which is totally different from MPEG.
One analogy would be to buy a diesel powered car and then find that all the filling stations in your area only had petrol (gasolene) pumps. Your car would be pretty useless !
The only way MPEG can be used in FCE is by converting it to DV or QT which wastes time or money and results in slightly reduced quality.
All these cameras are produced for the mass market (where the money is), to be used by people with no knowledge or interest in film-making or editing.
Ian.

Can anyone recommend a camcorder for FCE HD?

Hello.
I want to get better picture quality and better output using FCE. I am currently using a Sony mini DV and want to move on to using SD cards for ease of use more than any other reason. I'm a little apprehensive about just going out and spending money on a new camcorder only to find out that FCE does not recognise the footage or leaves me with extensive rendering etc.
I have a brand new 27" imac and a budget of around £500 for the camcorder.
Any recommendations and reviews greatly appreciated. This Apple list of compatible cameras is a little vague and quite short, I don't know how often they test new cameras etc.
Thanks.

Sony or Panasonic work just fine.
You must get a camera that produces standard AVCHD and interlaced footage.
Alot of cameras can produce progressive and interlaced and simply require configuring for direct use for FCE.
I use a Panasonic HDC-SDT750 with no problems. The 700 series are fine.
Newer models and names change regularly, so if you have got a short list in mind post them here and we can advise on specific models and suitablilty with FCE.
Al

Digital compisiting software for FCE 4

Is there any digital compositing software that compatibles well with FCE 4, perhaps anyone has ever tried. Thanx

Isn't the compositing that FCE 4 can do enough for you ?
If you need something even more advanced you will be looking at AfterEffects or Shake, but those two applications probably cost 4 times as much as FCE 4 does !

Apple Support for FCE HD - $200 per call???

i had what was probably a minor issue with editing in final cut express hd today. So naturally, i called applecare. They told me that it had been past the 90 days given to us for support from the point of purchase. Fine. However, the apple support representative went on to tell me that Applecare does NOT support pro applications and that i have to pay $199 per incident? I paid $299 for the product itself! Last i checked, i-pods were selling pretty well and i don't think steve jobs needs that money! Is apple serious? Where do they get off charging $200 for a ONE TIME PHONE CALL? Just because FCE HD is a "pro" application, apple can't assume that everyone who purchases this product is a "pro" from the start!
Where else am i supposed to get phone technical support for FCE HD??

These forums are here to give you technical advice. Admittedly it is not over the phone but it is FREE and lasts for ever.
Also you will have the collective knowledge of numerous people not just the one "expert" you happen to be speaking to.
Ian.

W520 Owners: Compatible Splitter for combo Headphone/ Microphone Port

The w520 has a combo Headphone/ Microphone Port. You can use either a headphone or a microphone but NOT both UNLESS you have a ...
1. Headset with special 3 ring jack such as
      a. ThinkPad In-Ear Headphones (#57Y4488)
      b. 3.5mm TRRS Plug type Headphones for Smartphones (e.g. iphones, etc.) -- so you use the same headphone/mic you use for your cellphones (but lesser sound quality)
2. Splitter - so you can you use your own microphone and your own headphone/ stereo speaker (for better sound quality)
This solution was found here...
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/Where-is-the-Stereo-out-on-the-W520/ta-p/47306...
But a list of Compatible Splitters was not listed...
The aim of this thread is to verify and list compatible Splitter for W520 combo Headphone/ Microphone Port
The specs of the splitter are as follows: (Kindly verify if correct)
3.5mm (1/8") TRRS male plug (aka Smartphone plug) TO
3.5mm TRS Audio-Out Jack/ female plug AND 3.5mm Microphone-In Jack/ female plug
I browse online and found possible splitters. (In no particular order)
1. Sound Professionals Part# - SP-SMARTPHONE-CABLE
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-SMARTPHONE-CABLE
--it was mentioned in the details tab that it is compatible with " Lenovo T410, T410s, T510, X, L & Edge computers"
so it is possible that W520 is compatible if the other Lenovo have the same combo port
- nickel contacts
2. Headsetbuddy Gold PC Computer Headset to 3.5mm Smartphone Adapter (Part# 01-PC35-PH35G )
http://www.theheadsetbuddy.com/gold-pc-computer-headset-to-3-5mm-smartphone-adapter/
- it was mentioned "Convert two 3.5mm plugs to single smartphone 3.5mm headset plug (TRRS) with mic and audio"
   so it fits the specs but I am not sure if it was tested for W520...
- gold contacts.
3. Headsetbuddy Gold PC Headset to 3.5mm Smartphone Adapter (Part# PC35-PH35G )
http://www.theheadsetbuddy.com/gold-pc-computer-headset-to-3-5mm-smartphone-adapter-1/
- same description as above but different part#. I am not sure if this is the same product or just a typo error on their website.
-gold contacts
4. Headsetbuddy PC Computer Headset to 3.5mm Smartphone Adapter (Part#01-PC35-PH35 )
http://www.theheadsetbuddy.com/pc-computer-headset-to-3-5mm-smartphone-adapter/
- - it was mentioned "Convert two 3.5mm plugs to single smartphone 3.5mm headset plug (TRRS) with mic and audio"
   so it fits the specs but I am not sure if it was tested for W520...
- nickel contacts
5. KV Connection iPhone 1/8 inch microphone and headphone adapter - 3.5mm 4 conductor TRRS Male to 3.5mm TRS Jacks (Part# KM-IPHONE-2TRS)
http://www.kvconnection.com/product-p/km-iphone-2trs.htm
It was mentioned that they have "Premium shield coax a/v cable for EMI/RFI interference...DC blocking protection ... microphone impedance matching"
They say it will "work with most 3.5mm mono or stereo microphones except for for unpowered ECM (electret condenser mics). If your microphone is an ECM without batteries then this special version of the adapter KM-IPHONE-2TRS-ECM is the adapter you would need."
So I guess the the type of microphone will have an effect also on what splitter to get.
On this site..
http://www.wfu.edu/~yipcw/lenovo/2011/T420s/review/
It says that on using the Part# KM-IPHONE-2TRS, with a "mono mic [Sony F-V410 cardioid imp 600 Ω vocal] in , it reverts to internal microphone for some reason.) and headphone"
So there can be incompatible mics for any splitter you use... OR is the defective splitter or the computer setting that is wrong...???
-nickel contact
6. KV Connection iPhone 1/8 inch electret condenser microphone and headphone adapter - 3.5mm 4 conductor TRRS Male to 3.5mm TRS Jacks (Part#KM-IPHONE-2TRS-ECM)
http://www.kvconnection.com/product-p/km-iphone-2trs-ecm.htm
-On site it says "This adapter is specifically for unpowered ECM (electret condenser mics). If your microphone is an ECM with batteries then the standard adapter, KM-IPHONE-2TRS is the adapter you would need."
-nickel contacts
7. eVerbatim splitter
http://www.everbatim.net/store/index.php/hardware/microphones-audio/headphone-microphone-jack-splitt...
- It says "This adapter has been designed and tested to work with all current Lenovo ThinkPad computers with a combined audio (VOIP) jack running Windows 7. Some ThinkPads that have the combined jack and that are running XP do not work with the adapter, which is a software issue and not a defect of the adapter. "
-nickel contacts
8. Startech 3.5mm 4 Pin to 2x 3 Pin 3.5mm Headset Splitter Adapter - M/F (Part# MUYHSMFF)
http://www.startech.com/Cables/Audio-Video/Audio-Cables/35mm-4-Pin-to-2x-3-Pin-35mm-Headset-Splitter...
It says "allowing you to add a mono microphone input as well as a stereo output to your PC or Laptop, through a single 3.5mm audio port."
-nickel contacts
Kindly tell if you have used any of this on your laptop. And tell...
1. Compatible with your headphone? (what kind you use)
2. Compatible with your microphone? (what kind you use)
3. Any problems with sound?
I hope we can continue this thread to list the compatible splitters for the Lenovo Thinkpad W520... Please do add if you have seen other brands.
Thanks

Hi all
To be frank, some of the multimedia laptops, with SRS Premium Sound, etc. are having the same speakers as W510 / W520 and is very loud (AFAIK, Dell Inspiron N5110 have the same speakers as W520 and the placement is just below the palmrest like surround sound). Theoretically, it makes the sound less focus and soft, but it works well with that laptop.
The Mic and Speakers are powered by the amp / drivers. The hardware in fact is very good, the only problem with it is the driver / software not well written. Good Hardware + Bad Software = Bad Product.
If you want a better sound / mic, you could try my Dolby Home Theater v4 solutions, hopefully it could meet more than your expectations and solve your problems without any cost. In fact, Dolby GUI is more customizable than Conexant. Most of us would not think it's more complicated, as techies would prefers more options to have fun.
1. I don't even need a external mic, an internal mic does the job with this fix.
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/W520-bad-microphone-Usable/m-p/528497
2. Dolby makes the sound much better and louder with correct settings. If not, my post are not able to stay active till now, reaching 100+ posts.
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/W520-Sound-Enhancement-Thread/td-p/442761/pag...
Installation steps:
Simplifications of installing and optimizing Dolby Home Theater v4 threads. Message 77 and 78 + Attachment.
3. Get a USB solution only if you need multichannel audio, stereo / wave mix or studio grade quality, if you are just using for entertainment, etc. W520 with Dolby Home Theater v4 should be more than sufficient.
Cheers
Peter
=============================================
Does someone post helps you? Give them a kudos as a reward, as they will do better to improve
Mark it as solved if the solution works for you, so it could be reference for others in the future
Refunded Set: W510, 4876-A11
Current Set: W520, 4284-A99
Dolby Home Theater v4!:
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/W520-Sound-Enhancement-Thread/m-p/451401#M155...

My Macbook browser is not compatible with a business website I must use for work. Is there a Windows compatible browser for my Mac?

My Macbook browser is not compatible with a business website I must use for work. Is there a Windows compatible browser for my Mac?

If the site has been optimised for IE (which is non-standards compliant), the best you can try is to spoof IE from Safari.
I'm using an earlier version of Safari than you, so I hope Allan or someone will correct me if the procedure is different.
First, go to Safari Preferences and enable the developer menu;
Then go to the menu and select User Agent - choose a flavour of IE.
Works about 50% of the time.
It won't work if the site is using Activex controls.

I have a new (mid) 2011 imac and want to transfer my old records to itunes but i dont know what usb turntable would be best for a new mac that would have compatible software for ripping to itunes?

i have a mid 2011 i5 imac and i want to transfer my vinyl records to itunes but i dont know what usb turntable would be best for my imac that has compatible software for transfer to itunes

Hallo,
I use an Akai usb turntable with the Audacity sw delivered with it. To monitor during recording I also use the LineIn utility (all this on a Macbook Pro with Mavericks).
It works fine, only the input volume of the usb audio port cannot be adjusted (at least I did not yet discover how to do it) and the volume of the music is lower than other music imported into iTunes from CD or iTunes store, but still acceptable.
Success, Jean

Need help setting up external hard drive for FCE project

Hi folks,
Basically I am looking at making a 20-30 minute video this summer of my motocross adventures and what not and have equipped myself with an iMac (2.93 GHZ Core2Duo 640GB 4GB) and of course, FCE. I have tried smaller projects before (ranging in length between 20 seconds to upwards of a few minutes) but have noticed an overall decline in computer speed which I am under the impression is being caused by the 10s of GBs of video project files and what not that seem to be scrawled away within my computer. Before I made any videos, my computer was sitting around 560 GBs of free space. Since making maybe 3-4 videos (50/50 iMovie and FCE) its down below 400GBs. I'm not sure whether it's the raw video files or the projects themselves that are so large, but it's slightly frustrating. Is there any sort of software (either third party or apple) that can look at your hard drive and tell you exactly where all the biggest files are? I'll post this question in the iMac forum as I realize this is for FCE, but I thought if anyone knew of one it would be extremely helpful.
Anyways, I have a SimpleDrive 320GB external HD that I plan to use as my external for making this project within FCE and would like some help in terms of how to set it up with FCE, what are the best settings etc. It is currently formatted with Windows, so I will also need help in setting it up for a Mac. I do have about 120GBs used on it already and was also wondering if I could keep this when re-formatting, but I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to that.
Sorry for the long-winded post; any information on this or something related would be fantastic. Thanks.

Yes, you can use your external HD with FCE ... provided it is formatted as +Mac OS Extended+ and is connected via FireWire.
You will need to back up any data that is on the drive that you want to keep. Before reformatting it. Formatting erases everything that is on the drive.
Use Disk Utility (located in your +Applications > Utilities+ folder) to format the drive.
After formatting the drive, go into +FCE > System Settings+ and change your FCE scratch disk location to the external drive.

What is better when converting analog video for FCE, Canopus100/110/300/or5

All,
What is better when converting analog video for FCE, Canopus100/110/300/or500? I have a new MACPRO with FCE HD and I wanted to convert some of my older video that was recorded on a HI8 Camcorder... Thanks.

I have the ADVC-100 (older model) and ADVC-110. They are identical except that the ADVC-110 does not come with an AC power adapter. Currently sells for about $220USD. If all you need to do is convert from HI8 tapes, the ADVC100/110 will do the job quite nicely.
The ADVC300 adds some enhancements for video signal cleanup, but at a higher price. Currently sells for about $450USD. The ADVC500 is overkill for home use.

How can i get jdbc2.0 compatible driver for my oracle 8.1.5 client/server

Hi ,
I am looking for a driver that is jdbc2.0 compatible.Apaprently the oci and thin drvers that are shipped with oracle8.1.5 do no support scrollable and updateable resultsets. Can i download the oracle8.1.6 jdbc2.0 compatible drivers and use them with my oracle8.1.5 client/server. if so how do i install it?
Please let me know ASAP!!
It is relly frustrating to find a compatibler driver for the older versions since oracle does'nt provide them
poornima

Yes. For OCI driver, you will also have to have Oracle 8.1.6 client installed as well. http://technet.oracle.com/tech/java/sqlj_jdbc/htdocs/jdbc_faq.htm#_1_

Ken Burns effect - sutible plugin for FCE

Hello,
I have been looking though the forums and searching the net for a decent ken burns plug-in for FCE that allows an iMovie style action on a photo.
As I need to inlcude many photos I want something quicker then manipulating using keyframes, BUT I really would like something in FCE not just do it in iMovie and import it in.
Has anyone come accross a decent plugin for this? preferrably one which doesnt cost more the FCE itself!
Many Thanks
Andy.

Ian,
That looks like a nice package. I remember looking at their offerings a while back, but found that my graphics card prevents their software from running on my computer. Here are the requirements taken from the Noise Industries site. These are the supported cards on both Intel and Power PC machines:
• ATI Radeon 9550, 9650, 9600, 9600 XT, 9700, 9800, 9800 XT, X800, X850, X1600, X1900 XT, HD 2400 XT, HD 2600 PRO, HD 2600 XT, HD 3870
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9600, 9700, 9800, X1600
• NVIDIA GeForce 6600, 6800 Ultra DDL, 6800 GT DDL, 7300, 7600, 7800 GT, 7800 Ultra, 8600M GT, 8800 GT, 9400M, 9600M
• NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500, 5600
For best performance, a graphics card with a minimum of 256MB video memory is recommended.
The following graphics cards are not supported:
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5200
• NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
• Intel GMA 950, X3100
• ATI Radeon 8500, 9000, 9200
Then I looked at the GeeThree offerings and find that you need FCE 4. I have 3.5.1. So until a new Mac shows on my desk, I'll stick with using the motion tab to animate stills.
Ross Hunter
Orange, VA

Compatible printers for Mac mini (Mac's)

Where can I find a list of compatible printers for Mac. My current Windows printer is a Canon LBP-1120 and cannot use it with my Mac mini. So its probably time to get another printer for my Macs.

I should add that there are a number of printers that are compatible and that don't necessarily appear to be so as a result of third-party drivers. This includes, if I'm not mistaken, some Canon models which can be plugged in and selected in Printer setup.
Others, such as at least some Epson, HP and Lexmark models, are supplied with Windows and MacOS drivers (you need to make sure they're for the right version of MacOS) or the box will be labelled such that it indicates PC/Mac compatibility.
You might take a quick look at the printers offered through the online Apple store (under Mac accessories) to get an idea of which makes to look at. This will only tell you about current models of course, but should at least prove a reliable starting point.

Xmas is Coming! Would You Like 50 FREE Video Tutorials for FCE/FCP?

Ripple Training produce some excellent tutorials on CD.
However, they also give away over 50 video tutorials for FCE/FCP.
Many of them are for FCP BUT (most) also apply to FCE.
They deal with each topic in a short and punchy style. I found them easy to follow and learned some useful quick tips.
They are QT movies which can be downloaded so that you can use them whenever you want. (Allow about an hour to download them all - you have to do them one at a time). I found it quicker to download all of them (except for a few dealing with multi-camera work etc.) rather than viewing them on the website to sort them out.
http://www.rippletraining.com/engine/free_tutorials.html
Hope you find them as useful as I did.
Ian.

Just a couple of additional points for newcomers:-
1. The estimation of an hour (or so) to download them all refers to Broadband (ADSL). Normal "Snailmail" internet will take around 10 hours!
2. To download each lesson choose File>Save Page As. A window will appear saying it will be saved as a QuickTime Movie on the Desktop. Click Save.

Compatible Camcorders for FCE HD

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