Canon XH A1 as a deck at DVinfo.net

Pavel Tomanec · October 18th, 2009, 09:53 PM

Hi,

I tried to print to video from Final Cut into the camera. Somehow I did not get the settings right. It was set to Manual mode and the camera would not record onto the tape. I think there was no communication with FCP.

Is there a way to get this running fine?

Many thanks.

Kind regards,
Pavel

Chris Soucy · October 19th, 2009, 12:10 AM

VCR mode, not Manual.

CS

Pavel Tomanec · October 19th, 2009, 05:50 AM

Thanks Chris, it seems this will be Canon's issue. I can't get signal into the camera even in VCR mode, just blue screen remains there. I tried to play with different settings - nothing helped.

Interestingly, today as I was capturing different material from my other camera, an older Panasonic, I left it in VCR mode, then moved cursor onto the timeline in FCP and the picture immediately appeared on the Panasonic's LCD. (same FW cable as used for Canon)

Hmm, what to do ... send to repair facility I would guess.

Pavel

Allan Black · October 19th, 2009, 03:27 PM

The DV tape tab wasn't set to SAFE was it?

Cheers.

Kevin Lewis · October 19th, 2009, 06:41 PM

I think its just a setting either in the camera or the editing software. I've only tried to print to tape on the XHA1 one time. I was unsuccessful and had a similar problem. It was'nt a big deal because I was just playing around withthe camera. I dint spend anytime trying to figure it out. I'm also fairly certain that i've seen a similar post ont he fourm before about this.

Pavel Tomanec · October 20th, 2009, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allan Black

The DV tape tab wasn't set to SAFE was it?

Cheers.

Nope, a brand new tape is used. The problem is that the picture does not appear on the Canon's LCD at all. Sequence settings and all that has been checked and experimented with.

Pavel Tomanec · October 20th, 2009, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Lewis

I think its just a setting either in the camera or the editing software. I've only tried to print to tape on the XHA1 one time. I was unsuccessful and had a similar problem. It was'nt a big deal because I was just playing around withthe camera. I dint spend anytime trying to figure it out. I'm also fairly certain that i've seen a similar post ont he fourm before about this.

I agree. What strucks me that the old Panasonic works fine, but the Canon does not. It is HDV project so I can't use the Panasonic as a deck.

Thanks.
Pavel

Pavel Tomanec · October 20th, 2009, 07:18 AM

Ok, I found the thread

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/what-hap...rint-tape.html

I deals with Vegas issues. I remember in 2002-3 I printed SD project from Vegas to Canon GL without problem.

Anyhow, after reading the thread I managed to get picture onto the Canon LCD (select View / Apple Fire Wire PAL) only in PAL resolution. Also I had to change in sequence settings Square pixel aspect ratio and turn on Anamorphic to get correct aspect on the Canon's LCD.

Now I wonder since the FireWire preview is only available in PAL would the film by printed in HDV?

Thanks a lot.
Pavel

Pavel Tomanec · October 20th, 2009, 08:05 AM

Here are additional info from Capturing HDV Into ProRes Via FireWire | Moviola ? Training for Avid, Apple & Adobe | Production & Post Production Rentals & Sales | Los Angeles, Hollywood, Burbank
in relation to ProRes, but addresses also some of the Print to Video / Tape output possibilities.

Quote:

Outputting To HDV Tape from FCP:

Even if you capture and edit your HDV as ProRes, you can still output to HDV tape. Just like native HDV, your only option for recording back to HDV tape is to go to the File menu and choose Print to Video. If you do need to go back to HDV tape, be aware that the video will need to be conformed back into HDV, which could take a pretty long time depending on the length and complexity of your sequence. This conform will happen automatically when you choose Print to Video.

I rendered out the entire piece (1920x1080) ProRes (LT), made a new sequence for it imported in to FCP and now printing to HDV video.

Anyway, I will do my best and share it here.

Regards,
Pavel

Pavel Tomanec · October 20th, 2009, 09:39 AM

Hello,

no luck so far. Is there anyone who managed to output HDV signal to Video from FCP to XH A1 successfully around?

Many, many thanks.

Pavel Tomanec · October 21st, 2009, 04:49 AM

Found another thread here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xh...video-hdv.html

Still no luck ...

Seems this post is becoming a monologue. :-)

Would anyone share their wisdom please?

Thanks again.

Pavel Tomanec · October 21st, 2009, 07:49 AM

Ok, got it running - I followed these instructions. They are simplified for use with XH A1 and FCS3:

1) Turn on your XH A1, with NO firewire cable connected, make sure the following is selected:

PLAYBACK STD: HDV
AV to DV:OFF
HD DOWN-CONV:OFF

2) Then connect a firewire cable between your XH A1 and your Mac

3) Start FCP

4) Go to Final Cut Pro menu, select Easy Setup, Select HDV 1080i60/i50

5) Go to A/V Settings and select the following:

Sequence - HDV 1080i60/i50
Capture - HDV
Device Control - HDV Firewire Basic

After the footage was conformed to HDV I did get preview on the Canon's LCD.

Be careful here, you must first press REC+PAUSE on the camcorder and then quickly press "OK" in FCP to begin the Print To Video process.

NOTE: The sequence setting must be set to 1440x1080. HDVi50
compressor, it will not work with HDVp25.

My last question would be should I set the sequence field order to Upper or None?

Hope this helps & thanks for tolerating my ignorance.
Pavel.

Pavel Tomanec · October 21st, 2009, 10:29 AM

Ok, quick update.

Once I got all tests running fine, in hopes I loaded the master sequence and begun the print. But after while FCP's conforming made complain that I don't have sufficient hardware to render at requested quality and bit depth, because of 'Looks' plug in.

Oh, well. I tried.

Pavel Tomanec · October 31st, 2009, 05:46 AM

If you have gone all the way here with your reading I congratulate you.
Why?

Because I finally managed to print to video smoothly.

Here is the recipe:

Firstly export the entire colour graded project with effects, etc. into a self-contained movie if you work with HDV. Then load the movie file into FCP7, place onto a new sequence, affirm the settings (see attachment on the exact sequence setting).

And then happily print the movie onto the tape via firewire and with preview on XH A1 LCD.

The quality is great and because it is interlaced I imagine the content will be viewable on many decks including Sony ones.

Hope this helps any other DVInfo friend if one needs to print to video their the beloved movie project onto MiniDV in HDV format using Canon XH A1 as a deck.

Kind regards,
Pavel

Ilene Cutler · December 13th, 2012, 10:08 AM

Thank you Pavel for continuing to problem solve this issue oh so long ago. I am struggling with it today but may just switch gears to a different camera. It should not be so hard! I have changed the settings to match up etc. It finally starts to record on my camera then stops and refers to the output connection or something like that. Way too frustrating.
Will seek out a borrowed panasonic camera. But thank you for all you posted. Does anyone have an update that might be useful?

October 18th, 2009, 09:53 PM	#1
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Canon XH A1 as a deck Hi, I tried to print to video from Final Cut into the camera. Somehow I did not get the settings right. It was set to Manual mode and the camera would not record onto the tape. I think there was no communication with FCP. Is there a way to get this running fine? Many thanks. Kind regards, Pavel __________________ The fish is the last to know the water. Last edited by Pavel Tomanec; October 18th, 2009 at 10:09 PM. Reason: grammar

October 19th, 2009, 12:10 AM	#2
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,691 Images: 18	Hi Pavel.............. VCR mode, not Manual. CS

October 19th, 2009, 05:50 AM	#3
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Probably camera problem Thanks Chris, it seems this will be Canon's issue. I can't get signal into the camera even in VCR mode, just blue screen remains there. I tried to play with different settings - nothing helped. Interestingly, today as I was capturing different material from my other camera, an older Panasonic, I left it in VCR mode, then moved cursor onto the timeline in FCP and the picture immediately appeared on the Panasonic's LCD. (same FW cable as used for Canon) Hmm, what to do ... send to repair facility I would guess. Pavel __________________ The fish is the last to know the water.

October 19th, 2009, 03:27 PM	#4
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,929	The DV tape tab wasn't set to SAFE was it? Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

October 20th, 2009, 07:18 AM	#8
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Some good News Ok, I found the thread http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/what-hap...rint-tape.html I deals with Vegas issues. I remember in 2002-3 I printed SD project from Vegas to Canon GL without problem. Anyhow, after reading the thread I managed to get picture onto the Canon LCD (select View / Apple Fire Wire PAL) only in PAL resolution. Also I had to change in sequence settings Square pixel aspect ratio and turn on Anamorphic to get correct aspect on the Canon's LCD. Now I wonder since the FireWire preview is only available in PAL would the film by printed in HDV? Thanks a lot. Pavel __________________ The fish is the last to know the water.

October 19th, 2009, 06:41 PM	#5
Kevin Lewis Major Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Philadelphia, pa Posts: 705	I think its just a setting either in the camera or the editing software. I've only tried to print to tape on the XHA1 one time. I was unsuccessful and had a similar problem. It was'nt a big deal because I was just playing around withthe camera. I dint spend anytime trying to figure it out. I'm also fairly certain that i've seen a similar post ont he fourm before about this.

October 20th, 2009, 08:05 AM	#9
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Research Here are additional info from Capturing HDV Into ProRes Via FireWire \| Moviola ? Training for Avid, Apple & Adobe \| Production & Post Production Rentals & Sales \| Los Angeles, Hollywood, Burbank in relation to ProRes, but addresses also some of the Print to Video / Tape output possibilities. Quote: Outputting To HDV Tape from FCP: Even if you capture and edit your HDV as ProRes, you can still output to HDV tape. Just like native HDV, your only option for recording back to HDV tape is to go to the File menu and choose Print to Video. If you do need to go back to HDV tape, be aware that the video will need to be conformed back into HDV, which could take a pretty long time depending on the length and complexity of your sequence. This conform will happen automatically when you choose Print to Video. I rendered out the entire piece (1920x1080) ProRes (LT), made a new sequence for it imported in to FCP and now printing to HDV video. Anyway, I will do my best and share it here. Regards, Pavel __________________ The fish is the last to know the water.

October 20th, 2009, 09:39 AM	#10
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	No LUCK :-( Hello, no luck so far. Is there anyone who managed to output HDV signal to Video from FCP to XH A1 successfully around? Many, many thanks. __________________ The fish is the last to know the water.

October 21st, 2009, 04:49 AM	#11
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Found another thread here: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xh...video-hdv.html Still no luck ... Seems this post is becoming a monologue. :-) Would anyone share their wisdom please? Thanks again. __________________ The fish is the last to know the water. Last edited by Pavel Tomanec; October 21st, 2009 at 05:56 AM.

October 21st, 2009, 07:49 AM	#12
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Print to Video HDV to Canon XH A1 from FCS3 Ok, got it running - I followed these instructions. They are simplified for use with XH A1 and FCS3: 1) Turn on your XH A1, with NO firewire cable connected, make sure the following is selected: PLAYBACK STD: HDV AV to DV:OFF HD DOWN-CONV:OFF 2) Then connect a firewire cable between your XH A1 and your Mac 3) Start FCP 4) Go to Final Cut Pro menu, select Easy Setup, Select HDV 1080i60/i50 5) Go to A/V Settings and select the following: Sequence - HDV 1080i60/i50 Capture - HDV Device Control - HDV Firewire Basic After the footage was conformed to HDV I did get preview on the Canon's LCD. Be careful here, you must first press REC+PAUSE on the camcorder and then quickly press "OK" in FCP to begin the Print To Video process. NOTE: The sequence setting must be set to 1440x1080. HDVi50 compressor, it will not work with HDVp25. My last question would be should I set the sequence field order to Upper or None? Hope this helps & thanks for tolerating my ignorance. Pavel. __________________ The fish is the last to know the water.

October 21st, 2009, 10:29 AM	#13
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	All over Ok, quick update. Once I got all tests running fine, in hopes I loaded the master sequence and begun the print. But after while FCP's conforming made complain that I don't have sufficient hardware to render at requested quality and bit depth, because of 'Looks' plug in. Oh, well. I tried. __________________ The fish is the last to know the water. Last edited by Pavel Tomanec; October 21st, 2009 at 11:30 AM.

October 31st, 2009, 05:46 AM	#14
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Now the good news If you have gone all the way here with your reading I congratulate you. Why? Because I finally managed to print to video smoothly. Here is the recipe: Firstly export the entire colour graded project with effects, etc. into a self-contained movie if you work with HDV. Then load the movie file into FCP7, place onto a new sequence, affirm the settings (see attachment on the exact sequence setting). And then happily print the movie onto the tape via firewire and with preview on XH A1 LCD. The quality is great and because it is interlaced I imagine the content will be viewable on many decks including Sony ones. Hope this helps any other DVInfo friend if one needs to print to video their the beloved movie project onto MiniDV in HDV format using Canon XH A1 as a deck. Kind regards, Pavel Attached Thumbnails __________________ The fish is the last to know the water.

December 13th, 2012, 10:08 AM	#15
Ilene Cutler Tourist Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: High Falls, NY Posts: 1	Re: Canon XH A1 as a deck Thank you Pavel for continuing to problem solve this issue oh so long ago. I am struggling with it today but may just switch gears to a different camera. It should not be so hard! I have changed the settings to match up etc. It finally starts to record on my camera then stops and refers to the output connection or something like that. Way too frustrating. Will seek out a borrowed panasonic camera. But thank you for all you posted. Does anyone have an update that might be useful?