Hello from Austria!

As a quite new user of XL1 I have a problem with the timecode. The manual says cassettes should not be stored in the camera - of course. If doing so every time the cassette is inserted the timecode starts new. So it is not possible to get a consistent timecode which I need for batch-capturing. With my old Sony-camera it was possible to write a new timecode after "exposure" of the whole cassette. This feature I cannot find on XL1.
Is there a function I haven't seen so far?
Thanks for any help.

ch3cooh

Every time you take the cassette out a new timecode will be generate *EXCEPT* when you back up the tape to a valid t/c. The easy way of doing this is via the record review button on the left side of the cam. You will only need to do this when you remove a tape, or possibly after the heads unload when the cam drops into standby mode.

Standard technique is to do both a pre and post roll on the tape. This makes tape editing easier as well as locating a valid t/c. Using record review you look into the EVF until a valid t/c is displayed. The cam detects the valid and resumes the t/c count from there.

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Now Chris likes asking questions to the group, so here's one.

You have a tape with a bunch of different t/cs on it. How do you fix it? [psst...there is more than one method!]

Nathan Gifford
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Thanks Nathan!

Would you please give me also an answer to your own question so I can go on capturing my tape?

Horst

The school solution in the past has been to do a firewire copy to another machine. This results in a unified timecode.

What are the other solutions? Do they effect the audio, video, or data code on the tape?

You are right and it is the simplest solution to record between to firewire devices. However, you can just capture the entire tape to your computer, letting it ignore t/c, and then record it back to the cam.

So I guess, since a computer is also a *firewire device* maybe there is only one method ;-)

Nathan Gifford

Hi all,

there's another way - simply pre-stripe all your tapes. Just record the tape end to end with colour bars and then wehn you record over it you'll always have timecode no matter what you do.

Take care,
Chris

I tried pre-striping, but its more trouble than its worth.

Nathan Gifford

Nathan,

I'm not sure how... (you found it to be more trouble than it's worth).

Just load a tape (I'll do it sometimes while I'm editing) and let it run. Forget about it. If you want, set an alarm for 65mins, change tapes and go again. I'll admit it's a bit of a pain the first couple of times, but once you get used to it (and once you can do great EDLs and batch digitises) you'll wonder how you ever got by before!

Take care,
Chris

Consider that prestriping adds wear on the heads. YOU can avoid he need by developing good shooting habits.

Also some folks have reported playback probems with some camcorders with incomplete erasure when recording over a previously recorded tape.

I have found that some NLE systems, especially Pinnacle's DV500 and from what I have heard Canopus's DV Raptor have trouble scanning a tape unless it has a continuous time code. With the DV500 it return and error of "No Time Code Found" and aborts tape scan.

I stripe all my tapes and it is a standard DV practise for NLE compatability

I do not prestripe because of the incomplete erasure problem. Good shooting techniques have elminated problems associated with discontinuous t/cs.

Nathan Gifford

I'm with Nathan -- I don't pre-stripe either; I don't see the need. All you have to do in order to maintain consistent timecode after powering down or removing the cassette, is use the "rec search minus" button to back up the tape a few frames. Once you pick up a few frames of previously recorded video, the timecode resumes from that point.

Good, diligent shooting habits will prevent timecode breaks from ever occuring. Frankly I would consider timecode breaks to be a result of operator error -- the mechanisms are there to prevent it from happening. It's up to you to actually use the "rec search minus" button -- the camera won't do it for you. These buttons (rec search minus, rec search plus) are found on the camera body, the wireless remote, and VariZoom and Canon remote controllers. It couldn't be any easier!

;-)

In fact, the only time I've ever encountered a time code break, even if reinserting a tape after removing it from the camcorder, is if the tape inquestin has been played back somewhere before the problem recording session!

This is sort of a related question. I'm getting ready to post a documentary. I'll be using a JVC BR-DV600 as the source deck for a Media 100 LX-that's how I'll do the offline. I don't want to use the original tapes, naturally, so I thought I'd make a copy from the XL1 to the JVC. Problem is, I can't figure out how to make the time code on the copy exactly the same as the original. Can anyone help me on this? I've tried everything I can think of, including using firewire, but I can't make it work. Thanks