Output to LCD monitor - Blue Screen
 

Hi All

I just noticed that when I play back video captured using the VCR facility on the XHA1, there is no video at all on the LCD or Viewfinder, only a blue screen.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Thanks for you help.

Shelton.

Re: Output to LCD monitor - Blue Screen
 

Hi, Shelton.......................

See what happens when you press FF.

If you can see video in FF mode, you might just have a case of the dreaded BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death).

Get back to me when you've tried it.


CS

PS: To be clear, press FF in Play mode, not just FF on it's own.

Re: Output to LCD monitor - Blue Screen
 

Chris

Pressing fast forward after pressing the play command does nothing - I just see the mins pass by on the LCD - and a blue screen -

Wait! As I type this the video is now playing back. But I do have something wrong with the cam.

Cheers
Shelton.

Re: Output to LCD monitor - Blue Screen
 

Well, maybe not.

The BSOD thing comes about because of the nature of HDV and it's GOP arrangement.

If the tape has not been completely seated into it's carriage during the load, the tape can and will mistrack during the write of recording.

When that happens, the "full frames" have enough information to diplay, however imperfectly, during FF or REW, but the "I" frames do not have enough information to be decoded from the data stream, already debased because the "full frames" are faulty to start with, hence the blue screen in "Play" mode.

In short, you're screwed.

It quite often happens with beginners who don't realise that correctly seated tapes are a must, or, more often, with multi tape shoots where the tapes need to be replaced in super quick time, and the requisite attention is not given to ensuring the tape has been fully pushed home.

The data is totally incapable of being recovered as, due to the mistracking, the data simply doesn't exist.

This is assuming, of course, that there isn't an issue with tape head cleaning, tape mistracking due to age/ lack of maintenance and all the other usual reasons that can screw up a tape.

Try running a tape head cleaner through the cam 3 or 4 times and see if that sorts it.

If this is a "one off" and it never happens for the next 6 months, it's a BSOD.

If it happens with every tape you record to, it's a camera problem.


CS

Re: Output to LCD monitor - Blue Screen
 

Hmm, seems to be a double post, sorry about that.


CS