Sending SMPTE to the BNC I/O?
 

Does anone know if the BNC I/O on the right side of the XL2 will accept genlock or even better--SMPTE? My goal is to have several XL2's each with it's own hard disk recorder. I would like to send a time code feed to each camera via the BNC input. Hopefully, the time code will be sent thru the firewire stream and into the HDD... that's my hope anyway...

I've read thru the manual, or at least the first part in my native laungauge... and didn't gleam too muhc useful info on input/output options. I know it will GENeRATE a few flavors of time code, but will it READ it?

The other half of my diabolical plot is to "live switch" three of the little honies, but I'll save that for another day... LOL

Any advice proffered is welcome!

Kevan I have a simular question. I am recording to a hardisc recorder for events. I am not going to record to tape because I don't want to stop recording to change tapes. What I'm not sure about is if timecode is sent over firewire in free-run mode if you don't press record on the camera. (I'll press record on the harddisc recorder.) I plan on setting the cameras to freerun as described in this artcle www.dvinfo.net/canonxl2/articles/article11.php to sync timecode. The signal will travel from a Camplex camera adapter over coaxial to a live switcher. The harddisc is for back up and cut aways during edit

Kevan:

<< Does anone know if the BNC I/O on the right side of the XL2 will accept genlock or even better--SMPTE? >

No, absolutely it does not. There most definitely is no genlock, no TC input. There is a workaround, however: see my article "Using Free Run Time Code as an External Sync Substitute for XL2 Multi-Camera Shoots" for more info.

Kevin:

<< What I'm not sure about is if timecode is sent over firewire in free-run mode if you don't press record on the camera. >>

No reason why it shouldn't work. I'm in no position to test this at the moment, but I can't see any reason why you can't do this. Please be sure to report back how this works for you,

DV time code extractor
 

Here is a possible solution

www.spcomms.com/ltcexport

Great article Chris

would it work with an xl2 and an xl1?



how about manually setting all to zero on off brand cams using free run- would it be better than nothing?

Kent: the XL1 does not have the timecode options that the XL2
has, so no, that would not work.