Canon HDV tape and Sony Decks

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ned c
Posts: 910
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:39 pm
Location: Dammeron Valley USA

Canon HDV tape and Sony Decks

Post by ned c »

In the past I used a Canon XH A1 HDV camera with excellent results and have many tapes produced by that camera. The camera was long ago traded in and now I have those A1 tapes stored until a recent request to make .mp4 and BluRay discs from some of them. I have a Sony DSR1800 DV/HDV deck; however the A1 tapes will not play in it although it accepts tapes from the past shot on other cameras. I no longer have a Canon HDV camera; however a friend has and we find that the A1 tapes will play in his camera so with luck I can recover the past programs. Obviously when I was shooting with the Canon I used the camera as the source deck for transfers to the computer. I am intrigued; is this a known incompatability of Canon recorded HDV tapes with Sony player/recorders?

Best wishes to all for Christmas and the New Year

ned c
tom hardwick
Posts: 914
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:59 am

Re: Canon HDV tape and Sony Decks

Post by tom hardwick »

This was a not-uncommon problem back in the day, Ned, and I remember it well. There was a lot of talk about it on dvdoc, and it appears to be a Canon interpretation of the red-book rules, where they stepped out of line. I'm pretty sure it's not a head alignment problem as argued here:

https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xh-s ... d-60i.html
tom hardwick
Posts: 914
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:59 am

Re: Canon HDV tape and Sony Decks

Post by tom hardwick »

And another thread on the same topic:

https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xl-h ... -m10u.html
ned c
Posts: 910
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:39 pm
Location: Dammeron Valley USA

Re: Canon HDV tape and Sony Decks

Post by ned c »

Thanks for the links Tom; as I had used my Canon camera as the deck for transfers I was unaware of the problem now solved by my friend who kept his Canon XH A1 and came to my rescue. I wonder how long the friendship will last as I have another 20 tapes to transfer!!

ned
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