Canon XL2 - Print to Video (tape)

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
this is what I did.

I exported my film to mini dv. It worked fine. I played it from the Canon XL2 and it was fine.

BUT................

when I put the tape into another camcorder, the tape jumped at certain scenes, the audio jumped at certain scenes. it looked like the tape was messed up!



what's up with that????



I ended up exporting to a Panasonic DVX100A and the tape worked fine on all the other camcorders we tested it on...



Is this a known issue that taped from an XL2 won't work well sometimes on another camcorder??



If that's the case, what am I supposed to do if i'm making a film for a contest where you don't have time to test if the minidv tape works???

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    Quote:

    Originally posted by O-Mac

    this is what I did.

    I exported my film to mini dv. It worked fine. I played it from the Canon XL2 and it was fine.

    BUT................

    when I put the tape into another camcorder, the tape jumped at certain scenes, the audio jumped at certain scenes. it looked like the tape was messed up!



    what's up with that????



    I ended up exporting to a Panasonic DVX100A and the tape worked fine on all the other camcorders we tested it on...



    Is this a known issue that taped from an XL2 won't work well sometimes on another camcorder??



    If that's the case, what am I supposed to do if i'm making a film for a contest where you don't have time to test if the minidv tape works???




    With MiniDV tapes you are supposed to stick to one type of brand usually Sony, Pansonic, or JVC... but you are not supposed to switch between them on a camcorder. There is something in the lubricant that the tapes use that is different in them and when they mix on the heads of your camcorder they cause it to get dirty and start jamming up.



    At least that is what I have heard. Could be that... I would suggest getting a head cleaner and running it through.



    Also make sure you are not recording in LP mode. Always stick with SP. I have recorded in LP mode and played it in a deck and it would play the tape but it glitched out all the time and there was little if no audio. Some decks and camcorders don't support LP.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    Quote:

    If that's the case, what am I supposed to do if i'm making a film for a contest where you don't have time to test if the minidv tape works???



    You should really qc any tape you are going to send out. Mini dv is also not the most reliable format. Anything you really care about I would try to either output onto something more robust or at least have the mini dv transferred to a more robust format.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    o-maco-mac Posts: 777member
    What is a more reliable format than mini dv?

    Should I have been using dvd instead?...
  • Reply 4 of 9
    Quote:

    Originally posted by O-Mac

    What is a more reliable format than mini dv?

    Should I have been using dvd instead?...




    masters usually go out as DLT's.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    o-maco-mac Posts: 777member
    sounds expensive...lololol...



    well, for the film contest we were in we had the option of vhs, dvd or mini dv...
  • Reply 6 of 9
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    Quote:

    well, for the film contest we were in we had the option of vhs, dvd or mini dv...



    DLT is expensive. You probably picked the best format for the contest given the options.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    o-maco-mac Posts: 777member
    are there any articles out there that explain these whacky differences with the cameras and dv tapes?



    it's a shame to go through all that shooting and editing and finalizing a film only to have the export go screwy like that...hahahaha...it's a heart stopper!!
  • Reply 8 of 9
    here's one on the tape issue:

    http://www.dvfreak.com/tape.htm
  • Reply 9 of 9
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    Quote:

    What is a more reliable format than mini dv?

    Should I have been using dvd instead?...



    The old standard was digibeta. These days dvcam is looking like the new standard. If you are intimidated by the price of these formats remember that you can always rent decks or have tapes transferred for a reasonable cost. Of course you also have to take the scope of your project into consideration.
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