HVR-V1E Capture Problem

[Ryan Grayley]

I have a HDV Capture Now problem with my HVR-V1E (European version) and Final Cut Pro 5.1.2 on a new MacBook. FCP recognises the camera but the message "Searching For Media" occurs if I try Capture Now regardless how long I wait. (The camera capture is fine with DV Capture Now, HDV Log and Capture and if I use Sony Vegas 7.0c on a Dell PC.)

I have found a work around that allows Capture Now to work. When I switch the camera on, I initially place it in Camera mode for 5-10 seconds and then directly change it to VCR mode without pausing in the off position. This seems to work every time.

Although I have the workaround there is clearly something not quite compatible my combination of equipment. I have read that Capture Now problems can occur with the JVC HD100 and I have seen older threads about Capture issues with the HVR-Z1.

Has anyone else experienced this or similar with the HVR-V1 or have I just been unlucky?

I hope someone might be able to shed some light on this please?

Many Thanks,

Ryan Grayley (UK)

[Tony Tremble]

Originally Posted by Ryan Grayley

I have a HDV Capture Now problem with my HVR-V1E (European version) and Final Cut Pro 5.1.2 on a new MacBook. FCP recognises the camera but the message "Searching For Media" occurs if I try Capture Now regardless how long I wait. (The camera capture is fine with DV Capture Now, HDV Log and Capture and if I use Sony Vegas 7.0c on a Dell PC.)

I have found a work around that allows Capture Now to work. When I switch the camera on, I initially place it in Camera mode for 5-10 seconds and then directly change it to VCR mode without pausing in the off position. This seems to work every time.

Although I have the workaround there is clearly something not quite compatible my combination of equipment. I have read that Capture Now problems can occur with the JVC HD100 and I have seen older threads about Capture issues with the HVR-Z1.

Has anyone else experienced this or similar with the HVR-V1 or have I just been unlucky?

I hope someone might be able to shed some light on this please?

Many Thanks,

Ryan Grayley (UK)

You need to select a different HDV firewire driver in the Audio/Video Settings menu.

I use, HDV 1080i50 FireWire Basic as the device control preset with complete success.

TT

[Ryan Grayley]

Thanks for the reply Tony.

Yes I have tried a few alternate FireWire driver options including the one you mention. Unfortunately this has made no difference to the symptoms I have experienced.

Am I alone with this problem?

[Marco Olivotto]

I am experiencing exactly the same problem as you with *three* HVR-V1E I recently bought. My set-up is very similar to yours, only I am on a Quad G5 and use FCP 5.1.4. The whole thing is extremely annoying. I also have a Z1E which works without a glitch. Even with the V1E the problem is intermittent: I captured a lot of footage a while ago without a problem.
Log and Capture won't work for me, but the Apple Intermediate Codec will. Your trick of switching to "camera" and then VCR doesn't function at these latitudes.
I suspect there are many who are experiencing the same out there, but it's difficult to gather information. I was in touch with Sony Support a while ago, and they told me it was the first time they heard about these problems.
My guess is either the timecode in the V1E doesn't work too well and causes such serious dropouts, or there is an issue with the voltage coming out of the V1E which doesn't drive the Mac firewire port properly. Or, the FireWire transfer mechanism is different and not automatically supported by FCP... in other words, a new driver may be needed.
Did you come to any more cogent conclusion? I'd love to hear from you.

[Zsolt Gordos]

It took me a day to make it work last year December. Tony was on "hotline" suggesting various options. My Mac has not recognized V1E, regardless what I have been trying. Then all of a sudden it worked.
I have never realized what made the trick.... Restarting the cam and the Mac was involved - maybe that helped, too.

I have capture many hours ever since, and capture is never relieable. Sometimes "capture now" takes a whole tape with no glitch - other times I simply cannot capture a part, regardless I try capturing single clip, batch or capture now.
Then next day the same part will be captured...
I wont mind if someone could give me advice on how to do timecode settings in my V1E, there are several options and I have no idea what do they mean.

In the meantime I have realized that HDV editing sucks big time... last week my G5 was running day and night and I had to stop heating in the room - my computer was sufficient to maintain 23 degrees centigrade.
Having 20 hours footage captured, I am sort of reluctant re-trying in intermediate codec...but I tend to listen to those who have experience with them.
What is the lowest cost capture card solution? (no HDMI card please, I have old PCI slots)

Help is highly appreciated.

[Hugh Mobley]

I experienced the same problem, my a1 captured perfectly, then I got my v1, my laptop only saw the camera one time, but I still couldn't capture, On my new office computer, xp with sp2, it works perfectly, , its definitely a windows issue and a driver issue. Sony should have a driver cd with the cam and maybe no one would have this stinking problem

[Hugh Mobley]

Tony Tremble:do mean using a different firewire driver in the system device manager, I tried this, no luck with my V1, although I think this is what I did to get my A1 recognized, but, if you mean something else please elaborate for me. thanks



You need to select a different HDV firewire driver in the Audio/Video Settings menu.

I use, HDV 1080i50 FireWire Basic as the device control preset with complete success.

TT

[Nick Fernandez]

Hi all,

I have been shooting my own doc in Uganda over the last 2 months, immediately after buying the V1 in London. Now back in the UK I was planning to capture using my V1... or so I thought!

It seems I have had the same intermittent problems as you guys, but now cannot capture anything with out the "searching for media" message coming up on the capture window. It either captures nothing or breaks the clip into sections of the exact samne length (eg. 4sec 24 frames). I have tried different machines, different tapes and different cables. I have also trie a variety of device control settings and differnt user settings etc.

I really think this is probably a hardware problem on the V1 (or at least some V1) as it seems to have effected non FCP users and FCP users alike. I think it might be a warranty issue but it may well turn out to be another case of being squeezed between the software and hardware manufacturers.

Can you let me know if you have any new solutions to this problem or any further leads. As this cam was bought to be a deck as well, I am really introuble on a project of some 85 hours of tape!

Regards, Nick
ps. Anyone in the UK who reads this, have you heard from Sony support on this? Will be calling 1st thing Monday.

[Hugh Mobley]

It may be time for Sony to enclose a cd with a driver on it for these cam to computer problems

[Tony Tremble]

Originally Posted by Nick Fernandez

Hi all,

I have been shooting my own doc in Uganda over the last 2 months, immediately after buying the V1 in London. Now back in the UK I was planning to capture using my V1... or so I thought!

It seems I have had the same intermittent problems as you guys, but now cannot capture anything with out the "searching for media" message coming up on the capture window. It either captures nothing or breaks the clip into sections of the exact samne length (eg. 4sec 24 frames). I have tried different machines, different tapes and different cables. I have also trie a variety of device control settings and differnt user settings etc.

I really think this is probably a hardware problem on the V1 (or at least some V1) as it seems to have effected non FCP users and FCP users alike. I think it might be a warranty issue but it may well turn out to be another case of being squeezed between the software and hardware manufacturers.

Can you let me know if you have any new solutions to this problem or any further leads. As this cam was bought to be a deck as well, I am really introuble on a project of some 85 hours of tape!

Regards, Nick
ps. Anyone in the UK who reads this, have you heard from Sony support on this? Will be calling 1st thing Monday.

Nick,

I had the exact same problem. I solved it by just going through the HDV device control presets in FCP until I found the one which worked. See my reply above. If I remember correctly the firewire driver required was different after I had the camera "fixed" with the updated firmware.

Remember to close the log and capture window before changing the HDV driver then fire it up again. Keep doing that until you find the right driver then create your own V1E template for future reference.

I don't have the V1 any more so cannot check for you which HDV driver is required. I shouldn't bother with Sony support they are as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Hope that helps

TT

[Hugh Mobley]

You got that right, as big as Sony is they are worthless as tech support on most issues, I went round and round with them on my A1, finally figured it out myself, same with my V1, they never even acknowledged my email.i am going to try one thing and update my firewire card, if its possible, in my laptop, I guess I could reformat and reinstall a sp2 version on xp

[Nick Fernandez]

Hey guys,

I have heard all the reports on Sony service and at the end of the day they will probably try and argue that its at the software end or soemthign like that.

I think I have applied the process you have suggested Tony in regards to the workaround workflow but I'll have another bang at it to make sure I am stringently sticking to the method. I am still stuck!

I will just have to push to get the upgrade back ASAP as I took the camera immediately after purchase and still need to arrange the "upgrade" which was originally described as a "recall" until the spin doctors stepped in.

Can I ask why you no longer own the V1? Do I guess correctly? Is it the same mid stage lemon that some people describe the PD170 as?

Well thanks for your info and please do let me know of any other workarounds out there, if anyone has any.

Regards, Nick

[Vaughan Wood]

There was a long thread on capturing HDV on the Canopus boards quite a while ago, (well before they were closed), and the consensis from the Canopus mods was that you had to have XP SP2 installed to properly recognise HDV cameras.

It seemed to solve virtually all the capture recognition problems.

Hope this helps,

Vaughan

[Hugh Mobley]

I am starting to believe thst for all the money these new cams cost a new computer should be thrown in to eliminate all these little problems, new cam am year old computer, one can't keep up with other

[Zsolt Gordos]

Originally Posted by Hugh Mobley

I am starting to believe thst for all the money these new cams cost a new computer should be thrown in to eliminate all these little problems,

The thread started has a new Macbook.... The problem lies some place else.