Final Cut Pro HD 4.5 Compatibility
Can the latest DeckLink drivers be used with Final Cut Pro HD 4.5?
All DeckLink cards take advantage of the new features in Final Cut Pro 5.1 and we highly recommend that users of earlier versions upgrade to Final Cut Pro 5.1 or newer.
If you are still using Final Cut Pro HD 4.5, then the newest drivers which can be used are DeckLink 4.8.1. These drivers were last tested with Mac OS X 10.3.8 and QuickTime 6.5.2 on a dual-processor PowerMac G4/800 MHz system or faster, and also on PCI-X based PowerMac G5's.
DeckLink 4.8.1 drivers supported the following cards: DeckLink, DeckLink Pro, DeckLink SP, DeckLink Extreme, DeckLink HD, DeckLink HD Plus, DeckLink HD Pro 4:2:2 and DeckLink HD Pro 4:4:4.
Final Cut Pro HD 4.5 and Mac OS X 10.3 are quite old and DeckLink driver support is no longer officially provided for these old versions.
Currently supported Final Cut Pro configuations are documented here.
Following are the final DeckLink support notes written in relation to Final Cut Pro HD 4.5 and Mac OS X 10.3 Panther.
MAC OS X 10.3 PANTHER, POWERMAC G4 & G5 CONFIGURATION
• We recommend the following software versions be used together: Mac OS X 10.3.8, Final Cut Pro HD v4.5, QuickTime 6.5.2 and DeckLink v4.8.1 drivers. Software versions can be found by following these steps.
• A dual-processor PowerMac G4/800 MHz, or faster, with 512 MB of RAM is required. Dual G4 processors are mandatory. Standard Definition only is supported with PowerMac G4's. High definition requires the use of a PowerMac G5 with PCI-X slots.
• Any PowerMac G5 with PCI-X slots will support either standard definition or high definition DeckLink cards. We recommend at least 1 GB or RAM for SDTV and 1.5 GB for HDTV. PCI-X slots can usually be found in the "better" and "best" models of series of PowerMac G5's. "To determine whether your computer has PCI or PCI-X slots, read the ID label, which is located on the side of the computer at the bottom under the air deflector. Your computer's ID label tells you what hardware configuration you have. If your computer has PCI-X slots it will be listed here. If you don't see "PCI-X" your computer has PCI slots.
You can also identify your G5 model by the number of DIMM slots. Computers with 4 DIMM slots have 33 MHz PCI slots; computers with 8 DIMM slots have 100 and 133 MHz PCI-X slots."
PERIPHERAL HARDWARE
• Please see our detailed support notes regarding disk arrays for uncompressed SD and HD video.
• An additional RS-422 serial option is not required for deck control on DeckLink systems, as the serial port is built in to the card.
• Some very old, or entry level, decks only provide RS-232 deck control. RS-232 deck control solutions can be used with DeckLink cards.
INCOMPATIBLE CONFIGURATIONS
The following configurations should not be used with DeckLink systems.
• Single-processor G4/867 MHz, G4/933 MHz or G4/1.0 GHz PowerMacs are not an adequate alternative to a dual-processor PowerMac G4/800 MHz or faster, even though the clock speed may be higher.
• PowerMac G5's with 33 MHz PCI slots should not be used with DeckLink cards. Please review the latest compatibility information regarding G5's with 33 MHz PCI slots.
• Processor upgrade cards cannot be used. It is necessary to use a PowerMac which meets the minimum system requirements in an unmodified state. Do not use processor upgrade cards with a PowerMac which already meets the minimum system requirements.
• Mac OS X 10.3.9 is not supported. We encourage the use of Mac OS X 10.3.8 or else upgrade to Mac OS X 10.4. Anyone with an earlier version of a Mac OS X 10.3.x installation DVD can update using the Mac OS X 10.3.8 Combo updater from Apple.
• Unshielded graphics cards should be avoided when using a PowerMac G5 and a DeckLink card with analog connections. Unshielded AGP graphics cards have been found to cause electromagnetic interference with nearby analog components and this can lead to the output of interference patterns in analog video. More detailed information is available in this support note.
• Adaptec SCSI cards should not be used as Adaptec has discontinued development of drivers for Mac OS X.
Ask Adaptec: "search by" Answer ID 11052Please note that this support note no longer seems to be present in Adaptec's support pages."Adaptec is no longer developing SCSI drivers for the Mac OS. Technical support is available for those products still in their complimentary support period; however, there will be no new SCSI drivers, firmware, or patches available."
