Video Output Devices Supported by Echo Fire 2.1 for Macintosh

Echo Fire for Macintosh supports a variety of video output devices. In addition to its support of QuickTime Video Output components, it also includes support for specific video cards via built-in drivers.

If you test a video device supported by a Video Output Component (VOUT) and it works with Echo Fire, please let us know at support@synthetic-ap.com so we can publish the information.

Mac OS 9.x

The following video output devices have been tested by Synthetic Aperture under Mac OS 9 and are certified to work. Also noted is the software version that Echo Fire has been tested against.

• Apple FireWire NTSC/PAL with Apple DV codec (v4.1 and later).
• Apple FireWire NTSC/PAL with ProMax DV Toolkit codec (v3.0.1).
• Aurora Video Systems Igniter (v2.0.1, v2.1, v3.0.4, v3.1.5).
• Aurora Video Systems Fuse (v1.8.3, v2.0.1).
• Digital Origin/Radius SoftDV using LiveDV (1.6.1, 2.0).
• Digital Voodoo D1 Desktop (v4.5, v4.9).
• Digital Voodoo D1 Desktop 64 and 64AV (v4.5, v4.9, v5.0, v5.1).
• Media 100 Vincent 601/P6000 (v5.0 and later).
• Pinnacle Targa 1000 and 2000 (v3.1).
• Pinnacle CineWave (1.1, 1.2).

The following video output devices have been tested by users of Echo Fire and reported to work, but have not been tested by Synthetic Aperture:

• Accom StrataSphere.
• Media 100 Vincent TM.

The following video output devices are known to have incompatibilities with Echo Fire:

• Pinnacle Cinewave v2.1 and later.

Mac OS X

We are currently qualifying devices under Mac OS X 10.3 as they are released by the board manufacturers. This is a rapidly evolving situation and we will be updating this list as we complete our testing.

• AJA Io (v1.0r1)
• AJA Kona-SD w/ Blackmagic RGB codecs (v2.1).
• Apple FireWire NTSC/PAL with Apple DV codec.
• Aurora Igniter (v5.0).
• Blackmagic Design DeckLink (v2.4).
• Digital Voodoo D1 Desktop 64/64AV/Lite & Iridium SD/AV (v6.0).
• Media 100 (v8.1).
• Pinnacle Cinewave (v4.0.3).

FireWire Compatibility - Macintosh

Echo Fire for Macintosh uses the Apple FireWire Video Output Component (VOUT) to communicate with the FireWire bus. Echo Fire therefore relies on that VOUT for much of its compatibility with FireWire devices. Echo Fire works with both Apple's built-in FireWire ports as well as add on FireWire PCI and PC cards.

Echo Fire for Macintosh requires FireWire 2.1 or later software from Apple. Note that Mac OS 8.6 by default installs FireWire 2.0 which is not compatible with Echo Fire.

Echo Fire for Macintosh also supports the Radius/Digital Origin SoftDV codec, providing that you disable the QuickTime FireWire DV Enabler extension and enable the LiveDV feature of the SoftDV codec.

Most compatibility issues with applications and FireWire devices have revolved around device control commands. Because it does not currently use device control commands, Echo Fire is immune to those issues and thus works with all DV devices tested so far, including devices that give other applications problems.

Echo Fire does not currently support most DVCPro devices due to Panasonic's non-standard DV protocol requirements on the FireWire connection. Some of the newer Panasonic DVCPro VTRs include the option of selecting standard "Blue Book" FireWire protocol instead of the proprietary Panasonic protocol. Such devices will work with Echo Fire when the standard protocol is enabled.

FireWire Compatibility - Windows

Echo Fire for Windows uses the standard Microsoft DirectShow OHCI FireWire drivers and codec. FireWire boards which require different drivers or codecs will probably not work with Echo Fire.

Most compatibility issues with applications and FireWire devices have revolved around device control commands. Because it does not currently use device control commands, Echo Fire is immune to those issues and thus works with all DV devices tested so far, including devices that give other applications problems.

Echo Fire does not currently support most DVCPro devices due to Panasonic's non-standard DV protocol requirements on the FireWire connection. Some of the newer Panasonic DVCPro VTRs include the option of selecting standard "Blue Book" FireWire protocol instead of the proprietary Panasonic protocol. Such devices will work with Echo Fire when the standard protocol is enabled.