HM100 recorded interlaced footage when in progressive mode

Keith Moreau · March 22nd, 2010, 11:46 AM

I wanted to recount my experience in getting this problem fixed by JVC. After the fix I don't seem to be experiencing the problem, whereas prior to the fix I was experiencing it all the time.

Craig Yanagi of JVC (he's posted here before) contacted my via email at the end of November expressing his concern for the problem I was having. After going back and forth with him, supplying sample clips, meta info, etc, to him to his technical people, JVC determined that the problem was indeed an inherent problem with the HM100, and that they were actively working on a solution.

After about a month or so Craig told me a fix was ready, and it was a firmware fix that required that my HM100 be sent into the Southern California service center (Cypress) and would take a few days to fix. Apparently this firmware update is not user-installable. Craig was even generous enough to offer a loaner HM100 for me to use while mine was in the shop (unfortunately I experienced the problem even with his loaner unit, but hey, at least I had B camcorder).

The JVC service center fixed it in a couple of days, and while they were at it they looked at my loose LCD hinge and fixed that as well as it was in warranty. They even just sent me a new viewfinder lens protector to replace my scratched one (it was backordered and they just received it.)

Overall, though the initial problem was pretty annoying, and I wasted a lot of time dealing with post-processing the faulty interlaced video to get it to be progressive, I have to say that my experience with Craig and JVC has bee exemplary. Though I have some criticism of the design of the HM100, I cannot fault Craig Yanagi and JVC in owning up to the problem and doing everything they could as fast as they could to address the problem.

I can truthfully say that my customer service experience with JVC regarding this issue rivals the best experiences I've had with any tech company, and Craig and JVC need to be commended for taking care of me and this particular issue with superb attention and professionalism.

I asked Craig if he thought it was ok for me to post my experience, and he said that I should. Hopefully this won't result in a flood of service firmware updates to JVC, but I think that if you think you've experiencing the interlacing problem, you should considering getting the update.

I also want to thank Chris Hurd and DVInfo for providing this forum, I think the posts here resulted in me and my issue getting attention, and I'm grateful to be a part of the DVinfo community.

-Keith Moreau
SilverSpot Media
silverspotmedia.com

Cliff Totten · September 12th, 2010, 06:46 AM

Damn,...I was completely unaware of this thread when I noticed mine having the same problem the other night. (I started a new thread and was told to search to find this one) My cam is was purchased in June, and is running the latest SD card class 10 upgraded firmware,..so I guess I gotta call JVC on Monday.

I noticed the problem is shutter speed dependent. For the interlacing to happen I need to shoot 30P with a shutter set at exactly 1/30th of a second. Any other speed with force the proper progressive sensor readout.

Damn, (again)

CT

Jordan Hooper · September 27th, 2010, 07:49 PM

It's important to note that the "firmware upgrade (Aug 2009)" that is available for download from JVC will not fix this problem.

I spoke with a JVC Canada rep this morning about the issue and was told to ship it to Toronto but he warned me that the upgrade would take more than a week because they have to order the replacement motherboard from Japan.

In Keith Moreau's post above he states, "apparently this firmware update is not user-installable." Thats' because in this case JVC uses "firmware upgrade" to literally mean they have to replace the hardware.

If you own the HM100 it would be wise to test for this behaviour before your warrantee expires. The fix after that time will likely be very expensive. Especially important if you intend to sell the camcorder in the future.

I feel badly for JVC because otherwise their products and service have been great in my experience. This will be a very costly warrantee issue for them.

On the other hand, I bought my HM100 after the problem was acknowledged and they probably should have recalled them immediately for testing and replacement. As it is, I will be without my primary camera and will be forced to rent if necessary, after having spent the money to avoid doing so.

At this point it seems that JVC is placing the onus on the owners to come forward in reporting that their camcorder also has the problem. I don't mean to bad-mouth JVC but it is what it is.

I'm just glad that I didn't have any customer footage or unique events shot at the setting that reproduces the problem, because I easily could have. Whew!

Cliff Totten · September 28th, 2010, 06:46 PM

Thank you Jordan for posting this!

I believe this is an incredibly important issue that all GY HM-100 owners need to watch out for.

I also feel bad for JVC about this. However, I AM very glad that they acknowledge the problem and are fixing under warranty. Bravo JVC!

Mine is going back tomorrow.

CT

Ken Hama · October 18th, 2010, 08:13 AM

I have this problem as well, unfortunately discovered this on a paid gig. I usually shoot 60i but switched to 30p and 1/30 to match a locked off EX1, it was a musical performance so lighting was pretty low.

When I got home and looked at my footage I could not believe what I was seeing - anytime there's movement in the frame jagged lines appear. Footage is pretty much unusable and obviously the performance (2 hours) cannot be re-shot.

Cliff Totten · October 18th, 2010, 05:33 PM

Sorry to hear that Ken,

Yeah,..this is one nasty problem. I'm sure MANY people out there have jacked up 30p footage and don't even know it.

I can tell you that my camera just came back in today from JVC and it HAS been fixed.

I am now running Cam Version 1.11 and 30p @ 1/30 shutter is now looking GREAT!. It's true progressive and no longer has interlaced fields. Finaly!!

JVC needs to announce a recall on this camera so that people are aware!

Ship you cam back to JVC ASAP!

Case closed.

CT

Marty Mulholland · February 8th, 2011, 11:09 PM

aaaah crap!

this just happened on my latest shoot, did it 1080 at 25p, stupid interlaced lines all through it!

i bought my camera from the states, do you think the local JVC guys will fix this?

Ed Szarleta · August 4th, 2011, 10:11 AM

Me too. Thanks for the info.

Gerald Webb · June 10th, 2012, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty Mulholland

aaaah crap!

this just happened on my latest shoot, did it 1080 at 25p, stupid interlaced lines all through it!

i bought my camera from the states, do you think the local JVC guys will fix this?

Hey Marty, did you get this sorted?
And if so, who by?
I bought mine OS as well, when this problem appeared, a while back now, I rang JVC service in Sydney and was told they weren't allowed to touch it. They did give me a number of an independent repair shop, but after speaking to them, they knew nothing about the problem or how to fix it.
I pretty much gave up on getting it fixed. Just stick to 1/50 shutter now, 25 would be nice to have available though.

Mark Sefton · June 10th, 2012, 08:18 AM

I have posted before regarding this issue. I have firmware version 1.10 which came with my JVC GY HM100 when I purchased it in June 2010. This was the latest UK firmware update at the time and solves the interlacing when shooting in progressive issue. Current US versions of the camcorder have 1.11 which also solves this issue.

Please note that you will not be able to download either update. If you are having problems with the interlacing issue you will need to return the camcorder so JVC can update the firmware. Luckily for me I purchased my UK camcorder after JVC were notified of the problem.

Note that this issue was previously addressed by Mark Slocombe (CreationVideo) who posted the following back in September 2010:

''I've just been at JVC hq in London with Mike Turner, the chief engineer. He advised me that there is a software update that eliminates the problem where interlaced frames are recorded whilst shooting in progressive modes. It is a free update to version 1.10. but needs to be done by JVC.''

Like Mark, my camcorder, which obviously had the software update applied a few months before, has CAM Version 1.10. Arm is 1.05 and EEPROM is 052.

Hope this is of help.

Petter Flink · July 26th, 2012, 05:37 PM

I had mine updated 6 months ago by JVCPRO in Sweden.
Excellent service. Droped it off at the local pro dealer after a couple of emails with JVCPRO and picked it up 3-4 days later. Of course free of charge.

March 22nd, 2010, 11:46 AM	#46
Keith Moreau Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane, California Posts: 530	The Solution is a Firmware Update from JVC I wanted to recount my experience in getting this problem fixed by JVC. After the fix I don't seem to be experiencing the problem, whereas prior to the fix I was experiencing it all the time. Craig Yanagi of JVC (he's posted here before) contacted my via email at the end of November expressing his concern for the problem I was having. After going back and forth with him, supplying sample clips, meta info, etc, to him to his technical people, JVC determined that the problem was indeed an inherent problem with the HM100, and that they were actively working on a solution. After about a month or so Craig told me a fix was ready, and it was a firmware fix that required that my HM100 be sent into the Southern California service center (Cypress) and would take a few days to fix. Apparently this firmware update is not user-installable. Craig was even generous enough to offer a loaner HM100 for me to use while mine was in the shop (unfortunately I experienced the problem even with his loaner unit, but hey, at least I had B camcorder). The JVC service center fixed it in a couple of days, and while they were at it they looked at my loose LCD hinge and fixed that as well as it was in warranty. They even just sent me a new viewfinder lens protector to replace my scratched one (it was backordered and they just received it.) Overall, though the initial problem was pretty annoying, and I wasted a lot of time dealing with post-processing the faulty interlaced video to get it to be progressive, I have to say that my experience with Craig and JVC has bee exemplary. Though I have some criticism of the design of the HM100, I cannot fault Craig Yanagi and JVC in owning up to the problem and doing everything they could as fast as they could to address the problem. I can truthfully say that my customer service experience with JVC regarding this issue rivals the best experiences I've had with any tech company, and Craig and JVC need to be commended for taking care of me and this particular issue with superb attention and professionalism. I asked Craig if he thought it was ok for me to post my experience, and he said that I should. Hopefully this won't result in a flood of service firmware updates to JVC, but I think that if you think you've experiencing the interlacing problem, you should considering getting the update. I also want to thank Chris Hurd and DVInfo for providing this forum, I think the posts here resulted in me and my issue getting attention, and I'm grateful to be a part of the DVinfo community. -Keith Moreau SilverSpot Media silverspotmedia.com

September 27th, 2010, 07:49 PM	#48
Jordan Hooper Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vernon, BC. Canada Posts: 111	Update - distinction of "firmware upgrade" It's important to note that the "firmware upgrade (Aug 2009)" that is available for download from JVC will not fix this problem. I spoke with a JVC Canada rep this morning about the issue and was told to ship it to Toronto but he warned me that the upgrade would take more than a week because they have to order the replacement motherboard from Japan. In Keith Moreau's post above he states, "apparently this firmware update is not user-installable." Thats' because in this case JVC uses "firmware upgrade" to literally mean they have to replace the hardware. If you own the HM100 it would be wise to test for this behaviour before your warrantee expires. The fix after that time will likely be very expensive. Especially important if you intend to sell the camcorder in the future. I feel badly for JVC because otherwise their products and service have been great in my experience. This will be a very costly warrantee issue for them. On the other hand, I bought my HM100 after the problem was acknowledged and they probably should have recalled them immediately for testing and replacement. As it is, I will be without my primary camera and will be forced to rent if necessary, after having spent the money to avoid doing so. At this point it seems that JVC is placing the onus on the owners to come forward in reporting that their camcorder also has the problem. I don't mean to bad-mouth JVC but it is what it is. I'm just glad that I didn't have any customer footage or unique events shot at the setting that reproduces the problem, because I easily could have. Whew!

October 18th, 2010, 08:13 AM	#50
Ken Hama Tourist Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4	I have this problem as well, unfortunately discovered this on a paid gig. I usually shoot 60i but switched to 30p and 1/30 to match a locked off EX1, it was a musical performance so lighting was pretty low. When I got home and looked at my footage I could not believe what I was seeing - anytime there's movement in the frame jagged lines appear. Footage is pretty much unusable and obviously the performance (2 hours) cannot be re-shot. Attached Thumbnails

August 4th, 2011, 10:11 AM	#53
Ed Szarleta Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 156	Re: HM100 recorded interlaced footage when in progressive mode Me too. Thanks for the info.

June 10th, 2012, 08:18 AM	#55
Mark Sefton Tourist Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 4	Re: HM100 recorded interlaced footage when in progressive mode I have posted before regarding this issue. I have firmware version 1.10 which came with my JVC GY HM100 when I purchased it in June 2010. This was the latest UK firmware update at the time and solves the interlacing when shooting in progressive issue. Current US versions of the camcorder have 1.11 which also solves this issue. Please note that you will not be able to download either update. If you are having problems with the interlacing issue you will need to return the camcorder so JVC can update the firmware. Luckily for me I purchased my UK camcorder after JVC were notified of the problem. Note that this issue was previously addressed by Mark Slocombe (CreationVideo) who posted the following back in September 2010: ''I've just been at JVC hq in London with Mike Turner, the chief engineer. He advised me that there is a software update that eliminates the problem where interlaced frames are recorded whilst shooting in progressive modes. It is a free update to version 1.10. but needs to be done by JVC.'' Like Mark, my camcorder, which obviously had the software update applied a few months before, has CAM Version 1.10. Arm is 1.05 and EEPROM is 052. Hope this is of help.

September 12th, 2010, 06:46 AM	#47
Cliff Totten Trustee Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 1,197	Damn,...I was completely unaware of this thread when I noticed mine having the same problem the other night. (I started a new thread and was told to search to find this one) My cam is was purchased in June, and is running the latest SD card class 10 upgraded firmware,..so I guess I gotta call JVC on Monday. I noticed the problem is shutter speed dependent. For the interlacing to happen I need to shoot 30P with a shutter set at exactly 1/30th of a second. Any other speed with force the proper progressive sensor readout. Damn, (again) CT

September 28th, 2010, 06:46 PM	#49
Cliff Totten Trustee Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 1,197	Thank you Jordan for posting this! I believe this is an incredibly important issue that all GY HM-100 owners need to watch out for. I also feel bad for JVC about this. However, I AM very glad that they acknowledge the problem and are fixing under warranty. Bravo JVC! Mine is going back tomorrow. CT

October 18th, 2010, 05:33 PM	#51
Cliff Totten Trustee Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 1,197	Sorry to hear that Ken, Yeah,..this is one nasty problem. I'm sure MANY people out there have jacked up 30p footage and don't even know it. I can tell you that my camera just came back in today from JVC and it HAS been fixed. I am now running Cam Version 1.11 and 30p @ 1/30 shutter is now looking GREAT!. It's true progressive and no longer has interlaced fields. Finaly!! JVC needs to announce a recall on this camera so that people are aware! Ship you cam back to JVC ASAP! Case closed. CT

February 8th, 2011, 11:09 PM	#52
Marty Mulholland Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 37	aaaah crap! this just happened on my latest shoot, did it 1080 at 25p, stupid interlaced lines all through it! i bought my camera from the states, do you think the local JVC guys will fix this?

July 26th, 2012, 05:37 PM	#56
Petter Flink Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Sweden Posts: 70	Re: HM100 recorded interlaced footage when in progressive mode I had mine updated 6 months ago by JVCPRO in Sweden. Excellent service. Droped it off at the local pro dealer after a couple of emails with JVCPRO and picked it up 3-4 days later. Of course free of charge.