Canon XL-H1 capture and monitor playback not working

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Level 8

43,110 points

Canon XL-H1 capture and monitor playback not working

Yes...that's right... I am asking a question.

I have been doing some shooting with the Canon XL-H1. So that I can actually say that I have shot and worked with HDV footage. And so I can test the Matrox MXO with HDV footage. Shooting has been fun, but now it comes to time to capture the stuff...or even play it back on my HD monitor, and for the life of me it isn't working.

Yes...I read the manual. In fact, that is one of the reasons I am writing.

In the manual, on page 98, it says to play back the footage I need to pres MENU, go to the SIGNAL SETUP option and choose PLAYBACK STD and set it to the format that I have been shooting, DV or HDV. Well, that option is greyed out...I cannot access it. Same thing for capturing, I need to set this to the format I shot to capture it, but it isn't available. It won't let me select it.

Any ideas why?

APPLE, ARE YOU LISTENING!?!

Shane

Dual 2G G5, 3.5GB RAM, Powerbook 1.67ghz-1.5GB RAM, Dell 2405 Monitors, Mac OS X (10.4.7), Kona LH, 2xG-Raid 500GB, 2.5TB Dark Tower SATA Raid, FCP 5.1.2

Posted on Feb 11, 2007 10:09 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 11, 2007 11:43 AM in response to Shane Ross

i too have had similar problems, firstly unplug the firewire cable and then it changes from grey to make it selectable, but i had to turn the cam on and off , plug in the fw and unplug a few times in different orders, but then fcp didnt see it in hdv1080i easy setup. So i tried fcp in 25p easy setup, and it worked, then changed it to 1080i and it still worked and works. It didnt and doesnt like switching from dv to hdv.
hope this helps

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Answer 2

Feb 11, 2007 12:11 PM in response to benjiblanco22

It wouldnt let me edit that last comment, but just wanted to make it sound more like english...

Firstly... to change the canon's playback std, the firewire cable must be unplugged.

Secondly, to capture hdv from the canon into fcp after capturing dv, the HDV1080i easy setup did not initialize the canon. I then tried using the HDV-1080p25 setup and it initialized the canon fine. From this setting i then tried the HDV-1080i setup again and it initialized fine.

I regularly swap from hdv to dv with the canon and fcp, i was hoping to find the correct order for changing from 1 to the other in this forum, but this 'solution' has worked.

MacPro 2.6 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 3

Feb 11, 2007 2:06 PM in response to benjiblanco22

I don't think this is a FCP issue, the same thing happens in PPro.

You need to make sure that your camera is not connected to the computer, set the output to either HDV, Down convert from HDV to DV or DV. Then turn the camera off, plug in the FW cable, turn the camera back on and then start up FCP.

The camera has to reboot into the std you want to use and if you have it hooked up to the computer when you do this which ever NLE you are using won't recognize it. Not all cameras shut down to reboot, some have a long pause, but by re-starting it you know for sure.

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Answer 4

Shane Ross Author

Level 8

43,110 points

Feb 11, 2007 5:14 PM in response to benjiblanco22

Thanks Ben and Chuck. That did it. Unplugging the firewire from the camera FIRST. That goes against all that I learned about devices and firewire...to plug them in THEN turn them on. That is why I didn't think of it.

Now...still not getting HD SDI signal to the HD monitor, nor am I able to capture. But issuing stars for the question I asked.

I am in NTSC land, so the PAL options won't work. But, I tried ALL the easy setups and still the camera is not being recognized.

Stupid HDV....(grin)

Shane

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Answer 5

Feb 11, 2007 5:29 PM in response to Shane Ross

I know you just said you tried All the easy set-ups, but thinking about it more, I think it was the Apple Intermediate Codec that helped 'wake' my Xl-h1 up initially.

Hope you get there.

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Answer 6

Shane Ross Author

Level 8

43,110 points

Feb 11, 2007 5:56 PM in response to benjiblanco22

Sorry man, tried that one too.

BUT...I was able to get an HD SDI signal. I was plugging it into the wrong BNC location. Composite one...then I saw the one marked HD SDI. Doh!

So I will be capturing this footage via my Kona LH as DVCPRO HD. Shame, I wanted to try HDV native.

Shane

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Answer 7

Feb 11, 2007 6:33 PM in response to Shane Ross

You should capture the asme footage HDV native and compare. I believe in the camera shootout Barry Green and others did when the HVX came out the XL-1H did quite well.

You might be surprised...[grin]

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Answer 8

Shane Ross Author

Level 8

43,110 points

Feb 11, 2007 6:46 PM in response to Charles Spaulding

I WANT TO! But I cannot. FCP does not recognize the camera as being connected. The computer does. FCP..nope. But I really want it to work so that I can compare.

Interesting that the HDV footage is 1080i 29.97. Not 59.94 like "real" HD formats. Must be a limitation of the DV tape format. I never master at 1080 29.97, always 59.94 or 23.98. so I wonder how this would work out. But I also did shoot at 24f which is supposed to be 23.98...I think. Or a 24frame LOOK at 29.97.

HD shouldn't run at 29.97...that is an NTSC format.

Shane

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Answer 9

tallguy

Level 4

1,415 points

Feb 12, 2007 7:38 AM in response to Shane Ross

pesky stuff. the only rock solid way I've found is bump the 1080i to DVCProHD1080i via tape deck set ext TC LTC run the audio thru a aphex bump box to get to +4 and HDSDI for video. kinda lame not having embedded audio. yes 24 is 2:3 over 29.97 no RP188 tc flags on injest. if timecode doesn't matter uncontrollable device HDSDI in thru Kona Aphex bump box thru flying cow to AES in on Kona.
pesky stuff

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Answer 10

Shane Ross Author

Level 8

43,110 points

Feb 12, 2007 7:58 AM in response to tallguy

Pesky stuff indeed. And the camera costs $8500. A lot considering that I need to capture it as DVCPRO HD. I'd rather buy the HVX-200 and an extra card (It ships with one, so a total of two) and then get a P2 store. $9000 and I am shooting a better format to begin with.

I will admit though, that the Canon puts out a great image.

Shane

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Answer 11

tallguy

Level 4

1,415 points

Feb 12, 2007 8:01 AM in response to Shane Ross

yes it does we've intercut it with sonyF900 and bumped up varicam. if it's used appropriately for a look or POV works out well but dang pesky to deal with and only 1080i

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Answer 12

Shane Ross Author

Level 8

43,110 points

Feb 12, 2007 11:46 AM in response to tallguy

Hey Tall, how do you capture from this camera via HD SDI thru a capture card and retain TC? Or have you just used a deck? Because I know that the footage from this camera will play back on a Sony HDV deck...

Shane

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Answer 13

tallguy

Level 4

1,415 points

Feb 12, 2007 4:47 PM in response to Shane Ross

it'll play back if you shoot at 29.97 thru the sony but won't play back thru sony if you shoot at 24. The only way I can keep TC is to bump it to DVCProHD tape, then use the HD deck to injest via HDSDI. for cheap clients TC is out the window, or they may just need a few shots or pickups and they'll line it up visually. what I want to try next time it's used in house is come off the hdsdi spigot to a Panasonic HD Deck @ 1080i. The Canon rep says the optical block is full HD passed to the HDSDI spigot, only becomes HDV when it hits tape. I'd like to test see if it's smoke and mirrors or what. goal is to compare oranges to oranges.
set up chip charts focus charts and the like do some pans zooms see if we can see a difference between the dvcproHD tape and the HDV tape HDSDI in. Just a want to know thang.

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Answer 14

Shane Ross Author

Level 8

43,110 points

Feb 12, 2007 5:06 PM in response to tallguy

Thanks man.

Shane

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