Unable to initializeHDV deck. with a twist. I think.

Question

Okay, I have done a search and found similar problems but am unable to fix my problem. I am using FCE4 for the first time today on my MBP. I am using the 4-bit/6-bit firewall cable. My camera is a Sony HDR-HC5. By following the tutorial on apple.com I was able to set up and capture my video from my camcorder with no problem my first time. It was just a short 5 minute practice. I thought I had it figured out. However, once I tried again, there were problems. Usually the "Unable to initialize HDV deck....." message. I have shut down, restarted, re-connected, etc. several times and keep getting this message. But once or twice, my camera would start to play once I hit capture, but a black box would appear on the screen (the box that had the video playing along with it when it worked) except this time it says something about trying to que. So.... what now?

Answer 1

First thing to do is establish exactly which format the camera shot with.
This can be DV or HDV.
The camera can also shoot with 12 bit or 16 bit audio that matches 32 or 48 kHz FCE Easy Setups respectively.
Next select the appropriate Easy Setup in FCE to match before capturing. If they don't match error reports appear.
Also you can check that the camera is connected with firewire using View>Video Out>Refresh Video Devices.
Al