Retrieving from Mini DV tapes

[Jeff Troiano]

I have some mini dv tapes, that have a ton of footage I need to get too. Unfortunately, because of a circumstance, I don't have access to the camera that filmed the footage, to do a log and capture. a JVC HD100 was used to film, in 30p and 60p 720. I'm looking into ways to retrieve this footage. Thinking I might be able to rent a stand alone player.

What I was wondering was, if I rented any camera capable of recording/playing mini hd dv tapes, would I be able to use it as a player, connected via firewire, and get the footage? Back when they were getting ready to start this project, I remember reading all the issues people had capturing from the JVC, and am now wondering, without the original camera, how Im going to get this footage.

In case its relevant, They were filming with the external hard drive, connected via the cameras firewire port. They were on location in the Virgin Islands. During the 3 month shoot, they had intermittent problems with the firewire port, which ended up failing completely, with a little less then a month left in shooting. So they filmed straight to mini hddv. This whole situation caused bad blood between the person that rented/borrowed them the equipment. So now its been left up to me to come up with a solution. I have 19 tapes I need to get footage off of.

Any advice on the subject would be great.
Jeff

[Jim Greene]

Here is an article describing the JVC camera: http://pro.jvc.com/pro/attributes/HD...96-TVT-JVC.pdf

It would seem that any HDV camera that records to Mini-DV tape in those formats (720/30p & 720/60p) should allow you to capture the footage, provided that you have a firewire port on your computer. Good luck!

[David Chapman]

Jeff, I'm sure someone has a deck you can rent. I forget the decks that JVC have for this camera, but Google and see which ones can play the 720p60. The original one for the hd100u and ua couldn't because the camera couldn't shoot 60p. I used to have this camera, and for some reason, I don't think any camera could play it's media back. Generally, decks are more compatible.

[Steve Oakley]

JVC made one pro level deck, a BR-HD50.

you should be able to rent one locally, or if you are stuck contact me and I could capture these for you for a very reasonable to native HDV or ProRes.

[Mitchell Lewis]

Buy the camera you need at Costco. Use it to capture, then return it.

hehehehehehehe (just joking, but I've heard of people doing it)

[Jeff Troiano]

Originally Posted by Mitchell Lewis

Buy the camera you need at Costco. Use it to capture, then return it.

hehehehehehehe (just joking, but I've heard of people doing it)

I know someone who has done something like this a time or two.

I've had zero luck finding someone to do this, or someone to rent me the equipment to do this. One place was more then happy to take on this job, they told me I just had to bring them the tapes, and the camera, and it would be taken care of. To which I answered, if I had the camera, I wouldn't be talking to you!

Steve, I sent you a private message.

[Mitchell Lewis]

In my experience, the situation can get even worse than it is on the surface.

Over the years I've learned that tape transports can record at slightly different speeds. I don't know if it's because they're getting old, or worn or what. But I've had instances where a tape recorded on another piece of equipment, won't play well on my equipment. Like if a guy recorded something with his camera, then gave it to me and I played it back in my HDV deck. Sometimes I'd see horrible digital dropout at the beginning of the tape, sometimes toward the end. I think it has something to do with the amount of tape on the spindle changing the gear ratio (which slightly changes the speed). Dunno.....but I could never solve it, I just had to live with it.

Anyway, the point is, don't get your hopes up that everything will work perfectly when you do find something to ingest the tapes with. With a little luck, everything will work perfectly, but if you get digital dropout....I don't know what to tell you. :(

(thank goodness we rarely have to deal with tape anymore!)