Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 151)

Chapter 11 Connecting Your Equipment 151
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What Is Device Control?
Device control enables communication between your VTR or camcorder and
Final Cut Express HD, allowing you to remotely control your video deck for capturing and
output. A device control preset contains settings that define how Final Cut Express HD
communicates with a particular camcorder or VTR. For this reason, the correct preset
needs to be chosen before Final Cut Express HD can control your camera or VTR during
video capture and output.
If you have a video source without device control (and therefore without timecode),
such as VHS, 8 mm videotape, or even live video from a camcorder, then you must
capture video manually. Use the DV-NTSC or -PAL DV Converter Easy Setups to capture
from a device without device control.
Choosing a Device Control Preset
To remotely control your camcorder or VTR, you need to select a device control preset
that matches the device. Final Cut Express HD has only one device control preset
selected at a time. Since an Easy Setup contains a device control preset, you can
change the device control preset by changing the Easy Setup.
To confirm the communication between your VTR and Final Cut Express HD:
1 Choose File > Capture.
The Capture window appears.
2 Press the Play button on your VTR.
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 HD
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 HD:
 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 the
standard FireWire preset first (NTSC or PAL FireWire). If you’re not able to remotely
control your camcorder or VTR using Final Cut Express HD, choose an Easy Setup that
uses the FireWire Basic version of device control.