Can I use a converter box such as ADVC RCA to USB output to import into final cut pro VHS or Camcorder tapes. I have a Mac Studio M1 Ultra and Final Cut Pro 11.2. From what I see on here is that Firewire is not supported in Tahoe. Bummer is all I can say. Yes it is old technology but I have business that converts these old formats which I have been using Final Cut Pro via Firewire input. Any help or suggestions I welcome them.
Thanks
Mac Studio, macOS 15.7
Tundraguy wrote:
I have business that converts these old formats which I have been using Final Cut Pro via Firewire input.
If I were in this business I'd use a dedicated Mac with Firewire support to import miniDV and D8.
Or maybe even get old Mac(s) with built-in Firewire to import miniDV and D8. Preferably with an oldish macOS like Mac OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan or even Mac OS X 10.6.3 Snow Leopard that supports 32-bit apps like MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b8, QuickTime Player 7 Pro etc (QT 7 Pro licenses are no longer sold, though).
Converter boxes like Elgato might be OK for analog VHS or Hi8. But I'd avoid converting digital DV/D8 via an analog loop back to digital.
And I'd very carefully check whether a 3rd party converter box properly handles NTSC and PAL rectangular pixel to square pixel conversions and interlacing and deinterlacing details.
http://web.archive.org/web/20140218044518/http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/conversion/
Tundraguy wrote:
I have business that converts these old formats which I have been using Final Cut Pro via Firewire input.
If I were in this business I'd use a dedicated Mac with Firewire support to import miniDV and D8.
Or maybe even get old Mac(s) with built-in Firewire to import miniDV and D8. Preferably with an oldish macOS like Mac OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan or even Mac OS X 10.6.3 Snow Leopard that supports 32-bit apps like MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b8, QuickTime Player 7 Pro etc (QT 7 Pro licenses are no longer sold, though).
Converter boxes like Elgato might be OK for analog VHS or Hi8. But I'd avoid converting digital DV/D8 via an analog loop back to digital.
And I'd very carefully check whether a 3rd party converter box properly handles NTSC and PAL rectangular pixel to square pixel conversions and interlacing and deinterlacing details.
http://web.archive.org/web/20140218044518/http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/conversion/
If you got something like this:
Elgato USB Analog Video Capture Device
OR
Elgato Cam Link 4K Standard with HDMI input
You would use the included Elgato software - assuming it is compatible with OS26 - to ingest your video and create files on disk. You would then import those files into FCP for editing.
I have not used this device myself. You should ask or test drive before purchase.
MtD
Tundraguy wrote:
Can I use a converter box such as ADVC RCA to USB output to import into final cut pro VHS or Camcorder tapes.
Just FYI, the old Canopus/GrassValley ADVC converters used Firewire, not USB. Nice thing, however, is they did not need any proprietary app or driver to be used with a Mac.
The BlackMagic Intensity Shuttle was a USB 3.0 device and there was even a Thunderbolt version but they also disappeared from the market years ago and they were finicky devices anyway. I doubt they would work with any Mac post-Catalina. The Elgato devices use USB but I have never been impressed by them.
I suggest looking into a service that can convert your analog VHS or miniDV/D8 tapes to QuickTime or MP4.
Another option would be to get an older Mac and use that to ingest the video from FW then transfer the file to the M1.
The issue of FireWire is mainly related to Mac OS 26 Tahoe. This from the FCP Cafe site, https://fcp.cafe/
Thanks Matti for your response. I will look into that. It's a shame that I can't use my mac studio as I originally intended since it it much faster io rendering these older formats. I do have an older trash can mac that I can use.
Sad I have to go backwards in order to move forward. This is the scourge of rapidly expanding technology. I like having the latest & greatest and will continue to pursue that, but it does make more work for me having to go back in the older technology to make this work. Again Thanks for your input.
Tundraguy wrote:
This is the scourge of rapidly expanding technology.
Yes. ...my brother often complains WHY his devices don't support new tech (for example recently forced DVB-T2 television broadcasting spec when he just 20 years ago got good DVB-T gadgets!). I usually then add insult to his injury by complaining why old stone tablets no longer are readily readable in our computers ;-)
Thanks for your response. I did find on eBay an ADVC Mini that has usb and thought maybe that would work with FCP. I'v had been using an ADVC110 with firewire but as I was asking about usb as another means of importing old media to FCP since they have abandoned firewire in FCB 11.2. As a business owner I want to do the converting and not send it to another company to do this for me that would be defeating the service I offer and would make it much more expensive for my customers. I've been in this business since 2006 and yes a lot of chan get in technology has happened but until recently I was able to use the firewire import of my ADVC110 all these years. So I was looking for another way but it seems either I go back down in technology of my older mac I still have and go that route. Again I appreciate your response.
Thanks. I will look into your suggestion. I love using Final Cut Pro for editing the old videos and would hate to lose that capability. Thanks again!
Will Final Cut Pro accept USB import?
