I've searched the manual and this forum and can't find any references to this. I have a blinking icon in the middle of the EVF and I don't know what it is. Here's a pic I took. Any help? Thanks.

That means you have the record date and time function enabled. When this is flashing, the date and time will be permanently recorded to tape. It is buried about two pages down in the menu on the XL-H1.

Thanks for the reply. That's what I thought it was. Here is my dilemma... I videotape depositions and I need to have the time/date stamp showing. I'm not recording to a tape in the camera. Because the stamp doesn't export via FireWire, I'm running component out of the camera into a media converter and then running FireWire from that to a laptop. If
I was running a tape, the icon disappears when I start recording, but coming out component it doesn't.

Is there any way to turn off this icon?

Well...you could just use an old tape....over and over again...even though you're not using the footage on the tape...

BUT...I did hear that someone had figured out a way to "cheat" the deck...with a BLANK tape...

Maybe someone has heard this before....I would like to know...simply to be able to do it when recording to an outboard recorder...and not have to run an HDV tape also...

Well I have it figured out. Another legal videographer I chat with told me I'd have to get a separate time/date generator. I called Canon and after about 20 minutes, he told me to go to Display Setup>TV Screen>On. Well the TV Screen option was grayed out. He then had me hit the reset button on the camera. After I did, I went to Display Setup > Guide Info > D/T Display and then Display Setup > TV Screen > On. Now the flashing red icon is gone.

Thanks for the help!