Dreaded white DOT
 

Hi Everyone.

A little problem keeps re appearing (occasionally) and I wondered if anyone else had had the same. On some shoots, I get a little white dot, right and high of centre which is like a dead pixel kind of efect. It only happens sometimes, and unfortunately always seems to be when shooting for clients and the camera is on a long time and it's got all warm to the touch. I was wondering if this heat has something to do with it as I can't think of another reason. It has happened both on battery and mains operation.

I'm taking it back to the shop this week for them to have a look, and if they can't figure it out, it's off to JVC for a repair, but obviously I'd love to avoid the hassle.
Apart from that I love this camera, it's ace.

Cheers in advance.

Wayne

PS Cheers for the great book Steve, it's been of enormous help.

This happened to me too. I've had my camera since December and have never noticed it before, but it happened to some (not all) of the footage I filmed yesterday. The position and coloring of the pixel is exactly as you described it. My first thought was that the humidity of the shooting conditions played a role, as I was filming in a bathroom with the shower water running. Later, when I played back the footage on a TV and noticed the pixel, I filmed a few seconds to test it out--and that time the white pixel didn't appear.

Camera warmth is a factor I hadn't considered. I'm going to check my other footage to see if that might have been a cause before. Otherwise the only variable I can think of is the moisture.

So what did the shop determine, Wayne? Did you end up sending it back to JVC?

Hi Benjamin

I haven't had time to take it back yet and I have been using the camera for client's work so I'm afraid if it has to go back to JVC I'll be stuffed. I have two jobs coming up and then after that I might take it down and see. Since I got the camera in October, it has happened three times. all three occasions were warm conditions, only two were prolonged shooting where the camera got really quite hot.

Thanks for letting me know and if there's any news, I'll post it.

Interesting that you got yours in December and I got mine in October. Conceivably a 'bad batch'?

Wayne

Hopefully -- it's only heat.

Also try a System reset!

Dead Pixels... Similar issue
 

I've had my GZHD7 since December of 2007. I've been using it a quite a bit and am very happy with it.

I just got done recording a wedding last week and I noticed about 4 bright white pixels in the bottom center-left part of the screen. I went back to look at some older footage (from December year) and the pixels were there also. Funny I didn't really notice it until now. However, similar to what the OP is saying, it is not consistent. Some footage has the white pixels, others do not. It seems like the more video I record the more likely it is there.

Fortunately I got a 4 year extended warranty when I purchased the camera. I tried e-mailing the JVC site but found out they only cover 3 months labor and 12 months parts. They haven't replied back yet. I may try the system reset to see if it makes a difference.

I've done the system preset and am waiting to see if the white dot appears again. Since it is an intermittent fault I'll just have to wait.

Hopefully, it won't be when I'm using it for a real paid job like last time!!!!

In fact, hopefully, it won't be AT ALL!

I might get the camera hot and run it for a couple of hours to see if it turns up again. I'll try it sometime soon.

Anyone else have problems like this, feel free to let us know here

Wayne

I too just did the system preset, and will pay attention to see if it recurs. In the worst case scenario, however, I figured out a way to remove the dot in Final Cut Pro. (I just duplicated the video field and cropped the upper one to just around the white dot. The way that FCP composites the fields blended it mostly out of existence so it's only barely noticeable when on a solid black background.)

Sounds like a winner as a last resort I think.

I have some shoots to do in the next couple of weeks so I'll be able to keep an eye out for it.

Might just let the camera run now and let it get hot to see if it does it again.

Mind you, Kaushik should know how the camera behaves in the heat better than most, being in India and all…

Wayne

Ran the camera for two and a half hours straight this evening. The white dot wasn't there on the first file but was on the last. So it looks like its a heat thing.

Not good.

Wayne

The dot showed up in the filming I did today too. Not in the first few clips, but in the later ones, when the camera had time to warm up. It sure seems like that's the case, although it's not like the camera's getting TOO hot. My warranty lasts a year so I'm not in a big hurry to take this anywhere just yet (especially if it means I'll be going a while without a camera). I'd like to know what people's experiences are, though, if they DO go to JVC about this.

I'm curious how widespread a problem this is. If there's a good chance that any replacement camera I get has the same problem, then I don't know that I want to deal with the hassle.

Well I have a shoot on Tuesday, then on wednesday it goes back to the shop to be sent to JVC with examples of the white dot on DVD for them to look at.

When assembling the collection of short clips for the DVD, I noticed on one of them that, as the clip faded in from black, the dot wasn't there for the first second or so, then popped into shot loud and proud. Which I thought was odd.
Hadn't noticed that before.

I am assured it will be a ten day turnaround at JVC (Yeah, right!) I'll keep you posted

Wayne

Camera went in to the shop today. I showed the guys there the problem and have sent a DVD of examples with the camera to JVC for them to see too.

Might be a few weeks before I get it back, but as soon as I know anything, I'll post it.

Incidentally, I shot some stuff on friday for a few hours and same yesterday (just shortish clips) and not a white dot anywhere to be seen. hmm…

I wonder, if anyone has the time and inclination, if they would stick their HD7 on record for a few hours and see if they have any white dots at the end of proceedings? Any help/feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers

Wayne

Glad I found this forum and this post! I just got the GZ HD7 camera a week ago and noticed the white dot in some of my test shots. The heat thing could be it, because the dot only showed up after while (it wasn't there in the first few shots I made).
Here's a screenshot I took with VLC. Is the dot at the same location as with your cameras?

Same happened with video also? I am afraid I am using it since last more than one year but never noticed!

Kaushik

Mine is a little more to the right, but about the same distance from the top.

I'll post an example later when I figure out how to do it.

Kaushik,

Are you saying you have the same problem?

Here's an example of where mine shows up. It's not nearly as bright, but it's rather persistent once it appears.

Cheers for that David. Looks like you caught a burglar trying to make a getaway in that shot.

The example of my white dot is, I admit, the worst its ever been. Sometimes it's only about as bright as yours. BUT, if there was a chance it would reappear as bright as that, then obviously I had to do something about it.

The weird thing was, that in assembling a range of clips to put on DVD to send to JVC with the camera, I noticed that when this particular clip faded in from black, it was only a second or so afterwards when the white dot 'pinged' into view. Very odd.

The chap in the shop said, "oh it'll be a dead pixel" but if there's 3 CCDs, then it would have to be the same on all three surely? and then it would also be evident ALL the time, not just when the camera got hot.

That's my bogus theory anyway. We'll wait and see what JVC say about it, if anything.

Got the HD7 back again this afternoon, after two weeks away for repair under guarantee. The note to JVC from the shop said; 1 dead pixel on playback Approx 1/3 from top, 40% from right hand side.'

Note from JVC engineer that came back with the camera says: 'Installed software upgrade - Serviced and aligned as required.' (aligned what exactly?)

Not very helpful at all I feel, but the camera is on test as we speak and I'll see if the white dot reappears after a few hours constant filming and the camera gets good and warm.

Interesting to note that the 'software upgrade' did not alter any of my menu settings as they exactly as they were when the camera went in to the shop two weeks ago. I would have thought it would have reset everything to factory default. makes me suspicious.

That's interesting…

it's been recording for hours and it doesn't get half as warm as it did before…

Odd.

Well after completely filling the hard drive with 1440CBR with the camera left to run so it got warm, after reviewing the shots there's no white dot at all.

Looks promising…

Hello Wayne,
Thanks for keeping us up to speed! This sounds very promising, I might go by the store this week and drop off my camera too.

yes, indeed, no white dot.

I'll do some more testing today.

Fantastic! Thanks for the update. I'll look into getting mine fixed/replaced.

Well I did two more lots of testing yesterday, just filling the hard drive and ten copying it to the Mac and reviewing and so far despite the camera getting quite warm, there's now evidence of the white dot.

Let's hope that's the last I've seen of it.

good luck with getting yours sorted too guys.

Wayne

Wayne,

No I have not seen any dot on my video, I am glad your HD7 is not showing anymore that white dot! Have you posted your videos online? So then I can see your work!

Kaushik

Hi Kaushik,
I don't have any videos posted yet as most of my stuff has been for clients and it's not fair that I use their material on the web without permission.

I have some holiday footage (megabytage?) in SP which I shot in the States last October which I might post sometime.

Have done some more testing today and still no white dot so I'm actually starting to believe it may actually be properly fixed.

Good stuff.

Hi Guys,

have put a couple of experimental pieces up on Vimeo

http://www.vimeo.com/user506080/videos

These were both done with the HD7

David and Sander,

any news on your HD7s? Have they been sorted yet.

Mine still has no white dot so I'm very pleased with the outcome, just wondered about yours

Hello Wayne!
The camera was needed last week and I need it myself this friday. Returning it for repair was not an option since I have no other HD camera to work with. Probably bring to to the store this friday after filming is done. I'll keep you posted! It's good to hear your white dot has gone!

Since I'm past the first period of my warranty (free parts or free labor... I forget which), and I'm pretty much filming every week or every two weeks, I'm going to wait for a while before getting this fixed. In the meantime, I'm using a friend's HD7 as my "A" camera and have relegated the "white dot" HD7 as the "B" camera, taking care to turn it off whenever possible to limit the prevalence of the dot. With this method, I should only see the dot on maybe 5% of my remaining footage, and I can fix that in Final Cut Pro, so it's not a huge concern. Just an annoyance.

My friend had purchased his HD7 at a Best Buy and had paid for their warranty, and we were GOING to see if we could take advantage of that benefit... except no Best Buy remotely near us has one in stock. All they have is the HD6, which I have zero interest in due to the lack of manual controls/focus ring, and the horrible front placement of the accessory shoe. (I have a mic that would stick so far out on that camera, it would be in the top of every shot!)

Once we have a decent break time in our filming (or maybe once we're done), we'll go the repair route.

OK Guys I appreciate the situations, I was in that position myself and had to wait for a break before taking it back.

I'd love to pick up another one for the odd occasion I have need of two but since things are happening on the JVC front at the moment, I'm not sure whether to wait and see if they come up with a true replacement for the HD7 with some proper progressive capture. Since I'm not in a rush, the latter option is more likely.

Keep me up to speed when you get sorted, for, well no apparent reason really, just interested,

all the best

Avey

The strangest thing happened. I'm preparing some demo material to show when returning the camera to point out the problem. But all of a sudden the white dot has changed location! It's now located in the bottom right half of the screen instead of center middle...

Edit: Hm, ok the other dot is back, so I've got 2 dots, they show up depending on the amount of light... I'll try to make a screenshot with both pixels visible.

How odd. Mind you, mine was always intermittent. More on than off towards the end but still, not always there. Thing with that is, you can guarantee that when it's the most important, that's when it would appear.

Well, the cam is back to JVC. It'll be back in 2 to 3 weeks. Let's hope the software update/adjustment works!
My (3!) dots on video: http://vimeo.com/1260185

Nice One Sander, and take heart, mine is STILL white dot free and working like a little gem
Check out some of my little experiments. And there's quite a few nice people on Vimeo using the same camera.

http://www.vimeo.com/user506080/videos

Your dots behave like my dot did, sometimes larger sometimes smaller depending on the background it's laid against. In fact, I couldn't see the one on the left until right near the end of your clip.

So, let me know when you're dot-free.

Yo, this sucks man!! I got a dot, just one and I noticed it a few months back. I thought it was my LCD screen, then noticed video in other peeps screens had it too, so then I even noticed it on my JVC LCD screen!! Anyways, Ive had mine, pretty much since these babies started selling 2 yrs (??) ago. Anyways, I JUST registered mine tonight, is there anyway into tricking the JVC site and buying an extended 5 yr warranty?? Would they require receipt or anything or just the fact that I registered it last night?? If they required receipt (I could get a reprint from Circuit City)...any possible way of photoshopping and changing the date or something?? Anyways, hope everyone elses gets fixed!! Thanks!!

GC

That's bad news dude. Best speak to Circuit City first, they would probably be more sympathetic to printing you a receipt with a new date on. I know that the shop I bought mine from printed out the receipt for me to send off with the camera because I forgot to bring my original one to the shop with me.

This doesn't seem like a widespread problem as there's only four people I know who have experienced it, but it's still something I'm sure that JVC are well aware of.

Yea, it just kinda sucks you know. I got this thing when it FIRST came out which was like $1499. I think Im gonna have to get on the inside with someone and see if they cant print me out a new receipt with a new purchase date. Im gonna see if there is no way I can photoshop you know? Somehow lay the receipt on printer paper and reprint. Those Circuit City receipts are CRAPPY, they fade out completely after a few months. I could probably get a faded one out, copy everything onto it lol.

Or do your photoshopping and then print it out to look like you just photocopied the real receipt… send photocopies of the warranty and stuff to back it up, like you 'don't trust the post with the real stuff'. HA!

Send them a DVD of clips showing the white dot too, that's what I did and it helped.