[Jhwilson]

FYI, the next test I will do is to replace the DSR-11 (20) with a TRV900 camera. I will capture to the camera from an analog source and see if the camera passes the timecode to the Firestore. In theory, it should work. If that does work, it would lead me to believe that there is a distinct difference in the DV stream emitted from the DSR and TRV products.

If it doesn’t work, then I’m pretty much still in the same mud hole!

Mac G5, Dual 2.0, Pioneer A109, 10.4.2, FCP 5, 2 GB DDR SDRAM

[Jhwilson]

Strange, I’m now replying to my own posts

[Jhwilson]

I wish we lived close, Thax, no doubt we have a lot in common and would be friends.

I am going to try the DSR-20 right away. I have had it in production and couldn’t up to now, but it’s on my agenda now.

Ironically, I have tried my Firestore in the loop we have been discussing. I can’t get the Firestore to even come on. When coming straight out of the DSR-11, with the DSR-11 in record mode, the Firestore just sits there and waits for timecode that never comes. I, too, thought the Firestore would be my answer. If it is, I just haven’t figured out how it is.

This is what led me to believe there was no time code coming from the DSR-11 record stream when recording from an analog source. I know it is striping a timecode to tape, I’m just not as sure as you are that the DSR-11 is passing the timecode on.

BTW and FYI, I tried to start the Firestore automatically and manually and it made no difference. There was no preference I found, no combination I could press that would start the hard drive to recording while coming from the DSR-11 in manual mode. BUT, you have me thinking. I can try that out with the DSR-20 without even moving it.

I will bring my Firestore to work today and hook it to my DSR-20. I will set the 20 for analog inputs and start recording on the deck. I’ll then see if I can get the Firestore to (1) come on and (2) capture without losing any frames.

I’ll let you know.

Mac G5, Dual 2.0, Pioneer A109, 10.4.2, FCP 5, 2 GB DDR SDRAM

[Jhwilson]

OK, tests are over and here’s what I find with my situation:

1. Camera hooked straight to mac running FCP5 with no tape in camera. Capture was done on non-controllable device and it dropped frames just like the original post. It runs fine for a while and then drops some frames

[Jhwilson]

I’m going to try a multitude of tests tonight based upon our discussion.

One interesting thing I’ve tried today at work is with the dsr-20.

when you switch the input to analog, the FW NTSC setting still controls the deck.

But you’re absolutely correct, there is no setting to record in the capture window. I think I will try to take the DSR-20 as well tonight and see if it will do something the DSR-11 won’t. At least it will function with the input on analog.

Mac G5, Dual 2.0, Superdrives, 10.3.3, FCP 4.5, 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM

[Jhwilson]

Man, I really appreciate the suggestions. It has me thinking a different direction here.

I have always started the DSR-11 recording and then tried to capture. If what you’re saying is true, and the DSR-11 has timecode in the stream, why couldn’t I then use the Firewire NTSC to start the recording of the DSR-11 and try it that way?

To answer your question, yes, it will capture an hour tape with no dropped frames and no problems. It will sometimes capture almost flawlessly using the non-controllable device as well. All of our cameras going into the Videonics mixer are as you described

[Jhwilson]

I saw that as well yesterday. Hard to miss that new catalog!

I hate to try that suggestion just because of the price and it appears that you STILL have to have an external time code generator to interface with it.

Kind of expensive to test a theory for me.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Mac G5, Dual 2.0, Superdrives, 10.3.3, FCP 4.5, 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM

[Jhwilson]

We tried to remedy the situation by installing the new 300 gb hard drive that we’re using now. It is empty, only used for capture and we can’t keep it going without droppig something.

Again, it will capture fine when playing from the DV tape with the time code…I am suspecting a time code issue with the non-controllable device.

I wish the DSR-11 would “add” a time code to the stream so it would appear as a Firewire NTSC device and stream the time code with the video.

I also have access to a DSR-20, but I don’t know if it would be the same thing.

Mac G5, Dual 2.0, Superdrives, 10.3.3, FCP 4.5, 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM

[Jhwilson]

I appreciate your help, even though it leaves me where I started. Thanks for the effort.

To answer your question, I mentioned in my first post that it is a separate internal drive and it’s plenty fast.
It will capture for 10 minutes fine then started dropping three or four frames every minute or so.
If it followed a pattern I believe I could find it, but it just won’t pattern out.

The extra hour would not be so bad except that we’re on the air 3 hours after the service ends.
That extra hour could be a whole lot of help!

Thanks.

Mac G5, Dual 2.0, Superdrives, 10.3.3, FCP 4.5, 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM

[Jhwilson]

I’m actually coming from a videonics MX mixer with four analog video cameras in a church. We’re coming from the videonices with an S-video signal to the DSR-11, then capturing as I mentioned before.

If the videonics puts out timecode, I’m not aware of that, so I’m all ears!

Mac G5, Dual 2.0, Superdrives, 10.3.3, FCP 4.5, 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM