I record in the XL2 at 24fps yadda yadda yadda...but am trying to capture into my computer through a deck and sometimes another camera...however it doesn't capture right..it looks blocky and messed up. Is this due to the 24p issue...or does this sound more like a head issue within the XL2 and I need to send it to canon?

thanks

Hi Jeremiah. Did you happen to record the tape in LP mode? That could cause playback problems when you switch the tape to another deck.

Richard

no...it was sp

please define the 'yada yada yada' part of your post. Was it 24p or 24pa? Which deck are you trying to import with? Which NLE? Not all Decks/nle's handle 2332 correctly.

i shoot 24p (2332)....then use a....well..not sure on the name of the deck...but its a sony minidv/dvcam deck...and then i use a DCR-TRV11 minidv camera...(old but still tickin).....and i'm using vegas 7 ...and FCP..

thanks

You were wondering if it might be the heads in the XL2, have you tried capturing any footage from it yet? I've used a crappy old JVC minidv cam to capture 24pa video and it turned out fine. I know if your using an Xl1 or gl2 in frame mode, you might have some problems capturing on other devices. Hopefully nothing is wrong with your XL2.

Sounds like it might be the head alignment of the XL2. If this is the case, you must dub everything you have shot on it or it will be lost forever. Tapes recorded to a head that is not properly aligned will ONLY play back on the machine that recorded them.

Maybe try a nicer deck and see if you have any luck, if not, dub everything from the XL2 to another deck via firewire, THEN send it in for repair. If I remember right, you are looking at $400 or so.


ash =o)

Sounds like it might be the head alignment of the XL2. If this is the case, you must dub everything you have shot on it or it will be lost forever. Tapes recorded to a head that is not properly aligned will ONLY play back on the machine that recorded them.

ditto to that

yeah...it captures perfect off the XL2....its just garbled on non XL2 equipment...

dang...$400=not good...

thanks guys

Before you send it in, try this. Record a tape at 60i on the xl2, and see if it plays back on the deck.

The trv11 is what 8-9 years old? The problem may not be alignment and it definitely isn't pulldown. In the early days not all dv was created equal and there were some compatibility issues. Has your workflow ever worked? If so it's time for a tune-up, if not you may have to use the xl2 as a spooler or get fresher gear. Good Luck.

yeah i know the trv11 is ancient...was my first camera :o) ...but it works for everything else I shoot with XL1s, GL1, VX2000, DVX100, DSR 250....and i know its probably time to buy a deck (the deck i was talking about earlier is my friends)...anyway...haven't tried the 60i thing yet...that's my next experiment....will let you know..

thanks

I have 2 TRV11s and they don't like footage from my XL2 at all. Also, anything I shoot on the TRV11s won't play back at all on the XL2. I only shoot in 60i and 30p, doesn't make a difference, the TRV11s won't play it. If you want to get a deck and not spend as much cash, I've read on this board in other threads to get a Canon Optura 100 (I think that was the model number). I haven't got around to getting one myself, but when I do I'll be taking 3 tapes with me to the store. One 60i, one 30p, and one 24p to make sure that they all play back fine. If the store lets me, I'll also be shooting a little on the Optura and bringing that tape home to see if it will play on the XL2.

Wow, I didn't know anybody else had TRV11s anymore...

Wow, I didn't know anybody else had TRV11s anymore...

...it's a classic...

Jeremiah, I thought I'd let you know about a recent, and relatively small investment I made... I just bought a Canon ZR800 (the cheapest Canon I could find), but here's the thing - It plays back anything the XL2 can record as well as playing back footage shot by my TRV11s. There is one problem that I am still trying to work out though - Whenever I connect the ZR800 to my G5, I can't have any other firewire device hooked up to the computer. This is quite the problem for me as my capture and scratch drives are external firewire. I'll keep you posted if I find a work around or another camcorder model that will work with the XL2 and the TRV11.

Jeremiah, I called Canon Tech support today and they said that there was no work around for the firewire issue. All of the Canon ZR800 Series cameras have the same basic circuitry and will not work on a computer with other IEEE 1394 Devices plugged in. I personally think that is bad engineering. This fact is stated on page 46 of the ZR800 owners manual. Looks like I'll be taking my ZR800 back to Best Buy and eating a 15% restocking fee. That's okay though, I really didn't need to do anything else with that $40, or the couple hours I spent trouble shooting this issue that is a DESIGN FLAW OF THE CAMERA!!!

Sorry to rant, I know there's nothing anyone here can do about it...

Jeremiah, I called Canon Tech support today and they said that there was no work around for the firewire issue. All of the Canon ZR800 Series cameras have the same basic circuitry and will not work on a computer with other IEEE 1394 Devices plugged in. I personally think that is bad engineering. This fact is stated on page 46 of the ZR800 owners manual. Looks like I'll be taking my ZR800 back to Best Buy and eating a 15% restocking fee. That's okay though, I really didn't need to do anything else with that $40, or the couple hours I spent trouble shooting this issue that is a DESIGN FLAW OF THE CAMERA!!!

Sorry to rant, I know there's nothing anyone here can do about it...


Actually, most this info is not correct. This is a Mac issue, not a Canon issue. There is only one firewire bus on most Macs. If you plug your camera into your HDD (most external HDDs have a passthru connection) it will work fine. MOST firewire devices will not work correctly with a Mac when there are multiple items hooked up.



ash =o)

Ash,
I quite often run multiple firewire devices on a G4, G5 and MacPro. The only problem I have is with firewire 800 drives and my Gl2 or Optura pi. All transfers to the external hard drives are slowed to firewire 400 speeds till I unplug the camera. No, I think it's a canon firewire implementation issue...
Most all Canon camcorders require the "firewire basic" protocol which is not a full implementation of the firewire spec...

Ash, I have to disagree with you. I have had the same setup for about two years now:

- PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0
- Final Cut Express 2.0.3
- Lacie Bigger Disk Extreme 1TB (Connected via rear FW800 port)
- Canon XL2 or Sony TRV11 (Connected via front FW400 port)

This workflow has worked like a charm for me until I switched out and tried to use the Canon ZR800 as a deck (Connected via front FW400 port). How would changing the camera affect the "one firewire bus on most Macs?" Now, I'm not a tech - or even claim to be a geek - but I don't see why the problem would be present with one camera over another if the issue was computer related. Also, I'll state again that in the ZR800 owners manual on page 46 it says that all other firewire devices should be disconnected from the computer for the camera to transfer data to the computer.

Now, one thing that I will give you, Ash, is that I cannot have two VIDEO sources connected to the computer at the same time via firewire. For instance I cannot have my Canopus ADVC110 and my XL2 connected to the computer at the same time and launch or work in a video related program (FCE, iMovie, iDVD). This does cause these programs to hang or not respond.

There is no consistency. Some cameras work, some dont. Some firewire drives work together, some dont. If you have a Mac, the only all-purpose answer is to install an additional firewire card. Most firewire imaging devices will cause problems, even Apples own firewire iSight, when trying to play with other firewire devices. This is not a Canon specific issue.


ash =o)

Ash, I have to disagree with you. I have had the same setup for about two years now:
- PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0
- Final Cut Express 2.0.3
- Lacie Bigger Disk Extreme 1TB (Connected via rear FW800 port)
- Canon XL2 or Sony TRV11 (Connected via front FW400 port)



This may work but your drive is running very slow, if you have a FW400 device hooked up ANYWHERE, the bus runs at that speed.


ash =o)