Avid Cinema requires that the main monitor be set to 16-bit color (Thousands of Colors). These errors are usually caused by trying to record video while the monitor is set to 256 colors. When Avid Cinema launches, it will switch the monitor bit depth to Thousands of Colors if it can, but in some configurations this may not be possible. In these cases, Avid Cinema continues to launch but may generate errors while recording.
For example, if you have a Performa 6400 and an Apple 16-inch RGB Monitor (which has a fixed resolution of 832x624), the 6400 will not be able to drive the monitor at 16-bit color (the 6400 only has 1MB VRAM) and the monitor will only work at 256 colors. The same would be true with any fixed-scan monitor that runs at a resolution larger than 640x480 on a Macintosh that has only 1MB VRAM.
If you are in this situation, you need to upgrade the VRAM to 2MB or more or get a monitor that supports the 640x480 resolution (all Apple Multiple Scan monitors support this resolution). Note: You cannot upgrade the Performa 6400 VRAM past 1MB.