Thanks Karl for the detailed information.
It's clear the HDV is a floating format where manufactures do their own thing and make modifications without distributing detailed documents of what is included in the formats or not.

Jeff, are you sure you were not using DV mode instead of the HDV mode when you saw the time-code?

Jeff, were your tests with recorded clips from tape, or from a live feed? JVC has confirmed for us that the timecode generator is downstream of the live feed provided by the FireWire port, which means direct-to-disk recorders like DV Rack will not record timecode from the HD-1 and HD-10.

Originally I was looking at recorded captures.

I just re-tested while capturing video.

1. turn on laptop,
2. start camera & connect 1394
3. start recording
4. as soon as you hit record on the camera, the timecode starts on the laptop in sync with the camera.

Please let me know if you need additional testing or anything. I would like to see timecode working for the GR-HDs if its possible.

Jeff,

I have tried to replicate this multiple times with our JVC GR-HD1U (serial number 118607XX) and have never been able to get accurate time code data direct from the camera without recording to tape first. All we have ever seen are jumbled numbers. After reading your initial post, I tried it again with the newest version of DV Rack, and got the same results.

In April 2005, at NAB, I had a discussion with a JVC rep about it, and was told that the timecode generator is downstream of the FireWire port, and won't output live via FireWire. At that time, he said this was one of the things they were addressing with their new line of HDV cameras (ProHD HD-100).

I've also talked with other HD-1 owners who reported a similar experience with garbled jumping timecode when recording live, and I've shared what I learned from the JVC rep.

I can't explain your results - maybe JVC revved the innards of the camera? Maybe there was a bad batch of cameras in the initial run? I don't have an answer for that.

The good news is that if it's in the M2T stream, then DV Rack will record it. If you can, please download the trial version of DV Rack 2.0 HD, and see if the timecode data is captured. Test out the M2T clip in your NLE, and report your results here.

i need something like this for Mac... No dvrack support for Mac?

There is something called DV MOTION for MAC. I'll find you a link for download.
Actually I tried this software on my Apple Laptop and it was almost like DV Rack. I accidently deleted it.

HD and DV Monitor Pro for Mac
 

HD Monitor Pro allows users with a Panasonic HVX200 to view, focus, optimize, record and organize high definition and standard definition video directly to their Macintosh computer. Users see 1:1 pixel accuracy even if they are using a screen resolution less than the full 1080 HD screen resolution of 1920x1080. This allows pixel perfect focusing in real time even on a 12 inch laptop screen. HD Monitor Pro will allow users to zoom in up to 400% or to auto scale the video to fit any size window.

Source:
http://www.redlightningsoftware.com/Home.html