Problems with HDV capture with HVR-M25U

[Victor Perez]

The HVR-25U outputs in either SD or HD. If you can capture video & Audio in SD from it, you need to change the menu settings on the deck to output in HD thru your firewire.

good luck

Victor

[Aaron Ekroth]

To clarify, I mean I am able to capture and control regular DV (NTSC) tapes with the deck, so the connection works. When I use the HDV material I change all settings I can find in the deck to make sure I’m sending the right signal (as HDV etc).

The problem is, the deck doesn’t seem to be recognized when I switch over to the HDV easy setup is all.

I’ve also tried setting up an internal downconvert through the deck (just to try to capture some material with my DV-anamorphic Easy setup) and while I am able to view, control, log footage, I’m having many errors on import, dropped frames, etc.

Wondering if it’s a problem with my version of FCP (6.0) or maybe an old FCP preferences problem? There may be some other menu I’m not handling correctly on the deck, but I think I’ve set it up properly.

Anybody else ever have these problems with these configurations?

Thanks-

Aaron Ekroth
Editor – Designer

FCP 6.0 dual 2.3 GHz PowerPC G5, OSX 10.4.11

[Jerry Alto]

Aaron- Some things to check.

First- Turn off deck and disconnect firewire cable. Turn on deck and go to deck menu and choose HDV (not auto or DV). Turn iLink down convert to off. Turn off the deck.

Quit out of Final Cut Pro (Final Cut cannot be running while you mount the deck for HDV.)

Connect your firewire cable to a an independent firewire bus (no other firewire devices can be connected)>Turn on your deck.

Go to Apple icon (upper left of screen)>more info>firewire devices. Can you see your deck? Do not proceed until your computer sees the deck.

If the computer sees the deck launch FCP. Choose Easy Setup that matches your recorded format exactly.

HTH,
Jerry

G5 Dual 3GB Ram
FCP Studio 6.02
External 1 TB SATA Raid 0
Kona LH, Second system w AJA ioLA
Sony Z-1
GV-HD700

[Aaron Ekroth]

Thanks for the great advice! Was able to work it out after following those suggestions and also trashing the prefs.

Much Appreciated-

Aaron Ekroth
Editor – Designer

FCP 6.0 dual 2.3 GHz PowerPC G5, OSX 10.4.11

[Neil Sadwelkar]

If you’ve just got an HVR-M25U and if you have the option of returning it you should. It has the most notoriously fragile Firewire ports of any VTR I’ve seen. At our facility, we have 4 units whose Firewire ports blew. Replaced by Sony, they blew again. Now two are fine two not.

Sony advices that the host the deck is connected to must be powered off before the deck is connected. And this can be a real pain. Hot plug does NOT work with the Firewire ports of an HVR-M25U.

the new M-35U may have fixed this issue, but the 1500 seems to be more robust. We normally use an inexpensive Sony consumer HDV camcorder for capture. A under $ 1000 its cheaper than out of warranty repairs on an M25U.

To answer your question, ensure that the output settings in the VTR are for HDV or Auto. And the downconvert is off. Then make sure the VTR is at 60i or 50i depending on how your tapes were shot.

FCP Editor, Mumbai, India.
Completely PAL.

[Aynsley Baldwin]

I second that thank-you!!!