Awesome news for canon users

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Darin Clifton

This thing just doesn't act right with an A1 ! Half the time when I turn it on - it thinks it's connected to a PC !!

You are the second person I hear complaining about this and I find this a much worse problem then what it does with the cache. I was planning to order one today but because I'm doing weddings and events I would find it a big issue trying to have the unit recognize the camera right when I turn it on. There just is no time for something like this.

Are there more users that can confirm this type of behaviour or is it just a setting in the camera or sony unit that could prevent this?

[Annie Haycock]

I got mine a week or two ago, and have used it twice. Set up with no problems. Used only with HDV, no problems. Used with cache settings, no problems. Have operated it with cache settings directly from the unit, and via a lanc control on the camera, no problems.

So far, so good. My only complaint is that the clip numbering starts again at one when I delete the old clips. It isn't obvious from the manual how to change this, or if it can be changed. Can anyone tell me how to do this?

[Noa Put]

Does the unit recognize your camera as a camera and not as a pc sometimes? Are you using it with a canon Xh-a1?

[Annie Haycock]

I've connected to both cameras, with the Sony A1 I can only use it in "follow" mode, not synchro. With the Canon A1 it can be either. Cache mode works with both cameras.

So far, it has not confused the camera with a PC. I have downloaded the clips via the card reader in the computer and not connected the unit to the PC, so I don't know if that would make any difference.

In both cases, the downloaded clips have played ok - perhaps a little stutter right at the beginning with cache mode, but only half a second or so, then it's smooth.

If only two people have these problems, perhaps it is their units that are faulty.

[Ken Ross]

Darin, why not turn cache mode off when recording in HDV. The unit appears to work so well with the Canon otherwise, why throw the baby out with the bathwater?

[Steve Sobodos]

Originally Posted by Andrew Dryden

Hi guys. Just read through all the posts about this device and really like what I read. It sounds like the program cited about will alleviate the 4gb max clip issues. What about tape changes? Will it patch together two files that are split by a tape change when you rehit the record button? If this doesn't make sense what I mean is...
1. You are recording to CF and tape.
2. Tape fills up...you leave CF recording.
3. Eject tape, put in new tape.
4. Hit record so that CF continues recording and tape starts recording.

From reading the posts this work sequence previously would cause dropped frames at step 4...will using Sony's little program fix this?
Andy

I just started editing a wedding from two weeks ago, the first with my XHA1 and the MRC1. I went through the above sequence in the middle of the ceremony. I lost 11 frames of video on the CF when I started the new tape recording. I had a second cameraman but he was moving his camera at that precise moment so I have no cover shot. There was little movement so I did a slo-mo to expand the existing frames to fill.

Next time my tape runs out I'm just letting the MRC1 continue to the end of the shot. The only reason to use tape is for backup anyway.

[Miguel Chichorro]

I recently got a HVR-MCR1 CF recorder, as many Canon users did.

In most situations, the HVR-MCR1 unit only syncs with my Canon XH A1 in "computer mode" - thinking the camera is a computer device, not a video camera (appears a small computer icon connected with the CF card icon...). When the HVR-MCR1´s device enters in Computer Mode, it is not possible to stream and record video from hosting Camera.

Only in very rare situations (randomly), the HVR-MCR1 unit is recognized by My
camera as a External Recording Device (and I can operate it as expected). If I switch off the camera and switch on 4-5 minutes later, the HVR-MCR1 will not sync again.

I believe I tested everything I could test (different cables, sequence, DV control On, etc). I also asked for help at Canon local technical representative. They did not find any fault on my camera to arrange a repair according Canon service procedures. Camera Firmware is also the most recent (1.0.2.0).

My camera i.link port from my XH A1 also works with Console 1.1 software without problem and typical NLE Systems to capture video.

The be sure that HVR-MCR1 is working well, I also tested the unit on another XH A1 Camera in a local store. For that camera all worked well. Even a little Canon HVR30 works well with HVR-MCR1...

Anybody have an Ideias of how to solve this?

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Miguel Chichorro

Only in very rare situations (randomly), the HVR-MCR1 unit is recognized by My camera as a External Recording Device

The only reason for me to want to buy this unit was that 2 weeks ago I had a wedding and one of my new hdv tapes turned out to contain over a 100 dropouts making me loose all the church recordings. I still have not figured out what went wrong, recording over the "bad" tape results in no problem and the tape I filled after the church is OK. My xh-a1 has given me more then once a headache because strange things seem to happen with it.

I have been following this thread for a longer time and all seem to be good and well until I saw the first wrong connection stories as above, in my business I don't have the time to switch both units on/off several times and hope it will turn out alright. Reading about these problems made me decide not to buy it, just the thought of this happening at a wedding when times limited to set your gear up makes the unit totally useless in my opinion with a xh-a1.

But I did find the HVR-DR60 HDV Hard Disk Recorder which is older but seems to have more or less the same functionality as the HVR-MRC1K but there is not so much user experience on this forum. It did have a manual switch for "video" and "pc" (and not automatic like the HVR-MRC1K) so recognizing the camera should not be a problem.

The only disadvantage seemed to be the high price but I found a dealer selling it cheaper then the HVR-MRC1K, (taken a 2 32gb CF card into account that you have to buy to get the same amount of storage)

Does anyone know were I can find more userexperiences on this or other forums?

[Annie Haycock]

I've just downloaded a few clips from the CF card, and run them through MPEGstreamclip to trim and turn them into mpg so that Premier elements and Windows mediaplayer can recognise them. In MPEGstreamclip there is a definite stutter at the beginning, and roughly 14 seconds in. But when the file is converted to mpg this disappears and the clip plays smoothly in mediaplayer.

I was using 25p and the cache mode. So I'm wondering if this is problem you were talking about.

[Tiffany McMichael]

After reading through the last few pages of this thread, I am starting to think that maybe those two people having connection problems are dealing with defective units/connections.

I have had my unit for around 3 or 4 months. I've used it to record music performances, shoot random stuff all over my town, and to help an actress out with an audition tape. In the last two instances, I was constantly turning my camera on and off with the unit and did not experience one instance of it thinking my XH A1 was a computer.

I don't have a card reader, so I am constantly connecting the unit to my computer for download, so I doubt if this would be the problem either. I use it without a tape and have not had the connection problems nor the other problem that some are indicating about the record not syncing when not using a tape.

One thing I can say that kind of threw me when I first used the unit is that when I would press record on the unit, the little button on the view screen would still indicate that the unit was not recording (I use it synced so I only have to press the camera's record button). After a second or so though, the record button would change and things would be fine. I was afraid that during those brief moments of non-record light, I was losing footage, but upon playback I realized that there was just a lag in the indicator and that it was recording the whole thing all along.

Have you guys tried using another Sony unit on your cams?

[Even Solberg]

Originally Posted by Miguel Chichorro

I recently got a HVR-MCR1 CF recorder, as many Canon users did.

In most situations, the HVR-MCR1 unit only syncs with my Canon XH A1 in "computer mode" - thinking the camera is a computer device, not a video camera (appears a small computer icon connected with the CF card icon...). When the HVR-MCR1´s device enters in Computer Mode, it is not possible to stream and record video from hosting Camera.

Only in very rare situations (randomly), the HVR-MCR1 unit is recognized by My
camera as a External Recording Device (and I can operate it as expected). If I switch off the camera and switch on 4-5 minutes later, the HVR-MCR1 will not sync again.

I believe I tested everything I could test (different cables, sequence, DV control On, etc). I also asked for help at Canon local technical representative. They did not find any fault on my camera to arrange a repair according Canon service procedures. Camera Firmware is also the most recent (1.0.2.0).

My camera i.link port from my XH A1 also works with Console 1.1 software without problem and typical NLE Systems to capture video.

The be sure that HVR-MCR1 is working well, I also tested the unit on another XH A1 Camera in a local store. For that camera all worked well. Even a little Canon HVR30 works well with HVR-MCR1...

Anybody have an Ideias of how to solve this?

I got mine today, and I'm having the same problem. I'm wondering whether it's a camera setting rather than anything else. But I'm not sure.

[Miguel Chichorro]

Even Solberg,
How long are your camera? Mine is about 14 months old. European model, from Germany.
It's possible that some cameras batches contains specific hardware parts incompatible with this Sony Unit. Note that mine XH A1 firmware was updated to the latest version and I also tested with earlier firmware version. Same odd results.

What really bugs me is that every time the MRC1K unit syncs correctly with camera (happens, in very rare situations... unfortunately) I can disconnect, switch off both camera and Sony unit, plug and unplug cables, take off batteries... whatever I can remember and the unit syncs when I turn the camera on - but only if the camera is off less than about 3 minutes!

IF i switch off my XH A1 and waits more than ~3 minutes, the camera don't sync again for a long period, and only randomly I get it synced again.
As you can see in my last post I did had a chance to test the HVR-MRC1k unit in another XH A1 (in a store) and everytime the sony Unit Synced with that camera. Very odd.

I'm not happy and seems that Canon or Sony can't help here. They will argue about incompatibility between non-certified accessories for third party cameras.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Miguel Chichorro

They will argue about incompatibility between non-certified accessories for third party cameras.

I think it's just Canon and you just need to be unlucky to get a problem model. I don't have my camera that long but had some severe problems with it which I never experienced with my previous camera's. (Sony and panasonic) - knock on wood- I like working with the camera but it has been so troublesome I decided to buy the 60gb harddrive model instead from sony to get a "tapeless" solution and backup on tape because I lost one hour of footage 2 weeks ago.
This camera will have to serve me for another 3 years but it will be the last canon I buy for sure.

[Joe Bourguignon]

Hello all! I've been seriously considering purchasing the mrc1k, but due to the rash of complaints above, I'm not so sure anymore. It appears to be a handful of buggy xha1 units, but I would request an analysis of the problem/incompatability to be carried out by everyone who has experienced this issue...

I spoke with both Canon tech support and a Canon repair division today, and there is supposedly no way to determine date of manufacture from the xha1 serial number, so we will have to DIY this effort to see what range of serial numbered units are affected by this "bug".

Everyone who has an mrc1k which doesn't recognize the xha1 properly, please respond with the following information:

Camera age (approx from date of purchase):
Camera serial number (to see if they all group together, etc):
Have you tested your mrc1k with another xha1? results? serial of that unit?:
How often in your experience does the mrc1k work?: xxx% of the time
Is your issue that it intermittently sees the camera as a computer? :


Thanks, all! Hopefully we can begin to narrow down this weirdness so that prospective buyers of the mrc1k will be able to make an informed decision pre-purchase, and maybe, just maybe we can gather enough evidence for canon to fix the problem for the affected owners.

Cheers,

-joe

[Miguel Chichorro]

Camera age (approx from date of purchase): 14 months (January 2008)

Camera serial number (to see if they all group together, etc): 574482300723

Have you tested your mrc1k with another xha1? YES Results? Worked 100% of the time

Serial of that unit?: 3070468 (HVR-MRC1 + HVRA-CR1)

How often in your experience does the mrc1k work?: 1% of the time

Is your issue that it intermittently sees the camera as a computer? : YES