Google Chrome True Story

Just a true story, real work-world warning about installing the Google Chrome browser on an FCPX system. I had my annual doctor's appointment this morning, and it was done with online video. Their system only works with Chrome on a Mac, so I installed it.

Afterward, I clocked in for work, I'm mostly home now so I got to work on my iMac Pro and FCPX to get a ton of work done. I found I had clips changing durations. I had templates not showing proper content. I had things changing DRASTICALLY as I switched from one Project timeline to another. WHOA! IT WAS FREAKING ME OUT, MAN! SUPERBAD TRIP, MAN!

I started troubleshooting. Eventually, I opened preferences and saw a Chrome webcam plugin listed in my external monitor preference, and I could not turn it off. Realizing I'd read a lot about Chrome being horribly coded for the Mac, I quit, uninstalled Chrome totally (app, support files, etc) and rebooted my Mac (the reboot is vital).

Now, I'm running full speed ahead. I guess I know why Motion was crashing on me a lot this morning, also. I HATE Chrome! UNINSTALL IT IF YOU HAVE IT!!!!!

I also have iMac Pro and FCPX and have Chrome, but no such issues. Where did you see the Chrome webcam entry? I can't find that either in System Preferences or FCP Preferences. I've looked in Chrome Preferences and it had Allow Camera access - Ask before allowing.

I am normally vey security conscious and have BitDefender, Cookie 5 and Little Snitch, as well as CleanMy Mac X, protecting my system.

So where can the Chrome webcam be found?

Sorry for being a bit dim, but I don't understand your response. Where is A/V Output??? What program and what setting does this show up in?

FCPX Preferences

I see, thanks. Mine says "None Found". I guess I am ok then. See if anyone else responds.

Chrome is poorly behaved and can saturate the MacOS VideoToolBox framework, causing FCPX to unpredictably hang or crash. This is random and unpredictable, so it may work OK for periods then hang, crash or behave oddly.

That is actually a minor problem by Chrome standards. Last year a Chrome installer data corruption bug rendered many Macs unbootable and shut down production of various TV shows: variety.com/2019/digital/news/mac-pro-av...keystone-1203348549/

Is the Chrome VideoToolBox problem fixed on the latest version of Chrome? Does it only affect certain versions of MacOS? If fixed today will a future Chrome regression cause it to happen again? I personally do not intend to find out.

Although I have Chrome installed I don't use it except in very rare situations. I use Brave browser instead.

Brave is based on the same underlying Chromium code. If that works for you, OK. If you ever have any performance, stability or reliability issue with FCPX I'd suggest temporarily not running Chrome OR any browser based on Chromium - at least until you verify there is no impact.