HD201: It is posible to record on SD card without using tape

[Sonja Gellweiler]

Hello!

I have the JVC GY-HD201 cam and the HR-HD100 external harddrive, bought still now, but I am till now not able to record to harddrive only. I asked a seller about this, he said you can record without having a tape inside.

So, can anyone help me please:
1) Is it possible to record tapeless to external device only?

2) If yes, do you have to be a rocket scientist to set it up?

3) Can you please tell me how this is the set up? For now this camera only records to ext. device when tape is insertet, as kind of dual recording.

Thank you to all,

Sonja

[Kennedy Maxwell]

I should think that the user's manual would cover options for use. If you don't have one you could search for one to download through Google.
Good luck.

[Ervin Farkas]

Sonja, read your external recorder's user manual. There is not much to set up in the camera, you need to make those settings on the recorder. I have a similar recorder and I never use tape.

[Sonja Gellweiler]

Thanks Kennedy!
Hello Ervin,

I don't have the user manual for the external recorder....Only for the camera. You have it as pdf maybe?
I want to shoot next week and my camera man is not able to get the recorded things on the memory card. I really don't know why. Thanks for you help so much!!!

Greetings from sunny Berlin,
Sonja

[Kennedy Maxwell]

you should be able to download a pdf of the manual from JVC Pro Support, or search Google for a HR-HD100 User Manual. Several sites should have it for download.

[Ervin Farkas]

Sonja,

Is it an HR-HD100 recorder for sure? I can't find such thing... please double check model number, also provide manufacturer name.

I suspect it's the DR-HD100 but you need to be accurate please.

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

Originally Posted by Sonja Gellweiler

Hello!

I have the JVC GY-HD201 cam and the HR-HD100 external harddrive, bought still now, but I am till now not able to record to harddrive only. I asked a seller about this, he said you can record without having a tape inside.

So, can anyone help me please:
1) Is it possible to record tapeless to external device only?

Yes

2) If yes, do you have to be a rocket scientist to set it up?

No, unless you are one already!

3) Can you please tell me how this is the set up? For now this camera only records to ext. device when tape is insertet, as kind of dual recording.

Connect via Firewire or Component. Detect camera from recorder. Control camera via recorder. Record.

It's the same set of functions whether you are using a computer or hard drive to record. Like Ervin said, the recorder you are talking about might be the Focus. You'll find instructions on google or on dvinfo. It's not hard at all.

[Donald McPherson]

What would happen if you pulled out all the tape from the cassete . Therefore no tape going over the head.

[Ervin Farkas]

The camera tape mechanism has safety features in place; it would give you an error message and stop working all together - you can't do that.

[Donald McPherson]

Was just a thought.

[Don Bloom]

Originally Posted by Ervin Farkas

The camera tape mechanism has safety features in place; it would give you an error message and stop working all together - you can't do that.

I've used an HD200 and HD250 to record straight to a HHD recorder and did not have tape in the camera. However the camera was used simply as the gathering mechanism and we controled the recorder with the button on the recorder. STOP, RECORD etc. Not much different than running a camera back to a switcher and off site recorder.
You never push the reord button on the camera.

[Ervin Farkas]

I'm not sure why you think I implied that you need a tape in the camera - I did not say that.

JUST TO BE CLEAR: I use a Focus Enhancements FS-H200 CF card recorder with my GY-HD100.

It has three control modes (page 53 in the user manual).

1. NORMAL - you start and stop recording using the buttons on the recorder itself. This is what I use almost all the time, fits my specific needs.

2. EXTERNAL - the recorder starts and stops recording when you press the REC button on the camera. Drawback: at least on the GY-HD100 you don't know if the recording just started or it stopped, as there is no REC indication on the camcorder's screen, all it displays when you press the REC button is: Trigger to DV or HDV whatever the case. Not sure if the subsequent models (GY-HD200 etc) work the same or not. To be sure, you need to look at the recorder to know if it's recording or not, so I don't like to use this mode.

3. SYNCRO - according to the manual "this mode is most often used with older camcorders... It requires a tape to be in the camcorder". Page 41 explains that by "older camcorders" they mean "camcorders that do not have external trigger control". I assume that the difference is in the FireWire protocol, older camcorders don't have what it takes to "tell" the recorder what to do.

I NEVER use tape.

[Don Bloom]

Ervin, I said that because you said and I quote "The camera tape mechanism has safety features in place; it would give you an error message and stop working all together - you can't do that."
If that's not what you meant than please write what you meant to say so this kind of "misunderstanding" doesn't happen again.
I'm out!

[Ervin Farkas]

Don, I was responding to Donald - see the post above mine. He was asking if one could use a cassette without tape in it ("What would happen if you pulled out all the tape from the cassete . Therefore no tape going over the head"), to "fool" the camera - and be able to record to the CF card recorder instead of tape. I was trying to say that this will not work because the camera will stop recording without a real cassette, and as a result the CF card recorder would also stop recording.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[Don Bloom]

OK no problem. Too many people with the same name. ;-)