Need some help from you Canon-ites. Have an XLH1 here to use in testing some other equipment, and we cannot get it to output 1394 in VCR mode. Will output live signal fine, but when in VCR mode No dice.

In the VCR menu settings, SIGNAL/PLAYBACK STANDARD is grayed out, as is HD DOWNCONVERT. I assume that this means there is some other setting or switch that is wrong, but the manual is comletely non-informative on the subject and I'm danged if I can find it. Been through every menu setting on both VCR and CAM side and every switch I can find. No dice. Trying to play back an HDV tape recorded on the same unit.

Since I only use Canon cameras once in a blue moon, I'm often bit by some thing like this that probably all Canon afficionados can do in their sleep.

Anyone know what this is? TX in advance.

You cannot preview the camera using firewire if that's what you are trying to do. You can output your finished footage to tape but it won't allow you to view your timeline through firewire as you edit.

You will need a card such as Blackmagic Decklink to preview your timeline on an external monitor. Hey, I'm selling mine if you are interested :)

Thanks for responding, but that's not what I'm trying to do -- trying to output 1394 to computer or (in this case) disk recorder. No dice. Tested on a Mac FCP, PC with PPro2 and the disk recorder.

The menu selections that the manual specifies to set for output to a computer are grayed out.

John,

If you are trying to downconvert, then try this thread:

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=63720

You have to wait till after you set up the menu before plugging in the 1394. I was a little worried about frying the port by plugging in with the power on, but it seems to work.

Good Luck.

Ken

You have to wait till after you set up the menu before plugging in the 1394.


Aha, that was it! This is a Canon-specific quirk - the Sony and JVC products don't do this. Thanks for your help.