How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 at DVinfo.net

Mike Janke · March 27th, 2011, 11:18 AM

Hi all...

I did something a little retarded. Prior to shooting a wedding I was working on a project where I needed time code and data information burnt directly on the recorded video from the camera, sort of like a window dub, but not added in after, recorded on the original video.

Of course I forgot to reset this option before shooting a wedding, and all my footage came out with the data information burnt into the video! Ouch!

I'm using a Canon XH A1, and editing with Adobe CS5 Production Premium...

When you fast forward and rewind the video, the data information disappears, which gives me a little hope that removing this without suffering great quality losses may be possible?

Does anyone know if and what I can do to correct this error?

Thanks.

Bo Sundvall · March 27th, 2011, 03:13 PM

Hi Mike

I don't remember if it's possible at all to store the time code on display during recording. As it dissapears when you FF/REV, it probably isn't recorded to tape. Is it still in the picture after you captured it into CS5?

Regards,

/Bo

Allan Black · March 27th, 2011, 03:30 PM

Mikes got his own Battle of Waterloo going :) I'm with Bo afaik you can't record data to tape or capture it either.

Probably an option in CS5?

Cheers.

Mike Janke · March 28th, 2011, 10:24 AM

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies! I haven't tried digitizing into CS5 yet, but I will, and I'll see what happens. I just figured that when you play it back from the cam corder, the data display doesn't go away, so I thought that meant it was burnt in. Maybe that data is on the tape, and is picked up by the cam corder, but not transfered when you dump the vis to another source. I'll let you guys know what happens.

Thanks,

Bo Sundvall · March 28th, 2011, 12:12 PM

Hi

There is an option in the menu under Display Setup where you can chose to display the data code that is recorded on tape. You can also use the IR remote to display/hide the data code. The data code is only displayed during playback and is not captured to tape.

Regards,

/Bo

Mike Janke · April 9th, 2011, 01:38 PM

Well thanks Bo for clarifying that. I haven't got around to digitizing the footage yet, but your answer makes sense. I am relieved that this is not going to be an issue. Thank you.

Mike

Les Wilson · April 9th, 2011, 08:40 PM

But doesn't this "good" news mean the deposition or whatever you turned it all on for didn't get it burned in afterall?

Cynthia Granville · May 17th, 2011, 11:45 AM

i'm curious if the original poster mike ever captured this footage, and if the info showed up. because a, some of the info here is not accurate, and b, i'm seeing something similar with footage someone else recorded and i'm capturing. as to the first point, yes you can burn in the display info, depending on what you want to do there is a "tv screen" option (if you were recording to an external device, you'd be using this to output all the display info to that device), and there is also a "character record" function you can set up in custom functions which does what the name suggests, burns in the characters that are visible on your display screen. this is what canon folk have to do if shooting a deposition, and the annoying thing about it is that it burns EVERYTHING that is displayed, so you lose the benefit of your various pieces of display info if you just wanted to burn in the time and date info.
as to the original issue, i have some footage that was recorded on someone else's A1. i am seeing the info from their recording session, everything, the date, aperture, zoom, it's all there. even the little red dot for recording. there is a lot of the footage where this appears, then it disappears later in the tape. similarly to mike, if i fast forward, i don't see it displayed. but unlike mike at the point of the posts, i have captured some of the footage in final cut, and yes, all the info is captured just as it is displaying on my lcd.
so mike, did you figure out how to get rid of the display in capturing, or does anyone else know how to do this? bo, if you mean the tv screen option in display menu, that's off.
thanks all.

Roger Keay · May 24th, 2011, 03:41 PM

In case anyone is interested in burning-in time and date, there is a function called '(Character Rec) Superimposing Character Recording' in the XH A1 manual. The description says: Selects whether to embed the on-screen character displays (date and time) as part of the video recording. When set to [ON], {an icon} will blink on the screen in record pause mode." The icon looks like a TV screen with a line on it with a pencil beside it. In the English section of the manual, the information appears as Item 20 on page 89 in the Customization section (E). Further information indicates that TV Screen options are lost when this function is selected. Item 20 is a selection in the Customize section of the Camera menu - 00 is OFF and 01 is ON. The XH A1 has three custom function memory sets so anyone requiring the function on regular occasions could set up one of the three with burning activated.

If the recordings in question were made with Character Rec on, I don't see any way of removing it easily. However, you might be able to use the camera to create a mask to minimize visibility of the burn-in. Using an XH A1, record the same data as the burn-in on the original over black video (the 'mask track'). You will have to play with the camera date and other settings to achieve a good mask.

Import and use the mask track to mask off the symbols and characters leaving black letters, numbers and symbols (the 'black title track'). Render out the black title track, import to your project and put it under the original video track with a very heavy blur filter. Use the mask track again to cut through the original video to reveal the blurred video where the characters and symbols were burned. The blurred black title track should provide a better match to the original video than a fixed background as it will vary in colour and luminance with the original.

The idea I outlined will take a lot of work but may be worthwhile depending on what you are doing.

March 27th, 2011, 11:18 AM	#1
Mike Janke New Boot Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Waterloo Ontario Posts: 12	How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 Hi all... I did something a little retarded. Prior to shooting a wedding I was working on a project where I needed time code and data information burnt directly on the recorded video from the camera, sort of like a window dub, but not added in after, recorded on the original video. Of course I forgot to reset this option before shooting a wedding, and all my footage came out with the data information burnt into the video! Ouch! I'm using a Canon XH A1, and editing with Adobe CS5 Production Premium... When you fast forward and rewind the video, the data information disappears, which gives me a little hope that removing this without suffering great quality losses may be possible? Does anyone know if and what I can do to correct this error? Thanks. __________________ MJ

March 27th, 2011, 03:13 PM	#2
Bo Sundvall Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 244	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 Hi Mike I don't remember if it's possible at all to store the time code on display during recording. As it dissapears when you FF/REV, it probably isn't recorded to tape. Is it still in the picture after you captured it into CS5? Regards, /Bo

March 27th, 2011, 03:30 PM	#3
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,930	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 Mikes got his own Battle of Waterloo going :) I'm with Bo afaik you can't record data to tape or capture it either. Probably an option in CS5? Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

March 28th, 2011, 10:24 AM	#4
Mike Janke New Boot Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Waterloo Ontario Posts: 12	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 Hey guys, Thanks for the replies! I haven't tried digitizing into CS5 yet, but I will, and I'll see what happens. I just figured that when you play it back from the cam corder, the data display doesn't go away, so I thought that meant it was burnt in. Maybe that data is on the tape, and is picked up by the cam corder, but not transfered when you dump the vis to another source. I'll let you guys know what happens. Thanks, __________________ MJ Last edited by Mike Janke; March 28th, 2011 at 10:24 AM. Reason: initials redundant

March 28th, 2011, 12:12 PM	#5
Bo Sundvall Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 244	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 Hi There is an option in the menu under Display Setup where you can chose to display the data code that is recorded on tape. You can also use the IR remote to display/hide the data code. The data code is only displayed during playback and is not captured to tape. Regards, /Bo

April 9th, 2011, 01:38 PM	#6
Mike Janke New Boot Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Waterloo Ontario Posts: 12	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 Well thanks Bo for clarifying that. I haven't got around to digitizing the footage yet, but your answer makes sense. I am relieved that this is not going to be an issue. Thank you. Mike __________________ MJ

April 9th, 2011, 08:40 PM	#7
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 But doesn't this "good" news mean the deposition or whatever you turned it all on for didn't get it burned in afterall?

May 17th, 2011, 11:45 AM	#8
Cynthia Granville Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Weehawken NJ Posts: 51	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 i'm curious if the original poster mike ever captured this footage, and if the info showed up. because a, some of the info here is not accurate, and b, i'm seeing something similar with footage someone else recorded and i'm capturing. as to the first point, yes you can burn in the display info, depending on what you want to do there is a "tv screen" option (if you were recording to an external device, you'd be using this to output all the display info to that device), and there is also a "character record" function you can set up in custom functions which does what the name suggests, burns in the characters that are visible on your display screen. this is what canon folk have to do if shooting a deposition, and the annoying thing about it is that it burns EVERYTHING that is displayed, so you lose the benefit of your various pieces of display info if you just wanted to burn in the time and date info. as to the original issue, i have some footage that was recorded on someone else's A1. i am seeing the info from their recording session, everything, the date, aperture, zoom, it's all there. even the little red dot for recording. there is a lot of the footage where this appears, then it disappears later in the tape. similarly to mike, if i fast forward, i don't see it displayed. but unlike mike at the point of the posts, i have captured some of the footage in final cut, and yes, all the info is captured just as it is displaying on my lcd. so mike, did you figure out how to get rid of the display in capturing, or does anyone else know how to do this? bo, if you mean the tv screen option in display menu, that's off. thanks all. __________________ disOrientingstageandfilm.com

May 24th, 2011, 03:41 PM	#9
Roger Keay Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto Canada Posts: 75	Re: How to get rid of Window dub burn on video recorded by a Canon XH A1 In case anyone is interested in burning-in time and date, there is a function called '(Character Rec) Superimposing Character Recording' in the XH A1 manual. The description says: Selects whether to embed the on-screen character displays (date and time) as part of the video recording. When set to [ON], {an icon} will blink on the screen in record pause mode." The icon looks like a TV screen with a line on it with a pencil beside it. In the English section of the manual, the information appears as Item 20 on page 89 in the Customization section (E). Further information indicates that TV Screen options are lost when this function is selected. Item 20 is a selection in the Customize section of the Camera menu - 00 is OFF and 01 is ON. The XH A1 has three custom function memory sets so anyone requiring the function on regular occasions could set up one of the three with burning activated. If the recordings in question were made with Character Rec on, I don't see any way of removing it easily. However, you might be able to use the camera to create a mask to minimize visibility of the burn-in. Using an XH A1, record the same data as the burn-in on the original over black video (the 'mask track'). You will have to play with the camera date and other settings to achieve a good mask. Import and use the mask track to mask off the symbols and characters leaving black letters, numbers and symbols (the 'black title track'). Render out the black title track, import to your project and put it under the original video track with a very heavy blur filter. Use the mask track again to cut through the original video to reveal the blurred video where the characters and symbols were burned. The blurred black title track should provide a better match to the original video than a fixed background as it will vary in colour and luminance with the original. The idea I outlined will take a lot of work but may be worthwhile depending on what you are doing.