Can someone point me in the right direction for a miniDV deck that I can capture off. I can not keep using my xl1s...i think it is too much wear and tear.

Thanks

____________________
Jay Reilly
San Diego, CA
www.jayreilly.com
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You have numerous options here... for starters, if you're on a budget, consider using an inexpensive 1CCD consumer camcorder as a playback deck. For more info, see these threads:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5727
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5136
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4102

Hope this helps,

I use a Canon ZR40 camcorder as a miniDV deck. It's considerably cheaper than a deck, and HEY, it's also a camcorder!

Panasonic DV1000 is a very sturdy full featured , pro quality deck. I think panny is clearing them out. Last I saw B&H was selling them for$900.

I'm not a very big Sony fan, but I have to say I'm very impressed with the Sony DSR-11 (http://bssc.sel.sony.com/Professional/webapp/ModelInfo?m=0&sm=0&p=16&sp=113&id=58442). It's too pricey for many (under $2,000), but has some great features not found on many decks.

the JVS SR-VS series has a nice bang for your buck too....

it has both mini-dv and SVHS capabilities through firewire

the newest model, the SR-VS30 prices out for about $1300+
~Mike

Actually our sponsor Pro-Tape www.pro-tape.com, an authorized JVC dealer, has the SR-VS30 dual-deck for less than $1000. They also have my current favorite, the new BR-DV3000U, for about $1700. See http://pro.jvc.com/prof/Attributes/features.jsp?tree=&searchModel=&model_id=MDL101372 for details about this deck which takes both full-size and Mini-DV.

Chris, have you actually used the BR-DV3000U? I've been looking at possibly getting one of those but haven't heard any first hand feedback. It would appear to be a good alternative to the higher priced Sony models, but like most other prosumer equipment, there is no place locally to check one out.

I use both the Pansonic 1000 and 2000 and like them both. The 2000 has a jog/shuttle system which is very nice when searching and capturing. It also has a number of other seldom used features that make it a much more expensive deck.

The 1000 is a good deck for the money, plus it is much more compact than the 2000...just no jog/shuttle.

Hi there,

I have first hand experience with this deck and it's not good. The problem is that it basicly only takes JVC tapes. Considering that I only use Sony tapes for my cameras and that a lot of clients use different brands makes this a bad choice. The deck has been cleaned for three times now and still gives me problems with sony's top line excelance tapes.

Hopes this helps.

For Ed Frazier,

Actually no, I have not *used* this deck. I've only seen it. I worked a trade show booth with Pro Tape last year and JVC was right next door to us. I got to see the thing up close for a few days. When I said it was my favorite, I was referring to its feature set and price point, not any actual experience. Sorry if my comments were misleading in that regard.

Balster reports problems with Sony tapes on that deck. It will probably be okay with Panasonic tapes, since JVC and Panasonic are both subsidiaries of their parent company, Matsushita. But I don't know this for sure and am only making an assumption. If somebody has direct experience with the BR-DV3000U and Panasonic tapes, please speak up!

Well, as of today, i've ordered the JVC BR-DV3000U from B&H.

at $1499 + S&H and with a $100 gift card to B&H, i couldn't refuse. Once i get it, i'll post my experiences with it here.

~Mike Rinkunas

Does anybody in here use the 'DV3000 deck? I'm having terrible video dropouts which I originally thought were caused by my XL1. However, it appears to be something that the deck is doing. I've sent it back to JVC but they couldn't find anything wrong with the deck. They also said my tapes coming off of the XL1 appeared to be fine and that my XL1 was "in alignment". I spoke to a videographer this past weekend and he said that I am now the third person who he knows of that is having problems with this deck. Anybody else?

Dave

My buddy has one. Have you cleaned the heads? Mixed tapes? See here:

http://www.dvfreak.com/tape.htm

<<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : My buddy has one. Have you cleaned the heads? Mixed tapes? See here:

http://www.dvfreak.com/tape.htm -->>>

Yes, I cleaned the heads when this first occurred, but it didn't help. No, I've never mixed tapes. The XL1 has only had Sony mini-DV tapes in it and that's what I'm trying to transfer with the JVC. Remember, this deck went back to JVC and they proclaimed it "up to spec". They also evaluated one of my XL1 tapes and said it was fine, too.

Just to add another data point here: I was able to get clean tranfers (no dropouts or pixel blocks) using the XL1 as the transport. Put that same tape into the JVC and "watch the fun".

dave

You're definitely not the only one that's had this kind of problems though.
Here's a whole product review (http://www.creativecow.net/articles/harvey_jim/jvc_3000_rev/index.html) that sounds similar to your story.

Wow! That's quite an article. I don't know whether to thank you or cry! This thing started giving me dropout problems almost from the first tape I put in it. I was looking at some new footage today and it had BIG dropouts on it again.....and my heads only have 15 hours on them. What can you do in a case like this? JVC Service proclaimed it up-to-spec after checking it out and doing their firmware update. However, a lot of what I shoot winds up in broadcast and this deck is absolutely useless to me for that purpose.

dave

I have the same problems with JVC HR-DVS3U (miniDV-SVHS deck) since day one of its use.
I always shot videos using CANON XL1S and JVC HR-DVS3U for play back and I always have the same glitches showed on that article.
They appear randomly for 1 or 2 frames along all tape.
If I capture the same footage using XL1s instead of JVC all goes fine without glitches at all.
So to save my camera I usually capture all tapes with HR-DVS3U and I capture again those short piece of footage who have glitches using XL1S.
this annoy me a lot.
I tried to find a solution changing tapes, camera, PC, capture program, NLE card, cleaning heads, but nothing is changed.
JVC HR-DVS3U is the guilty.
I think JVC DV products are of very poor grade compared with other brands.
We are talking about different decks in this post but same problems.
I will sure stay away from JVC next time.
bye

I do feel bad for you guys.
I'm really shocked that a company can say that a $2000 playback deck that routinely generates drop-outs is performing in spec.

I'm just sticking to using my little ZR25 camcorder as a "deck" for now. Seems to play miniDV tapes shot on anything else just fine. (Can't handle full sized cassettes though.)

Good luck.

I recently got me a JVC BR-DV3000 recorder, after hiring for two years a Sony dsr11.

It works reasonably fine, but when capturing after one or two tapes the timecode isnot read any more and the image in the preview appears as stripes. After cleaning the heads with a cleaningtape it works allright again.

But it seems to me that this not as it is supposed to be. With the DSR11 you never had to clean the heads as much.

Anyone familiar with this problem?


(also posted under 'editing with the mac')

This is the case..

I also have the same deck, and I have the same problem after 1 or 2 tapes it's time to clean the heads again..

"Response from JVC"

Thank you for your inquiry. Routine head cleaning is recommended at an interval however head clogs can occur anytime a tape is inserted into the unit that contains dust or other particles. It appears that the tape that you used in you BR-DV3000U contaminated the heads. Your deck should continue to perform normally.

Dwayne Kersey
Professional Products Support Specialist
JVC Americas Corporation
1700 Valley Road
Wayne, NJ 07470

" END RESPONSE"

One should note that I sent an email explaining I have tried numerous different tapes even Sony DVCAM high end tapes..

Thanks for your response.

I heard that the reason for the malfunction could be not-up to date firmware.
The Dutch importer made me an offer to look into the matter, although according to my serial number the firmware should be up to date.

At this moment the deck is working ok. The problem seems to occur when I am capturing more than 1 tape at a row.

But maybe I let the deck be checked anyway. I keep you posted on the outcome (could be take a few weeks)

regards,
Peter

That sounds like firmware issues to me.

I was poking around looking to see if anyone had issues with Vegas when outputting to tape on a JVC BR-DV3000 (I have 8 in our editing suite). I was amazed at this thread. I have 16 of the SR-VS20s. I have had, admittedly, one 20 die a painful and quick death of power supply. But in all (we are predominantly a Sony DVCam facility), these little buggers have really made the grade. I noted that all these issues were with the XL1 and I was wondering if it is an interface issue rather than a bad deck? I have had some gear that will NOT work with the texas instruments IEEE 1394 driver but work well with the the Generic OHCI compliant driver. Premier has a similar interface issue. Sometimes that manifests itself as faulty device control, dropouts, and output crashes.

I have a HD10 and had impossible trouble with the capture utilities until I noted that somehow the Texas Instruments driver was reloaded!!!!!

I had chip failure with the HD10 and JVC fixed it, upgraded the firmware, and set it back in a week. FOR FREE!
IMHO

Gary R. Brown
Video Engineer
Portsmouth Public Schools

I have the JVC HR-DVS3U, a Sony GV-D1000 and a Sony VX2100. I have played tapes recorded on any one of these on all the others, with not a hint of any problem. That includes recordings made on LP. I use only Sony Excellence tapes. Don't be so sure that either of the JVC VCRs being discussed here are the ones at fault, when glitches show up. Try playing the tapes recorded on the Canon camcorder on several other makes and models of camcorders and VCRs. Then, play tapes from non-Canon camcorders on the JVC VCRs and you may be able to better determine where the fault lies.

There have been several times when repair shops have told me nothing was wrong with a piece of equipment, when I knew firsthand that was not true. I once had to send in a Canon camcorder four times to two different repair shops, before I could get one to recognize that the camera section was completely dead. Three times it was sent back and they claimed it was in perfect order. Only by getting in the face of the last bench repairman who sent it back, could I get him to take a close enough look at it, to actually see the obvious breakdown. This all took five months and I spent $120. on shipping. I'd have trouble believing this story, if it hadn't happened to me.

Some repair shops are so eager to run equipment in and out their doors and collect their money, that they never look very deep into many problems. Just because they tell you that your VCR and your camcorder's tapes are OK, you shouldn't take for granted that they made enough effort to really determine this.

I own this specific deck and can say unequivicably that the review linked to above is absolutely correct, to my experience.

I have sent my 3000 back twice because it was not recording properly over a previously recorded tape. Each time they say they cleaned it but it will act up again after just a few tapes. I have given up using it as my main record deck and now use the HD50 with no problems at all.

I have found that the tapes that come from any of the Canon cameras will have issues when they are played in another deck. I work for the production department for a cable company and whenever someone brought us a tape from an XL1 or any Canon camera they would not play correctly in a Sony or a JVC deck.