Help regarding JVC GY HD101

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Alestorm
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Joined: Apr 29 2013
Hi everyone
Long time lurker here (even if most of it goes over my head!)
 
The issue that prompted me to post is regarding my JVC GY HD101. I've had this camera a year or so and the firewire output has never worked in the time I've owned it. (despite the previous owner assuring me it worked last time he tried it) It's only been mildly annoying so far as I've only needed to shoot in the SD mode and used a cheap camera to capture to Avid. However I obviously want to use the camera as God intended in 720 HD mode so I can horse around with some short film, and without a working firewire I need some way to capture footage. Now there are options, the best clearly being investing in some form of tape deck compatible with the shooting format of 720 HD. But this is very pricey / difficult to obtain and being that I'm not a professional videographer isn't really option unless it a lot cheaper than the four figure prices I've found. The next avenue I tried was having the board replaced to restore firewire functionality which I gather is actually a relitively straight forward operation. The repair outfits JVC put me in touch with either didn't seem too interested or quoted prices more than the camera is worth, and whilst I am of course prepared to spend to get the problem fixed it's clearly pointless paying more than the going rate for a second hand camera. So, I've been trying to come up with a work around, and my list is short and quite predictable
 
1. Purchase a cheaper HDV 720 camera - Problem being JVC didn't do any consumer 720 HDV cameras. In fact, I'm not sure if anyone does. And even if they did there is the cross brand compatibility issue. I'm simply not savvy enough to know what if anything (I suspect the if anything option) is available that would be compatible with the JVC's HDV footage
 
2. Find a spare / repairJVC GY HD body - Obviously it only needs a working tape deck and firewire. The exact model isn't a problem.  I've kept an eye on Ebay and there was one a couple of months ago on for a quite reasonable sum but I forgot all about it and it had expired before I remembered (I know, I'm a berk)
 
So, if anyone is still with me after this length missive (!), does anyone have any thoughts on the above. Does anyone know of a solution for number 1, or alternatively does anyone have or know of an incapacitated / not used JVC GY HD but able to serve the function of number 2, which they are also willing to let go for a reasonable price (a long shot I know)?
 
Or if anyone has any other thoughts or advice on how to get around my little problem relatively cheaply then it would be much appreciated. I've grown quite fond of this camera and it'd be a real shame to get rid of it because otherwise it is in perfect working order apart from the admittedly large drawback of noth being able to get footage from it
 
Thanks for reading, Chris
 
Gavin Gration
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Joined: Jul 29 1999
Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Hi Chris,
 
Welcome - good to see an outed lurker.
 
Look for a Decklink or Matrox MXO2 with HD component input.
 
Might be cheapest option.
foxvideo
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Are you also sure the FW out is not working - they can be very difficult to setup to ingest into an NLE, many NLE's don't like JVC HD footage or refuse to see the FW in - What / how are you editing in / with?

JVC (Staples Corner, London) repaired my FW out socket, cost around £300. JVC 100/101/200 cameras do come up on eBay, setup a search and then save it - eBay will then email if any get listed in any category - they don't always get listed where you expect to find them!  BR-HD50 decks come up occasionally on eBay  the price for them has dropped through the floor, the last one I spotted didn't sell for £400. You don't say where you are based (I have a BR-HD50 deck and could transfer to your tapes to portable / external hard drive).

(Apologies if this gets posted twice - forum went screwy on me!)

Dave Farrants Fox Video Editing

Mark M
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Joined: Nov 17 1999
Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
I'll go back to the question about whether the FW out on the camera is really functioning or not...
 
Are you on a PC? If so what operating system are you using? If it's Windows 7, does the computer recognise that the camera has been plugged in, regardless of whether you can capture or not? If so, it could be a Firewire driver issue. The recommended setting for Windows 7 PCs is to change the driver from a specific one to the "1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller (Legacy)".

 

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Alestorm
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Joined: Apr 29 2013
Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Hi Guys,
Firstly, thanks very much for taking the time to read and reply, it really is much appreciated. I'm definately more creative than technical (or indeed practical!), and I'm painfully aware there is an near infinite amount of stuff I don't know when it comes to getting ideas from my head to an audience in the form of a piece of media. I've developed workflows that work for me but when I come across the inevitable problems, I've had a lot of help from people on this forum unbeknownst to the posters themselves, simply by reading posts and trying to apply the wealth of wonderful knowledge to my own work.
 
Thanks Gavin for the pointer to the Decklink or Matrox MXO2, I don't know anything about them but after a cursory look I can see that they could indeed fit the bill. I'll do some research into what I need.
 
Mark and Dave, I operate Avid Media Composer 3 off an XP system, and I simply use the capture tool within Avid to import footage directly. I know Avid is intolerably fussy in a number of areas including recognition of input devices, however the thing that makes me suspect the firewire is that the computer doesn't recognise anything at all when I turn on the camera, I don't get an alert that it is even searching for drivers or that it it has detected an unrecognised deice. Is this a clear indication that it is the firewire, or could it still be the firewire is ok and I need a driver? This would obviously be the best scenario as I'd have thought it to be the cheapest
 
Thanks Dave for the offer of transfering the tapes, that really is great though I suspect I live too far away for it to be viable given I live at the end of the longest cul-de-sac in Britain (Barrow-in-Furness!). I'll certainly check out the guys you mentinoed that fixed your firewire, as I mentioned I contacted JVC who gave me the name of 3 repair houses. 2 were unrealistically expensive / weren't bothered about doing the work and the third was very helpful but politely suggested it was going to be more than the camera was worth. This fella was really nice, he tried to help by suggesting a cheap Easy Cap USB device as an alternative. I did try it but the results weren't good enough / were too erratic to be a solution but I did appreciate him trying to help.
 
I do intend to keep checking Ebay, if there is a similar camera is of course always an option and ideally I'll come across a broken body but working deck for sale for peanuts! I did initially search for a BR-HD50 but the ones I found were all £1,000+ even on Ebay which put this option out as a viable solution. However if one appears for around £400 that would be much more appealing so I'll keep looking.
 
Again, thanks for your help
 
Chris
 
 
 
branny
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Joined: Nov 6 2001
Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
I use a very helpful repair guy at Wilkinsons Hi Fi in Nelson, Lancs. He's helped me out on numerous ocassions with cam and deck repais when it was unfeasable to send mine to the NAV repairer in Nottingham. Hope this helps.

Do not follow, I may not lead. Do not lead . . . I may not follow.

paulears
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
I've been a JVC user for years now, and the HD output from these just won't work on loads of computers. None of my flashier ones, PC or Mac can see the HD output at all - Windows 7 not even peeping when the firewire is plugged in. The internet touted suggestion of replacing the driver with the legacy one doing nothing at all! Vista on one computer will recognise the camera, but I cannot import into premiere, but I can import into on location. The older XP machine is happy to import the HD stream into any software on it.
 
I think the question about the firewire socket needs investigating before you spend some serious money - it may well be fine, and your computer just doesn't recognise it. So my old HD material on tape comes into my editor by import into XP, then a trip to an external drive, then into windows 7. what a pain!
foxvideo
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
I've been using JVC ProHD (GY-HD100) for about 4 years now, never had a problem with my Mac seeing it, although I now have the BR-HD50 deck - do you have a mate or someone with a Mac or iMac who might be able to try it for you into iMovie or Final Cut Pro?
 
It is very easy to blow the FW, it uses a 6 pin cable and this can be put in the wrong way round (I know, I did it!), JVC now fit a FW protection mod if they replace the FW board and socket.

Dave Farrants Fox Video Editing

sleepytom
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101

You can contact me at http://tombassford.org
People interested in live production might like to check out http://atemuser.com 

foxvideo
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
There's another on eBay HERE - 30 hours use only, 'Buy it now' for £650. Still a bit pricey IMO but they do have some good features, allows upscaling of DV/DVCAM to HD, error correction, HDMI out etc.

Dave Farrants Fox Video Editing

tilski
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Hello there
 
Sorry if this has been mentioned already but make sure that you have explored the menu settings in your camera thoroughly - both simple and advanced if you have 2 levels. Some of my cameras have an option in the menu that locks the firewire port to DV. The other option being DV/HDV. Sometimes you can switch it OFF and sometimes you can switch it into AV to DV mode turning it into an analogue to digital convertor.
 
Have you tried a camera reset?
 
I'd also go with the chap who suggested testing it on another system. Back in 2002 the firewire port on my camera blew whilst I was using Avid. It was under warranty luckily.
 
Also, have you tried calling JVC? They can be very helpful if you get the right engineer.
 
Good luck.
 
Tilski
 
 

What's to become of us.... What is to become of us?

paulears
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Sorry to repeat myself but I have two 100 series JVCs, which I bought to replace the old SD JVCs I've had for a long time. Ever since I popped the firewire on my Sony DSR-11, I've been aware of how the DC on the 6pin connectors can be potentially (sorry) problematic - so I use 6 to 4 adaptors, and only 4 core firewire cables to connect to the cameras, and the rack of kit I usually use had a long 4 pin cable coming out which can plug into the old SD, 100 series and JVC DV recorder I have. Both of my 100 series camcorders behave exactly the same, connection wise. They connect to the older editor, with older windows, and I worked on it no even knowing there were issues for quite a while. Then I upgraded premier to CS5, and moved to a new computer running windows 7. Neither work - the camera is simply ignored by the operating system, and isn't available to any of my software. Trying them on another computer - running Vista allowed the operating system to recognise them, but only to be visible in adobe On Location, but not in Premiere. However, there were still driver issues as on-location capture was not 100% reliable. Occasionally, the computer would lose the firewire input, and it wasn't reliable to use. So I'm capturing from the JVCs on the old edit computer, then moving the files on an external drive to the new one. The net from the time these cameras were plugged into the later operating system, is full of complaints - and the only solution repeatedly given out only seems effective on a small number of installations - perhaps suggesting that the drivers have problems with some firewire interfaces.
Alestorm
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Joined: Apr 29 2013
Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Hi All,
Once again thanks to everyone who has offered advice.
 
From what you guys have suggested I've come to the conclusion I don't know if the problem is the firewire itself, or a compatibility / setup problem. I'd simply suspected the former when I posted my intitial question but after looking around it appears it could equally be the latter as it seems the JVC's are notoriously problematic when it comes to firewire export into PC's. Whilst this could be good in that it would be cheaper, it also means I don't know what the problem actually is. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who has a system I can check the camera on so I'm struggling a little. I am operating on XP which does seem to be better at coping with the JVC's compatibility issues, however all I do know for certain is that there is absolutely no response from the computer when the camera is connected and furthermore this is the case in both the DV and the HDV setting. I've spent all day on it today and I'm drawing a blank, I can't diagnose what the problem is (hardware or software) and therefore can't move on to solving it and it's all becoming a little irksome! Any suggestions would be massively appreciated
Cheers
Chris
paulears
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
where abouts are you - maybe one of us lives close enough for a visit?
Alestorm
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
That is incredibly kind but I fear in living so far from proper civilisation (Barrow-in-Furness) would preclude a visit! Many thanks though
Chris
paulears
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
If you get really stuck - if you pay the postage, I'll loan you one of my cameras to either use as I know the Firewire is ok, or to confirm it's a computer problem.
Paul
Alestorm
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Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Hi Paul,
That is a really fantastic offer, thanks Paul it's incredibly kind of you and it's much appreciated. I'm still playing around and trying to get it working but if I don't I may well take you up on the offer. Thanks again. At the same time I'm investigating the Blackmagic decklink or the Matrox MXO2, they seem to be reasonable on Ebay but I have to admit I have no idea what I'm looking for, what I need or how to set up. I'm also thinking about a Hard drive capture device, I think Black Magic do these too, and of course this would be something I could still use when / if I upgrade. However again I've no idea what I'm doing or what I'm looking for
Cheers
Chris
 
Alestorm
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Joined: Apr 29 2013
Re: Help regarding JVC GY HD101
Hi Everyone,
Right, had a bit of excellent news, the Fire wire does work! After a fair bit of trying I found a comuter that recognised the camera. It didn't capture properly because the settings weren't correct but that didn't matter, I was able to control the camera through the computer which shows the firewire must work. Thank you everyone who has replied to this thread with advise and solutions, and especially Paul who highlighted that I might not have a Firewire problem (and was also unbeliveably kind in offering use of his camera for diagnostic purposes, a wonderful gesture) as I thought but a compatibility issue, which I hadn't really considered . I would have spent money I didn't where I didn't need, and not necessarily solved the problem so not only have you saved me money but you have saved my growing frustration!
I'm not out of the woods yet in that I still don't know how to get the footage onto my editing computer. Unfortunately the computer I got to work with the camera isn't mine and I don't have one I can use for capturing purposes and transfer the footage across. But at least I know what the problem is, which is a massive move forward. As a few have mentioned this in a known JVC issue, so if anyone knows any solutions or can point me in the right direction it would again be much appreciated.
Cheers
Chris