When I first got the Z7 and MRC1, everything was perfect. One of my first jobs was recording a 60 minute lecture. Everything worked perfectly. I imported the footage into CS3, dragged the 3 clips down to the timeline. The video and audio were perfect. Happy camper.... But then I started having numerous recording problems, particularly with 2 Transcend 16g 300x cards. Blocky patterns in recorded data, format errors, blank screen, missing timecode. All kinds of problems. In an effort to figure out what was going on, in the last week, I have spent numerous hours recording test footage intermixed with doing customer pay jobs. I finally started to notice what I thought was a pattern. If I formatted the CF card in my computer, I was pretty much guaranteed to have a problem. If I format in the camera, I seldom have a problem. Has anyone else noticed anything like this? What do I need to do to never have a problem?

And now I also have another problem. No matter what I do on long programs that exceed the FAT32 4gig length, I get an audio gap that ranges from 3 frames to 23 frames in duration at the end of the out-going cut. The video looks perfect. That missing audio gap really screws things up. It is certainly disappointing considering that it worked so perfectly the first time. I am beginning to think it is something I am causing. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I don't know about the audio problem, but the manual is very clear that you're supposed to format the card in the recorder, not the PC. Pages 6, 24, 25, 27.

No matter what I do on long programs that exceed the FAT32 4gig length, I get an audio gap that ranges from 3 frames to 23 frames in duration at the end of the out-going cut. The video looks perfect. That missing audio gap really screws things up. It is certainly disappointing considering that it worked so perfectly the first time. I am beginning to think it is something I am causing. Any suggestions would be helpful.

If you take a look at this thread:

Awesome news for canon users - Page 9 - The Digital Video Information Network (http://tinyurl.com/dc657n)

About halfway down the page, post number 324, there's reference to a Sony program - free download - that recombines 4GB files from the MRC1K with no audio loss.

Regards
Dave

You can download the Sony Recording unit utility from here:

Sony : Sony Recording Unit Utility Software : United Kingdom (http://www.sony.co.uk/biz/view/ShowContent.action?product=HVR-DR60&site=biz_en_GB&category=HDVVTRs&contentId=1198162909729&sectiontype=Product&preserveContext=true)

Stelios

As others have already noted, you should format the cards within the recorder in order to avoid any recording issues, and the audio sync issue can be solved using Sony's software (or, if you're on a mac, another program known as ClipWrap is also supposed to do the job).

Anyway, aside from your technical issues, I'm curious as to your recording style. I'm a sophomore in high school and I constantly drool over the z7u and other great cameras like it. The only problem is that I feel like I would really have to have multiple cameras and a crew of at least one more person in order to effectively record live events (although I do have an HV20 and HDR-HC1 right now, which I use pretty frequently).

Anyway, do you find yourself shooting live events solo with the z7u? If so, how do you avoid making them boring?

Re: formatting cards. Adam, I guess I should read the manual. What an interesting concept. I just hate reading. ADD strikes and I have a hard time learning from reading. As you may have already noticed. My bad. Thanks.

Re: Sony software utility. I downloaded it but now I need some clips to try it out. But I still don't understand why it worked perfectly without it at first and now I am having problems. I sure hope this cures it.

Thanks for the help guys. I will let post if it works.

Anyway, do you find yourself shooting live events solo with the z7u? If so, how do you avoid making them boring?

Glenn, I generally don't shoot stage performances, if that is what you mean. I have recorded some lectures for a local University. I don't know if there is anyway to make them less boring. Actually, in my case I think it depends on the speakers. Some are extremely fascinating, so boredom is not an issue. I had the pleasure of taping Dr. Sylvia Earle (you can do a google search) and her enthusiasm was so infectous, I was ready to go back to school right then. I shoot the lectures with one camera. Other than that, I am mainly using the Z7 for commercial footage. One camera is the norm for that. I have been using tape and CF card for all shoots, just to make sure I have good footage.

I did tape a live performance of a C&W singer, once upon a time. We used 4 cameras for that shoot. That was back before HD.

Ah, alright, thanks Greg. That satisfies my curiosity. :)

I ran 2 clips through the Sony utility. It did load both pieces on the timeline with a single click and drag but the gap in the audio was identical to what I had before. Hmmmm.

I actually assumed you were already using this utility before you posted because it's mentioned in the... um... never mind.

But curious as to how this works out as I'm considering the MRC1K for doing long stage shows without an act break for changing tapes... I'd be really irritated if I bought four of them and found we couldn't stitch the clips together properly.

Please let us know if you get this resolved.

The only problem is that I feel like I would really have to have multiple cameras and a crew of at least one more person in order to effectively record live events (although I do have an HV20 and HDR-HC1 right now, which I use pretty frequently).

Anyway, do you find yourself shooting live events solo with the z7u? If so, how do you avoid making them boring?I run the Advanced Video Production Unit at the local high school, and we shoot all the live productions in their theatre. We use four cams -- two FX1s and two FX7s. If UPS delivers before tomorrow's matinee, we'll be using two new FX1000s instead of the FX1s.

Multiple cams certainly help. You really do need a change of viewpoint to keep the video from getting boring. People assume that because when you attend a live theatre event, you are sitting stationary in one seat, that the POV in the video doesn't need to change, but that isn't really true. As the action shifts around the stage, your brain sees it as if you are moving around and changing POV as well.

If you are sure you will never distribute in HD or BD at all, you could simply crop and zoom your wider shots to make closer shots in editing. You could zoom in quite a way in post without going below good SD resolution. You could even pan while you crop in your NLE. And if you were to set up your two small cams in different places in the theatre, you could lock one down on a wide shot and make it look as if you had four cams. You'd always have the wide shot to go back to when making a sloppy pan or zoom on the other cam, and could crop and pan from that wide shot as well.

But obviously this doesn't work if you want to keep it in HD. And for ease of editing, you want an NLE that can do multicam editing, like Premiere or Final Cut (assume but not sure Vegas can do this).

Hey Greg--

Any news on this?

Or has anyone else experienced this and/or found a solution?

I haven't had a chance to do any more testing. Maybe I will get a chance to test more on Monday.

I am still having problems. As per everyones input, I am only formatting in the MRC1. I am using the Sony utility for long recordings. I shot a 70 minute lecture the other day and the recording was fine except I still got little glitches at the point where 2 pieces are stitched back together. Today, I was copying some old 8mm films. I was dual recording on tape (thankfully) and the MRC1. I was recording in DV 4x3. On my CS3 timeline, I was getting this intermittant diagonal checker board pattern on footage off of the CF card. And a big audio crunch sound wherever there was a video glitch. And when I tried playing back in the camera, the same thing happened. I decided to test again. This was the first time I had a problem with an 8 gig card. Previously, I had problems with only 16 gig cards. I formatted the card in the camera. I set the camcorder up on a tripod, reset the timecode to 00:00:00:00 and let it record while I was doing other jobs. I went back to check on it later and the time code said 34:12:22. I paused recording. BUT it kind of stopped but not really. The record indicator on the LCD was still on. The tally light was still on. The record light on the MRC1 was still on. But the timecode was no longer advancing. I tried starting recording again but it would not respond at all. After a couple of minutes, I was getting impatient so I turned the power on the camcorder to off (not VCR. I am positive). The viewfinder turned blue but the record light was still on. So then I turned the MRC1 off, itself. I still had a blue screen and the record light. After about 3 minutes everything finally shut off. I turned it back on and the MRC1 displayed "welcome" for about 3 minutes. I turned just the MRC1 off and turned it back on. "Welcome" again for a couple of minutes. Off and on again. This time it went through the normal boot process and it recognized the CF card and was ready to record. I recorded a couple of short clips. By now the time code was showing 37:40:19. And then I noticed that my 8 gig card that will hold approximately 37 minutes is saying it still has 24 minutes left. When you play back the footage, it will freeze frame, give blue screen, time code comes and goes with or without a picture. Arghhhhh.

Greg
What I would do is to try the unit on another PC and see. Just to make sure it's not your computer the problem.

Stelios

Stelios, I doubt that is an issue. I have multiple PC's. But the problems seem to be "in camera" and not related to a computer. Virtually all of the testing I did yesterday was entirely in the camera, I didn't even put it in a PC.

I have even hooked the MRC1 up to another camcorder via firewire. When I did that, sometimes it worked fine, sometimes it would have problems. The only pattern is that there is no pattern, at least that I have found.

When I first got the camera I would occasionally format the CF cards in one of the PC's and I didn't have any problems. Then the problems started. Adam pointed out to me that you were supposed to only format in the MRC1. I started formatting in the MRC1 and it worked fine a couple of times. I was happy to have found the problem. Unfortunately, it probably wasn't the problem since I soon started having issues again. I have never formatted in the PC since then, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference.

My CF cards get pretty hot while recording and I am beginning to wonder if there is a bad solder joint in the MRC1 that starts to cause problems when the MRC1 gets warm. Ironically, I have been able to record 60+ minute programs with no problems, so there is still no real pattern.

Greg, then the only route left then is to call Sony support. It is under guarantee isn't it?

Stelios

Greg, then the only route left then is to call Sony support. It is under guarantee isn't it?

Stelios

No warranty. Second owner..... Sony only warrants it to the original owner.

No warranty. Second owner..... Sony only warrants it to the original owner.

OK but you can still take it and give you a quote to fix it. That's what I would do. Then you will know if the unit is faulty.

Stelios

OK but you can still take it and give you a quote to fix it. That's what I would do. Then you will know if the unit is faulty.

Stelios

Yup. I keep debating over this and hope that I will find out what that one little thing I might be doing that could be causing the problem, but so far, I haven't had success. The problem with sending it to Sony service is that they will charge for looking at it, even if they don't find a problem. And it is something like $250US just to look at it. I think the MRC1 is trying to drive me crazy. It seems like it is more likely to experience a problem if it is a customer pay job. It usually works fine for freebies.

Greg, by any chance are you using the firewire from the MRC-1 to your computer? I remember a post where someone did something to their unit by using it that way. You may need a CF Reader. Also, you may have purchased a faulty unit.

Never mind. I think it was something you posted.

I don't know what CF cards you are using but there is always the possibility it's the cards...

I have a Sony 300x 8gig, 2 - Transcend 300x 16gig and a Sandisk Ultra III 8gig. Unfortunately, at one time or another, I have been able to have problems on all of the cards. It is a very frustrating situation because there is absolutely no pattern of malfunction that I can find. They have all worked just great numerous times when I am testing. And my testing has been done to simulate real world contintions. I will record some long duration programs and I will record lot of short duration test footage and I have even mixed both long and short duration recordings at the same time without turning the camera off. I hate to just keep piling up more hours on the equipment, in order to test. I know I have joked about it before but it seems to be more likely to have a problem when it is a customer pay shoot. Now I fully aware that there is no way that the camera can tell what it is being used for, but it does seem like it sometimes. I am beginning to come to the conclusion that there might be a bad solder joint or something in the MRC1 that looses contact intermitantly and in an unpredictable manner, so there is no pattern.

Greg, have you resolved this issue? I am having the exact same problem. I didn't notice it before because nobody was speaking at that point. It's as if the audio is missing prior to ending the clip. I tried the Sony utility & that did squat. I don't think the joining of the clips is the problem. I am not even missing a frame from the video so rejoining the clips would make no difference.

Not yet, unfortunately. Too many other distractions going on right now to do any testing.

What has happened to this problem? Any resolution?

As a matter of fact, $600 later the problem has been resolved. I sent it to Sony service and a board had to be replaced. I just got it back and got to test it last Friday night and it worked great. Sony did not comment on the cause of the failure but they did send back an "Important Sony i.LINK Installation Information" letter which pointed out that firewire components can be damaged by incorrect installation of firewire cableing. The Reader's Digest version is to turn off both components when connecting units via firewire cable.

...The Reader's Digest version is to turn off both components when connecting units via firewire cable.

What I do Greg is to connect the firewire cable first onto the MRC1 and then switch it ON. When I finish downloading I switch it OFF first and then unplug the firewire cable. I always have the other side of this cable connected to my PC permanently. Touch wood, so far I never had any problem with this unit.

Stelios

Stelios, Sony says to turn the computer off as well as the firewire device. If either is hot, you can do damage. Although they didn't specifically say it, I think it primarily occurs if you try to plug in a 6 pin firewire upside down in relation to the socket.

Stelios, Sony says to turn the computer off as well as the firewire device. If either is hot, you can do damage. Although they didn't specifically say it, I think it primarily occurs if you try to plug in a 6 pin firewire upside down in relation to the socket.

Greg
I can understand that you can do damage it if you plug it the wrong way, but if the MRC1 is OFF and you unplug or plug the one end of the firewire I don't see how you can damage the unit.

Stelios

Greg, have you resolved this issue? I am having the exact same problem. I didn't notice it before because nobody was speaking at that point. It's as if the audio is missing prior to ending the clip. I tried the Sony utility & that did squat. I don't think the joining of the clips is the problem. I am not even missing a frame from the video so rejoining the clips would make no difference.

Rob, I am having a similar problem to what you experienced. Have you figured out what the problem is? At the end of each M2T clip, there are 7 frames of video but no audio. Not a massive issue for projects I edit, but for clients who want unedited copies, I can see it being a little annoying when you have to listen to 7 frames of silence every time the camera stops.

Has anyone else experienced this issue or know of a solution?

Just a quick note on my workflow:Matrox rt.x2 card running with Premiere Pro CS4/CS4 with updated mxtools.

This issue occurs even when editing in a non-Matrox project.

Rich

My resolution was that I sent the unit into Sony service. They determined that there was a board burned out in the MRC1. They could offer no explination as to why the board was damaged but it was not related to the firewire port issue according to Sony. Since it has returned, it has worked as it should with one exception which may not be related to the MRC1. I was on a photo shoot where I would be shooting a ton of photos. To get more photos without dumping cards, I used one of my Transcend 16x cards in my Nikon. When the photo shoot was over, I re-formatted the card in the MRC1. On my next video shoot I had 2 clips that had 1 damaged frame at the end of the clips. Once I dumped the footage, I deleted the clips. The next shoot, I didn't experience any problems.