I Got 2 Questions abt the XH-A1 Important to all

[Arthur Abramov]

Hey Guys,

1 -I'm using the xh a1, i was just recoded a video and tried to capture it , but suddenly it stops capturing and i noticed a jump in frames, weird i don't know what it means, is it a dropped frame? or may be the camera had anything to do with it, like the head was dirty or someting like that. because later in the day it asked me to clean the head.

2 - About the time code, i'm using the PQ 63 US panasonic, Mini dv tapes, so i've been told that if i record the whole tape noting on it just voice with the lens cap closed the time code would be preserved continuously , the question is weather if the quality degrades due to recording over, if the tape is just a dv and not the hdv.

Thanks.

[Richard Hunter]

Hi Arthur. Well if the camera says the head is dirty there's quite a strong possibility that this is the cause of the bad recording/capture.

The camera has an end search function that will wind the tape to the end of the recording so far. This means that you if you have been rewinding the tape to review some shots, you can quickly and easily find the end of the recording so that you can start your next shot from there without any break in the timecode. The end search function works well as long as you do not take the tape out of the camera.

So you should not need to record time code to tape (this is called striping by the way) unless you usually remove the tape from the camera a lot between shots.

If you can't or don't want to use end search, you can always just record a few seconds of black at the end of each shot before you rewind or before you remove the tape. This makes it quite easy to pick up the correct place for the next shot, again without any timecode break.

Richard

[Chris Soucy]

1. Dropout - dirty head. Just needs a clean is all.

2. This is incorrect advice and is simply not necessary in either SD or HD mode. Some early NLE's waaay back could get a bit shirty without continuous time code, not an issue any more. Just shoot & capture.


CS

[Richard Hunter]

Hi Chris. It's really dependent on whether you use batch capture or not. If you do, you can't afford to have timecode breaks. But since hard disks are cheap nowadays, I find it easier just to capture the whole chunk and then sort it out on the timeline.

Richard

[Arthur Abramov]

Thanks Rich and Chris.

So it was a simple dropout then after all. do you guys know if it has anything to do with the fact that i use the Dv tape? the Panasonic PQ63US are good right? it happened before also twice, these dropouts, it may be because of the tape quality.

Give me feedbacks.

--Stripping a tape is no more in fashion thats what you are saying Chris?
--The search end botton is good but i think it records over the last 3-4 frames, so i need them sometimes. I'm i right? Rich.

[Chris Soucy]

You'll find page after page written here on DVinfo about tape types and quality.

Quite honestly, I have no definitive info that one type is any better than another.

If it's a "name" brand, it fits in the hole and works consitantly, then go for it.

If it doesn't match those three conditions, change brand.

I've got to the point where I run a cleaning tape through the machine every 1 or 2 tapes purely because the chance is always there that a particular tape will have "shed" and cause a problem.

Yep, I use a "name" brand, all from one batch (I bought 100) and some are good, some not so good, some are rubbish. Yes, they are Panasonic, top of the line.

Striping went the way of the Dodo some years back and simply puts head hours on as well as clogging the heads. Don't do it.

If you don't REW or FF or PLAY a tape that you have been shooting on, it can be safely removed from the camera and put back in later and will be in exactly the same place as it was when you removed it.

I, personally, have never experienced "end search" overwriting frames, can't see why or how it could.


CS

[Richard Hunter]

I've found end search to be very good and haven't noticed it overwriting any frames.

But removing a tape and putting it back could certainly throw the position off by a few frames, due to tape slackening and then re-tensioning. That's a classic way to break the timecode.

Richard

[Arthur Abramov]

Thank you Guys i will definitely use the end search.

[Sean Finnegan]

Originally Posted by Arthur Abramov

Thank you Guys i will definitely use the end search.

Use the end search and make a habit of not taking a tape out of the deck until you are finished with it. Taking the tape out and then reinserting it will always yield a blue spot in the footage even if you start recording the microsecond after the prior recorded footage ends. At least, that is how it was in my experience.

[Taky Cheung]

I'm using the Panasonic PQ tapes. Compared to the JVC I used before, it has less drop out. It still occurs once in a while but I'm happy with the overal quality. But if the head gets dirty, no matter what type you use, you will have drop outs. So I will carry a head cleaning tape all the time. I am using the Panasonic head cleaner.

Also, don't buy in the HD grade DV tapes. Not necessary.