Canopus Corp. On Tuesday announced the, a portable analog/digital video converter that works with Macs and PCs. The ADVC110 is bidirectional and communicates with the computer using FireWire, requiring no software drivers to be installed in order to work. The ADVC110 supports NTSC, PAL and SECAM video standards, and works with all popular DVD and analog video equipment - it sports composite and S-Video connectors and RCA analog connectors, both for input and output. It has a four-pin FireWire interface on its front and a six-pin FireWire jack on its back, and the ADVC110 works without a power supply on Macs and other devices equipped with six-pin FireWire ports. The ADVC110 is compatible with Apple's Final Cut Pro and iMovie applications, Avid Xpress DV and others. It also supports locked audio when converting from analog to digital, and the ADVC110 has a color bar reference signal generator to help integrate into video production workflows.
Canopus said the ADVC110 will be available on July 22, 2004. It carries a suggested retail price of US$319. This story, 'Canopus introduces ADVC110 digital video converter' was originally published.
Okay, what I'm trying to do is convert VHS footage to digital and get it onto my Mac in such a way as to edit in iMovie and burn to DVD. Given that the Canopus ADVC 110 Manual is written by Japanese monkeys with no understanding of the workings of either the English language or the converter, I'll state step by step what I have done so far and maybe anyone who actually knows how to use the device could tell me what else I need to do.
I have the VHS tape cued up to where to start converting. Obviously, since I have no TV monitor near the computer, I timed it to know how many minutes to convert.
The Canopus ADVC-110 is a capture box to use when capturing SD (standard. Older Macs have 9-pin Firewire ports built-in while newer MacBooks do not.
I have a VCR attached to the Canopus. The red, yellow, and white cables are connected to the plugs on the front of the VCR and the front of the Canopus. The VCR is plugged into a working electrical socket. The Canopus lights are on as it is attached to the computer with the FireWire.
I set the Canopus input select to analog in. Now, what should I do? IMovie does not appear on the dock (or, is that in the dock?) Should I open it, or something, to make it appear?
Or is having Toast open the thing to do? Either, neither, both? How should the switches on the Canopus be set to begin capturing? What lights will go on to let me know the material is being captured successfully? Will Toast or iMovie do anything to show me the footage is being converted into the application?
What switch(es) should I move to finish capturing? Will anyone let the manual writers know that THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE USEFUL TO KNOW in attempting to use the device? Thanks for any assistance! I don't know what version of iMovie you're using, but I think up through Version 6 you will see a bunch of empty panes on the right side of the iMovie window. When you start capturing video into iMovie, you will see those panes start filling up with video. If the panes remain empty, then you are not capturing anything.
I remember a couple of times letting my Canopus run for a long time after I clicked Import in iMovie, and then discovering later I hadn't captured anything. The clue, that I missed, was that there was nothing appearing in iMovie's capture panes when I thought it was capturing. I use iMovie version 4 because it has all the old editing controls that were eliminated from later versions of iMovie (it was dumbed down), and also because version 4 can flush unwanted video off your hard drive, to regain storage space. How this works is that once you have edited out unwanted footage, it goes into the iMovie Trash, and then you can Empty the Trash, and the discarded video is eliminated, and you regain the space on your hard drive. This is called 'destructive editing,' and it is desirable to me for that reason.
In later versions of iMovie, you can edit video out of your project, but it remains on your hard drive, taking up valuable room. As to getting iMovie onto the Dock, just locate the iMovie program on your hard drive, wherever it might be (usually in the Applications folder), and just drag its icon to the dock, where it will remain. The program itself will not move, but its icon will then be on the Dock for easy launching. If you get serious about video editing, you will eventually abandon iMovie and move up to some flavor of Final Cut, such as Final Cut Express (the light version). Even Express makes iMovie look like a child's toy, and you will get much more professional looking videos with it.
A guy on the Canopus forum just sent me this so I'm going to try it and see how it works. Quote: Cornelia, the manual is not only easy to read, but it shows how to connect the components. It's all on that QuickStart page.
Me: I know, it looks deceptively simple, but I'm afraid there is some secret hidden step the user is supposed to just 'guess,' or learn by trial and error. Quote: But let's see if I can help.
First, do you have a cable to connect your VCR to the ADVC-110? Your cable should have yellow, red and white plugs (something like this). Connect it from the OUTPUT terminals on the VCR, to the same coloured terminals on the front of the ADVC-110. Me: There are two sets of plugs on the VCR. The ones on the front, which are the right colors but don't say anything.
The ones on the back are the only ones which say 'In' and 'Out.' Quote: Next, you need to connect a firewire cable from the ADVC-110 to your Mac. Do you have an AC power adapter for your ADVC-110? If not, you need to make sure you have a 6-pin to 6-pin firewire cable (something like this).
Connect it from the DV IN/OUT socket on the rear of the ADVC-110 to your Mac. If you are using an AC adapter, then you can use either a 6-pin to 6-pin firewire cable or a 6-pin to 4-pin firewire cable (connected to the front of the ADVC-110).
Me: I'm pretty sure the Firewire cable connection is right, based on the facts that the ADVC-110 lights are always on when connected, and I got material from my video camera to the computer before. I don't remember every step except that there was something tricky about it the manual didn't go into, which is one reason I haven't tried it in over three years and therefore don't remember except that there was some difficult little detail of which the manual does not inform the user. Quote: Now to your Mac. You need to have iMovie running to capture video. If you can't see iMovie on your dock, in Finder click the Go menu, select Applications, and double-click iMovie. Once you see the iMovie icon on the dock, right-click it and select 'Keep on the dock' (or whatever the exact wording is) to keep it there.
I haven't used iMovie for a while, but from what I remember, once it is running, then when you plug the firewire cable into your Mac, the capture window will pop up ready for you to capture. Me: Another concern was because it wasn't on the dock, I was afraid it might have disappeared, as one person on the Apple Support forum said theirs did, but that was when another version of iLife (or something) took out their old version and didn't put in the new one. I haven't done any upgrades or had any hard drive disasters so mine should be all right. Thank God when I went to Applications the other day to check, it was still there but I had no idea there was a way to keep it on the dock. It disappears when the application is closed.
So thanks for telling me. That's great and THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, if something comes up on the screen actually TELLING you you are getting something! Rather than letting you play the whole tape, then going, 'Ha, ha, fooled ya!' Quote: On your ADVC-110, make sure the Analog In light is on.
If not, press the Input Select button. Then press play on your VCR. Me: Well, I did that much, but was confused I think by memories of capturing audio only.
There was one switch you throw to begin the capture and (I thought, but perhaps remember incorrectly) the same or a different switch to complete it, and I was confused that the manual didn't say anything about doing this to capture video. You just set the switches, and play the video into iMovie? I was going to set the switches to the default position to begin with and hope for the best.
Quote: Note that the capture window will show you exactly what you are capturing, so you don't need to worry about having a TV connected to the VCR to see what you are playing. Me: And ISN'T THAT A MERCY! At least they are not entirely heartless! (Even the Tin Man had a lot more heart than that.) And, the Canopus manual may be deliberately vague on this point because perhaps some users use a program other than iMovie which works differently, or a later version of iMovie may have a different format? Quote: In iMovie you fiddle around with your video until you get it the way you want, then you can export it to iDVD to burn to DVD. Me: That will be another four months of agony, but I at least wanted to get it into the computer and then I can worry about it after the computer is sufficiently upgraded to edit a meaningful amount of video. THANKS SO MUCH for your valuable and GRACIOUS assistance!
I will let you know how well it works and then PRINT OUT the vital portions and put them RIGHT IN THE MANUAL! Quote: The sockets on the back of the VCR labelled 'OUT' are the ones you want. Those on the front are always input only (to make it easy to connect say a camera or games console without having to pull the unit off the shelf), so ignore those. Quote: For your location, you should make sure all the switches on the bottom of the unit are set to OFF. If you need to change any switches, make sure you disconnect the firewire cable to remove power from the unit first.
Me: This is useful information I couldn't have known. I think the iMovie manual is digital, not printed-so instructions can't be checked while working unless printed out. I do seem to remember printing certain parts. ASTONISHMENT, SHOCK, AMAZEMENT, DELIGHT!!!! ON ONLY THE SECOND TRY!!!!! (The first try, I had everything connected correctly, but forgot to click 'Import.'
So it played, but didn't save.) THANKS FOR THE VALUABLE INFORMATION!!!!!!! I don't know what version of iMovie you're using, but I think up through Version 6 you will see a bunch of empty panes on the right side of the iMovie window. When you start capturing video into iMovie, you will see those panes start filling up with video. If the panes remain empty, then you are not capturing anything. I remember a couple of times letting my Canopus run for a long time after I clicked Import in iMovie, and then discovering later I hadn't captured anything. The clue, that I missed, was that there was nothing appearing in iMovie's capture panes when I thought it was capturing.
I use iMovie version 4 because it has all the old editing controls that were eliminated from later versions of iMovie (it was dumbed down), and also because version 4 can flush unwanted video off your hard drive, to regain storage space. How this works is that once you have edited out unwanted footage, it goes into the iMovie Trash, and then you can Empty the Trash, and the discarded video is eliminated, and you regain the space on your hard drive. This is called 'destructive editing,' and it is desirable to me for that reason. In later versions of iMovie, you can edit video out of your project, but it remains on your hard drive, taking up valuable room. As to getting iMovie onto the Dock, just locate the iMovie program on your hard drive, wherever it might be (usually in the Applications folder), and just drag its icon to the dock, where it will remain. The program itself will not move, but its icon will then be on the Dock for easy launching.
![Canopus advc 110 software mac Canopus advc 110 software mac](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125445888/294341490.png)
If you get serious about video editing, you will eventually abandon iMovie and move up to some flavor of Final Cut, such as Final Cut Express (the light version). Even Express makes iMovie look like a child's toy, and you will get much more professional looking videos with it.