Media offline: Problem recapture XL H1 clips in FCP at DVinfo.net

Johan Forssblad · November 23rd, 2006, 09:18 AM

I have thrown away some of my captured clips by mistake. Now I tried to batch capture the old files from tape using the "Batch Capture" function in FCP 5.1.2. I select a clip with "Media Offline" warning and start "Batch Capture" to capture selected clips.
The XL H1 is controlled by the computer over FireWire. It winds to about the correct position and starts playing forward and backward a few times. Sometimes it can capture the correct clip. But most of the time it will end with an error : "Unable to locate timecode". Camera is PAL on 25F and FCP has HDV 1080i50 setting. Clip and timecode looks great in the viefinder.
(I can capture a whole tape with "Capture Now" without problem.) I have tried different preroll time but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Can anybody else do this without trouble?
What could I be doing wrong? Thankful for any advice! /Johan

PS. Sorry if this thread bother you here but I think it has better chance to get an answer here than in the FCP forum.

Daniel Epstein · November 23rd, 2006, 09:37 AM

You are not alone. This sounds like an issue which Canon XLH1 HDV and FCP have had from the beginning. I have had very little consistent success batch capturing logged clips from the XLH1 in HDV. The Capture now function has worked but I doubt the timecode is very good on each clip to go back to batch capture. My philosophy is once the media is in the computer treat it as your Master and the tape is only a copy of the footage with approximately the same timecode.
I did find things are more reliable on batch capture if I stopped the tape to grab the timecode in and outs rather than on the fly. I don't have this problem with DV with the same machine so it might be something to do with the HDV timecode maybe not being a continuos signal but some kind of derived number sort of like the frames. Of course there could be some other explanation.
Basically you probably have to recapture the clips in Capture now and replace them on the timeline manually.
Maybe Canon can fix this in a firmware update since there have been a few other timecode issues they have fixed.

Chuck Fadely · November 23rd, 2006, 10:30 AM

What version of Quicktime are you on? I had similar problems with a Sony -- worked in DV, wouldn't in HDV -- on QT 7.1.1 which went away when I went to 7.1.2.

chuck

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johan Forssblad

I have thrown away some of my captured clips by mistake. Now I tried to batch capture the old files from tape using the "Batch Capture" function in FCP 5.1.2. I select a clip with "Media Offline" warning and start "Batch Capture" to capture selected clips.
The XL H1 is controlled by the computer over FireWire. It winds to about the correct position and starts playing forward and backward a few times. Sometimes it can capture the correct clip. But most of the time it will end with an error : "Unable to locate timecode". Camera is PAL on 25F and FCP has HDV 1080i50 setting. Clip and timecode looks great in the viefinder.
(I can capture a whole tape with "Capture Now" without problem.) I have tried different preroll time but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Can anybody else do this without trouble?
What could I be doing wrong? Thankful for any advice! /Johan

PS. Sorry if this thread bother you here but I think it has better chance to get an answer here than in the FCP forum.

Steve Rosen · November 23rd, 2006, 10:31 AM

I've actually had this problem numerous times over the years with DV footage from several cameras, and even film transfers to tape, playing back using pro decks like the DSR 40 and 80 - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... It's especially problematic when you've done a lot of overlays. I have complained to Apple several times and they always tell me it's a fix in the next ProAp upgrade - which never fixed anything anytime I've done it...

The source timecode is fine, probably.. It may be (in my case) that I always shoot NDF and edit DF (which is what you're supposed to do, and what I've always done since the early 80's)..

In any case, it does require that you re-log the clips and capture them again and reinsert them in the timleline.. It's a pain, but it's not really that hard or time-consuming (if you've never conformed film negative to a workprint you haven't experienced the true drudgery of post production)..

The TC on the clips marked OFF LINE is still there, so just conform your new clips to those numbers (by the way, after selecting the clip, you can type the TC# you want in the upper right window of the VIEWER and the curser will go to that point, then just cue an IN point and paste - I always do it just above the current timeline to check TC)...

Jonas Nystrom · November 23rd, 2006, 01:54 PM

Do you have the capture setting @ HDV 1080p25?

Another problem/issue I have recognized when importing 25f is very annoying sound offset when cutting in FCP, about -6 frames. Some one else?

November 23rd, 2006, 09:18 AM	#1
Johan Forssblad Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Vittsjö, SKÅNE, SWEDEN Posts: 266	Media offline: Problem recapture XL H1 clips in FCP I have thrown away some of my captured clips by mistake. Now I tried to batch capture the old files from tape using the "Batch Capture" function in FCP 5.1.2. I select a clip with "Media Offline" warning and start "Batch Capture" to capture selected clips. The XL H1 is controlled by the computer over FireWire. It winds to about the correct position and starts playing forward and backward a few times. Sometimes it can capture the correct clip. But most of the time it will end with an error : "Unable to locate timecode". Camera is PAL on 25F and FCP has HDV 1080i50 setting. Clip and timecode looks great in the viefinder. (I can capture a whole tape with "Capture Now" without problem.) I have tried different preroll time but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Can anybody else do this without trouble? What could I be doing wrong? Thankful for any advice! /Johan PS. Sorry if this thread bother you here but I think it has better chance to get an answer here than in the FCP forum.

November 23rd, 2006, 01:54 PM	#5
Jonas Nystrom Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Göteborg, Sweden Posts: 306	Do you have the capture setting @ HDV 1080p25? Another problem/issue I have recognized when importing 25f is very annoying sound offset when cutting in FCP, about -6 frames. Some one else? __________________ Jonas Nyström, DoP :: HOT SHOT® SWEDEN :: www.hotshot.nu :: RED #1567, RED 18-50mm T3 :: XL A1, Letus Extreme :: XL H1, 20X & 6X lens (for sale) :: www.vimeo.com/nystrom

November 23rd, 2006, 09:37 AM	#2
Daniel Epstein Trustee Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New York, NY Posts: 1,267	You are not alone. This sounds like an issue which Canon XLH1 HDV and FCP have had from the beginning. I have had very little consistent success batch capturing logged clips from the XLH1 in HDV. The Capture now function has worked but I doubt the timecode is very good on each clip to go back to batch capture. My philosophy is once the media is in the computer treat it as your Master and the tape is only a copy of the footage with approximately the same timecode. I did find things are more reliable on batch capture if I stopped the tape to grab the timecode in and outs rather than on the fly. I don't have this problem with DV with the same machine so it might be something to do with the HDV timecode maybe not being a continuos signal but some kind of derived number sort of like the frames. Of course there could be some other explanation. Basically you probably have to recapture the clips in Capture now and replace them on the timeline manually. Maybe Canon can fix this in a firmware update since there have been a few other timecode issues they have fixed.

November 23rd, 2006, 10:31 AM	#4
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	I've actually had this problem numerous times over the years with DV footage from several cameras, and even film transfers to tape, playing back using pro decks like the DSR 40 and 80 - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... It's especially problematic when you've done a lot of overlays. I have complained to Apple several times and they always tell me it's a fix in the next ProAp upgrade - which never fixed anything anytime I've done it... The source timecode is fine, probably.. It may be (in my case) that I always shoot NDF and edit DF (which is what you're supposed to do, and what I've always done since the early 80's).. In any case, it does require that you re-log the clips and capture them again and reinsert them in the timleline.. It's a pain, but it's not really that hard or time-consuming (if you've never conformed film negative to a workprint you haven't experienced the true drudgery of post production).. The TC on the clips marked OFF LINE is still there, so just conform your new clips to those numbers (by the way, after selecting the clip, you can type the TC# you want in the upper right window of the VIEWER and the curser will go to that point, then just cue an IN point and paste - I always do it just above the current timeline to check TC)...