I posted pictures of my mount here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-xh-...nt-w-pics.html

Buyer beware !!!!!
 

[QUOTE=Brian Morris;995769]Ok... so the credit card is heating up but I found some more deals.

.......Sony HVRMRC1K Memory Recording Unit | Full Compass -Full Compass is carrying the unit for $783.21 ($884.95 on B&H)...........

I emailed Full Compass regarding expedited shipping on the MRC1 ( the web site states "usually ships 2-3 weeks " )- here's my reply :

"Hello! Sony is so big it isn't the most compliant vendor I have. We quote 2 to 3 weeks, but it could be 1 week to ten years. If it's in country it isn't a problem. If it's in Japan that's another story. Sorry I can't paint a rosier picture." (from Mike Beckon )

I'll give him an A+ for being honest.

4GB Files recombined with no dropped frames
 

This program that can be downlaoded from Sony for free combines the 4GB files without any dropped frames:

HVR-DR60 | Hard Disk Recording Unit

Check out this other thread for proper credit to Darin Clifton for a brilliant find,

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-xh-...ttom-line.html

I tested it with a shoot that ran over an hour. I basically had what should have been two clips, one 30 second clip laying down color bars and one other clip of the performance. The CF card had 5 m2t files on it. I popped the CF card into my CF reader and fired up the application. It showed that it would import two files. The first was the color bars and the second was the entire show, no dropped frames of video or audio.

With that I have to say this make this unit one of the best accessories I could imagine for any HDV camera.

I know Sony wouldn't be so stupid to put out a unit that couldn't put out completely seamless long clips. I just with they would have made this program easier to find out about. But, at least it's free.

All you HVR MRC1K owners go download!

Sorry, the link to the program didn't come through. Here it is again,

HVR-DR60 | Hard Disk Recording Unit

And they have a Windows and FCP version.

Just done a 33 minute 'out of the windows' shot and I can confirm joining the clips using the software downloaded from Sony it DOES NOT LOSE AUDIO whereas if I just butt the 2 clips together on the timeline it does. Many thanks, all seems sorted ! (Just need to overcome the 2 second delay in recording in sync mode now...)
Oliver.

Steve, I noticed that your viewfinder becomes unusable in this set-up, no? Do you only use it in combination with your lcd and a tripod or also when handheld? With your setup you also might have the possibility to extend the recorder on the right side of your camera so you still could use the viewfinder.

Hi Garrett, thanks for the link. How do you get this utility to unpack? I tried to run it on my Win XP SP2 system and it just says it's not a Win32 application. Any suggestions?

Richard

I just downloaded it and double clicked. It's just a small app that runs straight from the .exe file. I'm running it on Vista but it should run fine on XP. I don't have access to my XP 32bit machine right now but I'll try it on that once my XP machine frees up.

Garrett

You guys think this will work with a Sony EX1?

Hi Garrett. My download was corrupt somehow. I had to download it about 5 times before it was OK. Anyway it is working now, thanks.

Richard

Yes, I do not use my viewfinder on tripod or monopod. I do not hand hold so my mount would not work very well if I did. I would just use my "extended" shoe on top of the camera instead if I needed the viewfinder.

Rycote | 037303 Hot Shoe Extension | 037303 | B&H Photo Video

FSC or CF?
 

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

Mark, I had the FX1 and now have the Z5. The Z5 is much sharper with greater detail. The overall picture on the Z5 is significantly better. I've never done an A/B with the Z5 and the Canon, but using the Z5 with the CF recorder attached is a dream. As you probably know it fits flush with the cam body and feeds right off of the Z5's battery. It's just fantastic to use and the results can be played back immediately via the HDMI output of the Z5.

Problems with Set-up...HELP
 

OK- what if this doesn't work. I can't get to see my A1- it thinks when i turn it on it's connected to a pc. A couple of times it actually recorded when i turned my cam on then the mrc. I couldn't get it to record in Dv... only HDV. I'd like to record HDV to tape & DV to card for a project I have coming up in 10 days ! DV control on cam set to on , MRC set to synchro , (cache mode) , I Get the GREEN BOX next to DV control , when I press record on my cam - the green light on dv goes red then back to green - does not record. Cam is recording as usual.

Pullin my hair out !!! Please Help !!

I don't own the MRC unit, nor do I plan on it anytime soon, but perhaps you need to check the A1's menu SIGNAL SETUP settings & make sure it's set for the signal you want to go to tape. On that note though... unless the MRC unit has the ability to downconvert on the fly, I don't see how you can record two separate formats at the same time.

Thinking the same here, you can record in dv or hdv with the canon were the downconverting is done by the camera for dv but it can't process hdv and dv simultaneously to 2 different sources. You"ll stuck with either dv or hdv I'm afraid.

I don't know what the Canon's capabilities are Bill, but in actuality, with the Sony Z5, you can record in HDV to tape and simultaneously record SD DV on the MRC unit. The Z5 does the downcoversion on the fly to the CF recorder.

I got to thinking last night - maybe the A1 will only down-convert during playback. It may send via firewire the same signal that is being recorded - with no option to convert in record mode. It (mrc1) records when I select HDV - but not when I select DV when the cam is in HDV mode. Anyone notice similar situations that has one ?

Ken and Darin, that's basically my point. The A1 wasn't designed with this type of external recorder in mind and for this type of scenario to work, the MRC would have to be able to do the downconvert via the firewire connection. Regarding the Z5 Ken mentions, maybe the MRC is connected through some other connection built in to the docking mount that has separate circuitry and doesn't need firewire so the Z5 can determine this. If it IS firewire dependent I don't see any other way other than the MRC unit playing the downconvert role.

OK- if the MRC will only record in the same standard as the A1 - I can deal with that ( just don't remember reading that anywhere) What I can't deal with is a $1,000 investment that won't even do that when I ask it to.
I turn on my camera , turn on the MRC1, get the green light on DV control , press the record button on the cam - camera records normally , DV green goes red for 1 second- then back to green , MRC does nothing - no cache mode icon in the display. Twice out of Ten times - they have "hooked up" and recorded ( and I had the cache mode icon on the MRC display) . I basicaly left the MRC on and turned the camera off & on about 3-4 times ; they finally found each other. The MRC won't even record by itself when I press the record buttons manually. 1 second on- back off.

I someone KNOWS - PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong.

You guys sure are Quiet !
 

After further tinkering.... the MRC will only record what the cam sees ( HDV - or- DV ) - it won't do "Hybrid" recording like it should with a Sony camera. For Me - The DV mode appears to log clips without problems, the HDV mode however - in cache mode - will record the cache , then a few frames, drop a few frames , then record normally again.
Is this an experience that more of you have had - and maybe just a quirk of the Canon/Sony not being fully compatible - or is it just ME ?

Bill, I believe the docking mount on the Z5 simply serves as a convenient means of a firewire connection. Sony even goes so far as to mention that when using the MRC, the seperate firewire port is unavailable. I'm certain the MRC unit plays no role in the downconversion. If you think about it, there aren't even any menu items in the MRC unit that would even hint at that. On the other hand the Z5 does have these menu items (downcoversion, 16:9 or crop on downconversion etc).

I read someplace, somewhere, that there is a Synchro setting in this unit. Maybe someone can jump in here and help you.

I Just got my MRC1 yesterday, and I see exactly the same as what Darin describes. Normal mode works fine, but the cache mode causes a break between the cached video and the point where the start button was pressed. In fact there may even be frames missing from after the start point which is not very useful at all. I was shooting in 25F in case that makes a difference.

Lou, the synchro mode is used to make the MRC1 start and stop recording automatically when the camera's start button is pressed. I believe Darin must have this set already to see what he is seeing.

Richard

Return to Sender !!
 

Summary....... I'm not happy with this CF recorder !

Synchro , cache, DV - flawless ( and seamless ) one clip , no pauses , no dropped frames !
Same settings - HDV ...... first 9 seconds of cache mode in one clip, 5 second gap , next clip starts about 1 second after record button is pressed. ( from a produced file converted to avi format ) Playback DIRECTLY from the MRC thru the A1 - cache mode is one clip - 2 second gap - second clip resumes recording.

If you only want to record in SD with your nice Canon HDV camera - it will probably work fine. If you'd really like to see your work in seamless HD - better keep looking.

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 !!

Me thinks it will find it's way back to B & H very soon. Maybe if I had a Z5 ...............it would work like it's supposed to ???

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?

clip numbering question
 

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?

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

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.

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?

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.

HVR-MRC1 do not sync with my XH-A1
 

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?

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?

Stuttering footage - Richard
 

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.

Concerning the connection problem
 

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?

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.

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.

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.

testing the xha1 with the mrc1k
 

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

XH A1 + HVR MRC1 S/N & issue report
 

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