Slow SD Playback

[Andy]

I've had my new HV20 for just a few weeks and I've really been loving the recording and playback of high def video!

I have some old SD MiniDV tapes which I've tried to play back in the HV20, and they play back sort of slowly with no audio. It's just a little slower than real time (video is choppy) and I get no audio playback ("STEREO1" flickers on screen during playback). I've tried capturing the video as well in FCE 4, but the audio and video are choppy, along with messed up time code.

No problems with HDV though. What am I doing wrong? Any info is greatly appreciated!!

--Andy

[kafeero]

According to canon on
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...elTechSpecsAct

it says supported playback is only 1080/60i, 1080/24P, 1080/30F, 1080/24F.

Now I've heard capturing an SD tape with a HV20. Apparently there is an option you have to change in the "Playback standard" menu.

[Lunchbox]

HV20 can play back standard SD mini-DV tape. Do you remember if your video was shot in LP mode? That might be a problem.

[Andy]

I'm pretty sure the tapes were recorded in SP mode. Some of them are from other people (I didn't shoot the footage). When I load the tape and hit play, it says DV and SP on screen, but it plays back a little slow with no audio, and "stereo1" flickers. I've tried various tapes with the same results.

--Andy

[Lunchbox]

Is it possible they are shoot in different signal system? You can't play PAL tape in NTSC machine.

[Andy]

Nope - everything is NTSC. I'm on the phone with Canon right now...

[Lunchbox]

Let us know how it goes. good luck

[Andy]

The woman I'm speaking with on the phone is surprised that I've gotten any kind of playback with a SD tape from another camera. She says that the camera doesn't support the playback of regular SD MiniDV tapes, only tapes which it has recorded.

Seems strange, but I guess it's not capable of playing back SD tapes. She said that if the tape was recorded with exactly the same specs as what the HV20 uses, that it might work. But it's not supported. Oh well.

[Lunchbox]

That's not true. I have tapes recorded with Canon GL2 (Standard Def). They play back fine in HV20.

[Andy]

Maybe Canon SD cameras are compatible, but so far I've been out of luck with SD MiniDV tapes playing on the HV20. Though the woman on the phone sounded like she didn't really know for sure what the situation was with SD playback on the camera.

[Andy]

Interesting update... it seems as though the tapes which weren't playing may have been bad tapes. If not bad tapes, then maybe the deck used to the record the tapes had some unusual settings. I tried other SD tapes from another source and they seemed to work just fine! So, maybe there isn't a problem with playing SD tapes from other decks on the HV20.

[Lunchbox]

Crisis over! good that you help proved HV20 can play back SD tapes recorded from other cam. Also it proves the rep at Canon doesn't know what they are talking about.

[MikeeMike]

The woman I'm speaking with on the phone is surprised that I've gotten any kind of playback with a SD tape from another camera. She says that the camera doesn't support the playback of regular SD MiniDV tapes, only tapes which it has recorded.

Seems strange, but I guess it's not capable of playing back SD tapes. She said that if the tape was recorded with exactly the same specs as what the HV20 uses, that it might work. But it's not supported. Oh well.

Recognize what the woman said: My SD miniDV-tapes shot on a JVC-camera don't work..... Sadly. When I try, the camera says "Playback std locked" "Playback is restricted".
It was one of the reasons I bought this camera: so I could playback my old tapes....

[Fred Dwyer]

MikeeMike:
Your camera is telling you what is wrong. You have your playbeack standard locked to HDV, so you can only play HDV recorded tapes. Go to the playback menu and change it to either "Automatic" or "DV."

[MikeeMike]

MikeeMike:
Your camera is telling you what is wrong. You have your playbeack standard locked to HDV, so you can only play HDV recorded tapes. Go to the playback menu and change it to either "Automatic" or "DV."

I have done that already many times, but nothing works; neither automatic nor DV. It keeps giving the same message......!

[jgenemans]

My HV20 plays back standard SD JVC recorded mini-DV tapes of 3 different brands of tapes. It auto-detects tape, and plays back accordingly. No issues here with that respect.

[CycleWriter]

The woman I'm speaking with on the phone is surprised that I've gotten any kind of playback with a SD tape from another camera. She says that the camera doesn't support the playback of regular SD MiniDV tapes, only tapes which it has recorded.

Seems strange, but I guess it's not capable of playing back SD tapes. She said that if the tape was recorded with exactly the same specs as what the HV20 uses, that it might work. But it's not supported. Oh well.

This makes sense, actually. While the MiniDV standard is used by all manufacturers, I don't think it applies specifically to tape transport speeds. In other words, there can be minor tape speed variances between one brand and even models of the same brand making playback across different devices result in the problems you're seeing.

[previdman]

I've played back mini DV tapes on my HV20/30 that was originally recorded on everything from Sony V1000 to Samsung crap ass camcorders.

The only time I had a problem was one of the Samsucks... uh, Samsungs was out of adjustment just enough to not playback on another device.. not even a same model Samsung. It would, however, play back its own recorded footage just fine. (Note that once the tape was recorded over in another camera, all was fine.)

In days of yore S/VHS decks featured a manual tracking adjustment control to compensate for variances between record and playback units. All pro decks had it but 8/Hi8mm units eliminated it and S/VHS units went to digital tracking. Not as handy, IMHO.

Maybe the original camcorder was just enough out of spec to not allow proper playback on any other unit.

JM2C, FWIW.

[Rich]

The tape speed is part of the MiniDV "Standard"

All "MiniDV" systems should play back all "MiniDV" tapes as long as they are recorded in the SP mode and same broadcast standard (NTSC or PAL).

The same also applies with Digital8 systems.

But tape transports age, wear out, get abused, bathed, sunburned, dropped. kicked and fed various forms of grit/dirt/sand... So they go out of tolerance....



Rich

[MikeeMike]

The tape speed is part of the MiniDV "Standard"

All "MiniDV" systems should play back all "MiniDV" tapes as long as they are recorded in the SP mode and same broadcast standard (NTSC or PAL).

The same also applies with Digital8 systems.

But tape transports age, wear out, get abused, bathed, sunburned, dropped. kicked and fed various forms of grit/dirt/sand... So they go out of tolerance....



Rich

I guess your right: have tried playing some more tapes I recorded on my old JVC, and some of them are played back on the HV20 and some of them not!