Final Cut Server Setup

Hi everyone,
I have a client I edit for and she is in Los Angeles. I am in Orange County, CA and she has requested that I edit a project for her that consists of around 300 miniDV tapes. My dilemma is that I will be logging all the tapes from my home studio and she will need some way to be able to see the work that I am doing. We obviously can not meet every day to review. And I can not publish Quicktime movies every time i make a change. I am looking for some advice as to what I need to setup in the way of servers that can allow me to edit from my home and have my edits and assets be available for review to her in LA.
The setup would have to be massive to hold 300 DV tapes, but my main concerns are speed across the network and this is even remotely possible and not be a financial nightmare. I am in no way a huge studio, I run everything on my Mac Pro and would be looking to see if Xserve's, Final Cut Server and a few other things can be put to work for what I need.
Any and all advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Brian R.

Hi Brian,
I would say realistically, that trying to come up with a way to work remote supervised edit sessions without a lot of expense isn't going to be very successful. The one thing you might look into is Mac OS 10.5 can share the desktop and you can have a IM video chat. Might be possible for someone to watch you work from some remote location.
Good news is that if the client asked you to work on this and they know your not just around the corner then they must trust you to work on your own and just provide (perhaps) daily feedback; which can be done with a quicktime clip and a phone call or IM chat.
I don't think FCserver would do much of anything for you in this case.
o| TonyTony |o

Similar Messages

Integrating Final Cut Server 1.5 with Active Directory

Following the directions in the Final Cut Server Setup Guide and I am running into errors. Fun with Final Cut Server. Fun with Kerberos.
Final Cut Server v.1.5 is running on an Intel Xserve running 10.5.6 Server, joined to AD. Active Directory is running on a Windows Server 2008 setup.
I dropped the ini files on the domain controllers, as directed by Apple KB (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3688) and I ran the commands directed in the setup guide.
The adprincadd command should be run literally, of course, but there's a mistake straight-away when it should read "./adprincadd.pl", the ".pl" is missing. Also it says "fcsvr/fqdn of fcsvr", so naturally I replaced the fqdn, but the "fcsvr" prefixed threw me off. It gave me errors until I opened Kerberos.app and notcied that the kerb ticket was in ldap/, then the command worked for me. At least no errors, until I checked the ticket and it said I had no permissions and that the keytab entry was invalid. Wheeee.
1. First I tried:
(some info redacted)
node09:sbin root# ./adprincadd.pl -dc dc01.example.com. fcs.example.com.
Getting kerberos principal for computer account
Kerberos principal is ---
Getting computer id...---
Getting AD Domain...---
Base DN is dc=example,dc=com
getting kerb ticket using [email protected] got ticket
SASL-bind to dc01.example.com. successful
Computer record is at CN=---,CN=Computers,DC=example,DC=com
Checking to see if ---.--.---. exists...000020B5: AtrErr: DSID-031529F7, #1:
0: 000020B5: DSID-031529F7, problem 1005 (CONSTRAINTATTTYPE), data 0, Att 90303 (servicePrincipalName)
at ./adprincadd.pl line 165
2. Then I noticed the /ldap in Kerberos.app and changed the adprinadd command:
Everything ran well, with no errors...
Finding kvno...2
Reading /etc/krb5.keytab...done.
Creating new keytab file...done.
Writing out temporary keytab...done.
Making backup of old keytab and moving new keytab into place...done.
Operation Completed. You can verify with "kinit <ad user>; kvno -k /etc/krb5.keytab ldap/---.example.com"
3. Verifying with kinit gave me the keytab errors:
kinit matx; kvno -k /etc/krb5.keytab ldap/fcs.example.com
Please enter the password for [email protected]:
ldap/[email protected]: kvno = 2, keytab entry invalid
kvno: Permission denied while decrypting ticket for 'ldap/[email protected]'
Thoughts?

Hello, I'm having issues with the client login after AD integration. I followed the steps from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3818 and the Terminal output reported a success.
I'm able to add AD groups in Final Cut Server Group Permissions. However, when I try logging in on the FCServer client using credentials associated with AD group I've added, I'm getting an error message from the client stating:
"Please re-enter the username and password or contact the server administrator. Please note that the username and password are case-sensitive."
The FQDN is correct in the Server field of the client.
I'm able to log into the client using locally created user accounts that I've created on the server so I know the client is communicating correctly.
The only thing I can find in the Console for the client machine is this:
11/25/09 10:50:12 AM /Users/*/Desktop/Final Cut Server.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Server[1773] Warning: accessing obsolete X509Anchors.
In the server Console, this is a suspect message: /Library/Application Support/Final Cut Server/Final Cut Server.bundle/Contents/MacOS/fcsvr_stored[77891] pps proxy error: dsDoDirNodeAuth = -14091
Not finding much info out there regarding this. Any guidance is appreciated.

Send to Apple TV From Final Cut Server

This was pretty simple, but clients really seem to appreciate having the functionality. Basically all you have to do is follow these steps to create a checkbox that can send any asset to your Apple TV for client viewing.
1. Create the field "Send to Apple TV".
2. Add that field to your Asset Search MD group and the MD goup that you wish people to access it in.
3. Create a Final Cut Server Playlist in iTunes
4. Open Automator in OSX. Create a Folder Action using the "Add Songs to Playlist" action from iTunes.
- Choose your Final Cut Server Playlist
5. Assign the folder action to a folder of your choice.
6. Create a Device "Apple TV" in Final Cut Server that points to that folder.
7. Create a transcode setting for "Apple TV H.264" and import to Final Cut Server
- Assign this transcode setting to your Apple TV Device
8. Create a "Send to Apple TV" Copy Response
- The destination device is "Apple TV"
- Transcode Setting is "Apple TV H.264"
9. Open Itunes on the Final Cut Server
- Setup your Apple TV
- Have the Apple TV automatically get the latest files from your Final Cut Server Playlist and send them to your Apple TV.
Done!
- Jason
Jason Perr
Systems Integration Consultant
Sr. Systems Engineer / Partner
MacHarmony
www.macharmony.com
213-268-1248 (cell)
[email protected]

Good job Jason. About time to you contributing back to the community that's been so good to you.
Now how do you get the Apple TV box to automatically query FCSvr directly?
Nicholas Stokes
XPlatform Consulting

Hardware Configurations for Final Cut Server

I am a small video production shop, currently running 2 standalone FCP stations; one Intel tower FCP7 with about 3T of firewire 800 Raid 1 storage, and one PPC G5 tower FCP6, on a gigibit ethernet network with a central NAS. I am adding a 3d station and a new employee. The problem we have run into is that many assets seem to always reside on the wrong system, and duplicate projects become impossible to resolve and archive effectively. We shoot exclusively on HDV.
This is the setup I am considering....
Convert the Intel Mac Pro tower to Final Cut Server
Buy 3 27"iMacs for edit stations
My plan would be to have all projects reside on the FCPServer and edit on 422 Proxy versions on the iMacs. I understand that each iMac would need a copy of FCP. Would they all need to be FCP7 to work on the same project at different times?
Other questions:
Would working on a gigabit ethernet network be a bottleneck?
Could I ingest video directly to the server? Is there a way to capture 422 video onto the server or would that require a separate copy of FCP on the server to capture from tape? If so could I use the older FCP6 copy withot upgrading just for capture? Alternately could I use a copy of FCExpress on the server just to create a project and capture on the server then open and convert to FCP7?
Any suggestions for what to do with the Dual 2.5G PowerPC Tower?

ProRes wil be much faster for rendering on the client and transcoding on any machine, and will also allow for more realtime effects vs native HDV in FCP. "Full-rez" is a misnomer here, since ProRes Proxy does not sacrifice any resolution and indeed has a higher bitrate than native HDV. You might find that your HDV source looks just as good in ProRes Proxy (it is very high quality, just not as pristine as the higher quality versions of ProRes).
Remember, ProRes 422 Proxy is still a 4:2:2 10-bit codec. I think you'd need to look awfully close to see a qualitative difference. You can choose to use ProRes Proxy at lower resolutions than your source media, but you don't need to. It is designed to work all the way up to 2K and maintain all the color fidelity of a 10-bit codec.
When you check in a project that you are cutting locally with Edit Proxies, FCSvr relinks the project to the original media, but it does not render anything. You would need to open the project on the FCSvr host with FCP to create an flattened QuickTime against the original media (in your case native HDV).
You can recapture, but when you have FCSvr cataloging your clips, you do not want to recapture the same media and duplicate the asset. If you are careful and recapture the clips that were disposed of to the exact same location with the exact same filename as before, FCSvr will re-link the media to the asset automatically. However, that workflow is very human-error-prone and I strongly recommend you not adopt it. Keep your source HDV tapes as a worst-case backup, but if you are going to use FCSvr, use its archive capability to RAID-1 external drives and only go back to the tapes if all else fails. And you'll need to be very careful to match you prior ingest if you do.
Of course, you can always delete an asset altogether when you're done with its media and later recapture the footage from tape and treat it as a new asset. It depends on how interested you are in keeping your asset records and their proxies intact for media you plan to remove from storage.
I'd take a good long look at ProRes Proxy vs HDV for quality. If you can't see a difference, capture to ProRes Proxy and make that your online format. Then you won't be eating up all your storage on the server keeping both the HDV original and a ProRes Proxy for edit proxies. If you don't enable edit proxies, FCSvr just hands out the original media.

Can't login to Final Cut Server with AD group...

I just setup the Final Cut server and I also linked it to Active Directory so we could use the groups on it. I opened up the preferences and added a group to that from AD and then set them with admin. However, when I login with a user who is a member of that group it won't let me in. The only user I can get on with is the local admin. Does anyone know how I can use the members of the AD group so if their password changes or the group membership changes I don't always have to go and update it?

now when I run:
./adprincadd.pl -dc <fully qualified hostname of AD server> fcsvr/<fully qualified hostname of FCSVR machine>
I get:
No Kerberos TGT!
You must have kerberos ticket that allows writing to the computer record in AD. Use kinit to get a ticket
but kinit give me: Cannot find KDC for requested realm
How can I correct this so I can get the kerberos ticket and resolve this?

Creating a Simple Excel Report from Final Cut Server

1. Modify the following Metadata Group (ASSETLISTVIEW) to contain the field you want to output in your report
2. Create Ruby file. In this example I named mine searchallassets.rb
Be sure to make the file executable, using the following command at the terminal sudo chmod 755 [file]
Copy and Paste this block of code into the searchallassets.rb
--Code Starts Here
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
# Created by Nicholas Stokes
# Copyright (c) 2009 XPlatform Consulting LLC
# All rights reserved
time_file = Time.now.strftime "%Y%m%d%I:%M%P"
FCSVRCLIENTCMD = "/Library/Application\\ Support/Final\\ Cut\\ Server/Final\\ Cut\\ Server.bundle/Contents/MacOS/fcsvr_client"
# What this will do:
# This will create a .csv file that contains all asset records from Final Cut Server database
# If you wish to modify the report further below is the command line syntax for searching the Final Cut Server database
# fcsvr_client search [ --verbose --noheader --mdonly --tabdelim --xml --limit <n> --depth <n> --xmlcrit --crit <str> --ctxaddr <addr> --dirs --linkparentaddr <address> --linkparentrecursive ] <address>
# Note, I am using the --tabdelim option to output the file as a tab delimited file. This will allow for easy importing into Excel or another database management system.
searchfor_allassets = "#{FCSVRCLIENTCMD} search --tabdelim /asset >"
output_file = "/Users/nicholasstokes/Desktop/DickClarkFCSvr_AllAssetsReport_#{timefile}.csv"
runsearch_for_all_export_ascsv = `#{searchfor_allassets} #{output_file}`
--Code Ends Here
Finally. Edit the searchallassets.rb to include the path that you wish to save the output file.
In FCSvr, setup a Script Response to call this.
Then either trigger the Script Response via a Subscription or Schedule.
Hope this helps.
Nicholas Stokes
XPlatform Consulting

http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/default.html?gclid=CIyG7Zqclp4CFdpb2godL HXnkw

Final Cut Server Edit Proxy

Hi,
I need to do remote editing (with FCP7) over small bandwith WAN (1Mbps) therefore I configure Final Cut Server (V1.5.1) Edit Proxy to use a Quicktime H.264 codec with the following parameters:
File Extension: mov
Estimated size: unknown
Audio Encoder
AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz
Video Encoder
Format: QT
Width: (100% of source)
Height: (100% of source)
Pixel aspect ratio: Default
Crop: None
Padding: None
Frame rate: (100% of source)
Frame Controls: Automatically selected: Off
Codec Type: H.264
Multi-pass: Off, frame reorder: On
Pixel depth: 24
Spatial quality: 0
Min. Spatial quality: 25
Temporal quality: 50
Min. temporal quality: 25
The workflow is:
The remote editor choose on Final Cut Server the FCP project he has to work on, do a Check Out of the project on his Final cut Pro 7 local station by selecting "use: edit proxy" and "keep media with project". Project and associated footage are then uploaded from the server to the remote FCP7 station with no problem.
When the upload is complete, the editor simply open the project file to start editing on his station. This workflow was working allright till january: when opening the project the FCP7 doesn't reconnect the media with an error message:
"one or more of the updates requested by Final Cut Server could not be applied. (one or more replacement (s) had unexpected track setting.)" and media files are Offline! When trying to reconnect manually by indicating the proper path for the missing files, I have to uncheck "Matched Name and reel only" to select the edit proxy files. It looks like it was still linked with the original media...
Looking at the project file, the paths for the proxy files are the proper ones...
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>fileSubs</key>
<array>
<dict>
<key>newurl</key>
<string>file://localhost/Users/XXXXX/Desktop/testbdw10/media/_FCS__XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX/dev/3/1670_179_004301.mov</string>
<key>originalurl</key>
<string>file://localhost/Macintosh%20HD/Users/XXXXX/Documents/Final%20Cut%20Pro%20Docume nts/Capture%20Scratch/Untitled%20Project%201/179004301.mov</string>
</dict>
<dict>
<key>newurl</key>
<string>file://localhost/Users/XXXXX/Desktop/testbdw10/media/_FCS__xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/dev/3/1674_179_003601.mov</string>
<key>originalurl</key>
<string>file://localhost/Macintosh%20HD/Users/XXXX/Documents/Final%20Cut%20Pro%20Documen ts/Capture%20Scratch/Untitled%20Project%201/179003601.mov</string>
</dict>
</array>
<key>version</key>
<integer>0</integer>
<key>versionMin</key>
<integer>0</integer>
</dict>
</plist>
If I change the Edit Proxy setting for ProRes 422 (Proxy) on Final Cut Server edit proxy setting then the reconnection is working OK. I cannot use this workaround as the files are then far too big to be tranferred over a 1Mbps WAN.
The setup with the Quicktime H.264 edit proxy was working fine after, it seems, the installation of Pro applications update 2009-01 issued end of october 2009, but since january 2010 it does not work anymore.
Final Cut Server is version 1.5.1 with Mac Os X server is 10.5.8
Editing station are running Final Cut Pro 7.0.1 and Mac Os X 10.5.8
What could be wrong ? Does anybody encountered this type of problem?
Any suggestions welcomed!
Thanks.

I'm dealing with this issue right now (FCSv 1.5.1 latest pro app updates, 10.6.2, FCP7). I was under the impression that you could make edit proxies that were 25% resolution (as opposed to just using an efficient codec), but Final Cut Pro is having a rough time getting it right. I too am only getting success with ProRes-Proxy, audio passthrough, and 100% res/everything else. I tried using Apple Intermediate Codec with default "100%" settings and audio passthrough but had no luck. It's way heavier than ProRes Proxy anyways.
The only suggestion I can make is try your h264 solution with audio passthrough (or Linear PCM) instead of AAC. If that makes a difference we're on to something. Some people started having this issue after an iTunes update, so maybe AAC is the source of the problem.
The edit proxy workflow really needs tweaking from Apple to cater to internet-based solutions rather than fiber/SAN environments where bandwidth is a non-issue.
I'll report back later after some more testing.

Open Source Final Cut Server

It would make sense to open source Final Cut Server instead of discontinuing it. Many depend on it and have massive asset libraries and workflows that will not be moving any time and need support. QuickTime/Darwin Streaming Server is open source and thriving. Final Cut Server should be given that chance as it still has many uses and a lot of potential in areas that Apple hasn't explored.
Apple please give back to community of loyal users and pro's around the world by open sourcing Final Cut Server and not letting it sit on the shelf like Shake collecting dust when it could be so much more!

I agree with this. We have invested too much to simply abandon our infrastructure and explore other options. Open source would be in everyone's best interest. I encourage you to visit the FCSvr feedback page and recommend this. http://www.apple.com/feedback/finalcutserver.html. Please be constructive - there has been enough temper tantrums and gripes about FCSvr being killed and the new way the FCPX works. Please be detailed about how you use FCSvr, any customization you've done, especially if they involve using the command line tools and scripting in any form. I personally have invested countless hours pouring over bash scripts, scouring the 43 "px" tables in the postgres database looking for ways to improve our setup, and writing libraries of functions to make scripting easy. I figured out how to customize our distribution to make it do what we need it to do, to serve our business and our clients. If the road ends here, was that all for nothing? FCSvr is a great product. I know that it doesn't jive with FCPX new ways of thinking. I know FCPX has range keywording and metadata capabilities. But what of a notification system? What of a transcoding server? What of subscription/responses triggering actions like archiving to tape? What about support for changing metadata with third party solutions? What about publishing the catalog to online services like MediaSilo? There are countless functions that have become part of the workflow of professional production companies. FCSvr has totally changed the way we work and think about our assets. I was just beginning to get somewhere with our producers and editors, and I really don't want to stop now. Open sourcing FCSvr would give developers the opportunity to write their own modules for FCSvr, we could see support for all kinds of functionality. It's not going to happen though if you don't tell them you need it. Send your feedback using the feedback page. Talk to the vendor you bought FCSvr from or the person who installed it in your organization and encourage them to have this discussion with the people at Apple who can make a difference. Please take action, don't just gripe and make broad stroke suggestions here on the forum. Thanks for your time.

Re-install of Final Cut Server

I need to setup Final Cut Server 1.5 on a different server. When using the installation media, I get the following screen:
I am running on a Dual 2.8 ghz Quad-Core Mac Pro. The graphics card is a nVidia GeForce 8800 GT. Any help on this would be appreciated. Thanks!

Did you have it plugged in when the MacPro was started up or after?
Because I have tried with xServes and MacPros to attach monitor after it gives warning
with no luck.
In fact you CANNOT install with remote desktop in data center w/out KVM. Stupid.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1455

Starting final cut server

Hi I am completely new to Final Cut Server and was wondering if I could get some of my questions answered about it. First off some back ground, the company I work for just brought me in recently and at the same time they decided too switch over to using FCP. Well they gave me the job of setting it up on their system, organizing the projects they have been working on to be easier to find and work with on FCS. As well as this I need to find out how Final Cut Server can make their life easier and present this information to them and show how this program can make their life easier.
Know I started off by reading what I can on final cut server and installing it. Know I have it set up, running under default settings, messed around with adding files to it and such.
here comes the big question, how is the best way to organize within final cut server. I and my company are used to thinking of things in a file way where you have the project file and within you have all the smaller files with your media for the project and sound and documents. How is the best way to organize projects?
Their is another part to this answer. we are not starting from scratch and are moving over a huge quantity of projects into FCS. To get the files over I created the file that they had been using to organize before, into an edit in place device. How can i easily and efficiently organize all this data so that it is useable for every one to access and resize what goes with the project that they are currently working on.
Thanks for your time

Zann00000 wrote:
Here comes the big question, how is the best way to organize within final cut server. I and my company are used to thinking of things in a file way where you have the project file and within you have all the smaller files with your media for the project and sound and documents. How is the best way to organize projects?
Their is another part to this answer. we are not starting from scratch and are moving over a huge quantity of projects into FCS. To get the files over I created the file that they had been using to organize before, into an edit in place device. How can i easily and efficiently organize all this data so that it is useable for every one to access and resize what goes with the project that they are currently working on.
Thanks for your time
To answer your first question, there is no "right" way to work with FCSvr. It is highly customizable and you get to bend it to your will (within some boundaries, of course). You should also know, since it sounds like you are new to FCP, that the media is not held within the project. It is stored separately and the project links to it. Therefore, you can have one piece of media that is used by more than one project. How your company should organize projects is something only someone who has spent time with your company can recommend. I can tell you that I decided to organize my files at the filesystem level by file type (documents, captured media, graphics, audio, etc.) and then gathered all related files of all types into Productions within FCSvr. That works for us, but something totally different might work for you.
On your second question, how is your existing storage organized into folders? Does each project get its own column of directories? Some other way? FCSvr can scan your storage using Production Scans to automatically turn folders full of files into Productions full of Assets and assign the folder name to the Production. That is the most automatic way to absorb an existing setup into FCSvr, but it only makes sense under certain conditions.
Finally, the way FCSvr makes life easier is via its automation capabilities. Learn how responses, subscriptions, watchers, and schedules work together. Think about how they can trigger each other. You can, for instance, set up subscriptions that will automatically send an email to a producer when a Production is ready for review. You can set up watch folders that will automatically encode files for use in making DVDs. You can trigger scripts and issue certain Terminal commands. Experienced users are finding a lot of things to improve on (it is a version 1 product after all), but even at this early stage the product is very robust.
After you get the hang of responses, subscriptions, watchers, and schedules you'll have this "eureka!" moment when you suddenly realize the true potential of FCSvr.
Good luck!

Final Cut Server Client Error won't start Application

Hello I am new to Final Cut Server 1.1 I have setup the server on a Mac Pro Intel based with 8Gb of memory 2x3.2Ghz Quad Core processor. the server is running fine I am able to connect to it from another workstation (windows and MAC) through the web browser but when the application starts this is the exception I get on the MAC client:
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.ja va:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeApplication(Launcher.java:1812)
at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeMainClass(Launcher.java:1750)
at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.doLaunchApp(Launcher.java:1532)
at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.run(Launcher.java:135)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:637)
Caused by: java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: quicktime.QTSession.Gestalt(I[I)S
at quicktime.QTSession.Gestalt(Native Method)
at quicktime.QTSession.gestalt(QTSession.java:935)
at quicktime.QTSession.open(QTSession.java:641)
at quicktime.QTSession.open(QTSession.java:608)
at com.apple.FinalCutServer.javaui.quicktime.QTInit.open(QTInit.java:37)
at com.apple.FinalCutServer.javaui.FinalCutServer.main(FinalCutServer.java:263)
... 9 more
I have checked that all apple updates have been applied but can't get around this error. Has anyone any suggestions? We are very eager to get this server running.
Thank you!

Thank You
That solution worked like a charm on the MAC workstations but it still does not work on the Windows XP workstations. Is there anything that addresses that issue?
Newbie

Final Cut Server + Xgrid?

I'm guessing that since it's all powered by Compressor in the backend, that this is a dumb question, but I thought I'd ask anyway. Are jobs performed by Final Cut Server able to be assigned to an Xgrid system? I'm planning on purchasing the product soon, but this might be a sticking point.
I can't find anything in any of the documentation.

Final Cut Server, can distributed Proxy transcoding and Video Transcoding to a Qmaster Cluster. Let's say you had 3 Nehalem Xserves, with 8-Cores each all setup and configured as a Qmaster Cluster. Taking a 7 hour long ProRes HQ SD sequence create and MPEG_2 single pass video in 28 minutes. Qmaster accomplished this by splitting groups of frame across, individual processing cores.
This isn't actually what is accomplished in Xgrid, but I believe this answers your question.
Does it?
Let me know
Nicholas Stokes
XPlatform Consulting

Final Cut Server and Compressor / Qmaster serial conflict

On my Final Cut Server machine, i have Final Cut Server version 1.1.1. On my Mac Pro i have Final Cut Studio 7. I have installed Compressor and Qmaster on my Final Cut Server from the Final Cut Pro DVD, so i can use Qmaster (the version of Qmaster must match exactly on all machines). But the two serials conflict, Final Cut Server will not start due to the following problem:
"Either the current serial number is not valid or there is another server using the same serial number.
Check the serial number and then stop and start the server using the Final Cut Server Preferences panel."
Of course both serials is completely legit. Is it really true that i either need to downgrade Compressor and Qmaster (FCS will work, but Qmaster will not) or buy FCS 1.5? I have paid lots of money for this setup already, it can't be true that i am forced to update to 1.5.
Please Apple, a solution?

I have a similar case. Maybe someone knows how to solve it:
We installed Final Cut Server and on the same MacPro we installed Final Cut Studio.
After a while we dedicated this machine to Final Cut server and used the Final Cut Studio license on another nachine.
Now, if I want to change or add a transcode setting in the compressor, I'm getting the error message: 'conflicting serialnumber' or something like it.
So compressor thinks it's still part of th FinalCutStudio installation. But I don't quite understand, because Final Cut Server has its own compressor, isn't it?
How can I solve this without loosing the custom transcode settings I've made in compressor.

Final Cut Server 1.5 and QMaster 3.5.2?

I have a need to setup our Final Cut Server (XServe 10.5.8) to be the Qmaster Services and Cluster Controller with seven workstations to be clients submitting jobs and providing services to the cluster. The current Final Cut Server Qmaster is 3.0.5 on a 'server' subnet and the workstations will soon upgrade to Final Cut Suite 3 with Qmaster 3.5.2 on a different subnet.
What should be the solution for our environment considering the following issues if they are correct?
• Qmaster is 3.0.5 cluster and clients need to be on the same subnet?
• Qmaster 3.5.2 clients cannot service a Qmaster 3.0.5 Services and Cluster Controller?
• Final Cut Server 1.5 will not run with Qmaster 3.5.2?
We have just acquired Episode Engine to enable us to export Flash movies. Does Episode Engine provide some solutions for the above or just complicate clustering?

If you are running Final Cut Server 1.5.x, then Qmaster should be at 3.5 or higher.
Qmaster 3.0.5 was the correct version for Final Cut Server up to version 1.1.1 only.
~D

Is Final Cut Server is the right software for our company?

I need a software that catalogs and keeps organize our media. Our company is using Final Cut Pro 2 and want to keep stock footage. Apparently, were not doing a good job of organizing our media and files. I'm researching a software that can organize and catalog media and files. Does Final Cut Server is software can do that?
Thank you
Luis

Yes and no.
I know that's not the best answer, but final cut server is a very powerful organizational tool, but you also need to very organized in what you put into it and especially during initial setup.
For example, you say your company is apparently not doing a very good job organizing right now, so lets say you had 300 quick times labeled documentary1.mov, then documentary2.mov and so on, having a piece of software catalogue footage in that manner will not do you any favours in the long run.
However, if you were to say establish a production, "PBS Documentary" and then ensure that all clips are labeled very specifically, then keeping them and being able to search them as a part of a stock footage library could be very useful, as you are not only able to locate clips based on key words, but also preview the footage to make sure it is something you would want to use, and determine the current location of that file.
I suggest you check out apple's videos on FCserver, they will give you a pretty good idea of what the software is designed to do.

Final Cut Server Setup

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