Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

FIASCO! Whatever happened to date/time stamps??

Jan 18, 2006 7:18AM PST

I just got a Sony DCR-HC42. This replaces our eight-year old Canon ES870. After two emails with Sony customer support and some online research I'm told that with digital camcorders the USB or firewire download to the PC strips the date and time (which are part of the DV format) out of the data stream.

The HC42, idiotically, doesn't have a feature to overlay the date/time into the video image itself. And I've found discussions online that say this feature is usually no longer included in camcorders.

This is nuts. Many buyers of camcorders are parents who want to document family events. Having the date and time makes a huge difference in enjoying videos later, since it helps you know what you're seeing.

It's really odd that technology would lose a capability in this way.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
If USB, I believe it.
Jan 18, 2006 7:33AM PST

USB is well known for such omissions. Try again, but with firewire.

I use WINDV without a hitch but don't have the HC42. I have yet to find such a problem when I use firewire.

Bob

- Collapse -
does date/time come through firewire?
Jan 18, 2006 9:20AM PST

Okay, this is interesting. I've had the camcorder since Saturday and my first downloaded "test" videos where via USB. But I just got a firewire cable and have been using it. Are you saying the time/date data is preserved with firewire? My email from Sony said neither USB nor firewire would transmit.

I'm gonna test this now...

- Collapse -
Link about
Jan 18, 2006 9:51AM PST
- Collapse -
Can I verify firewire?
Jan 18, 2006 10:11AM PST

Thanks Bob for the link. I've seen another program too which is supposed to extract the date/time from .AVI files and make a copy of the file with the date/time superimposed on the corner. But it doesn't seem to be working on my files...have to fiddle with it.

On a related issue, I'm using a firewire cable to link to the 1394 port on my computer (from the firewire port on the docking station of my DCR-HC94) . But the Sony menus on the camcorder never discuss firewire. Do you know of a way I can verify on a WinXP computer if the connection is firewire? I mean could I still be sending USB? Thanks for any help.

-- Tim

- Collapse -
AVI timestamps?
Jan 18, 2006 10:25AM PST

That's a new one on me. I had to use better tools and save in DV formats on the hard disk to preserve all the timecodes. But AVI can "hold" other formats so given we have a big area to discuss it may be just fine.

As to verifying firewire, how would I do this?

Answer: I would use my firewire cable from PC firewire card to camcorder.

Bob

- Collapse -
Finally got my date/time stamp onscreen
Jan 18, 2006 10:55AM PST

Well, now I'm feeling a little less frustrated. I discovered there's a switch on the docking station of my HC42 that turns the USB on and off (remember, I've only had the camcorder since Saturday). So I've turned off USB, and have my firewire connection. Now I've got all these programs that can capture video that came included on our HP computer. I found one that saves the video as .AVI files (rather than as mpegs). (Note, the Sony included software captures as .AVI's but doesn't seem to recognize my firewire, only USB). Ran the .AVI file through DVDate (freeware, I think I got it here at CNET), and it added the date and time to the image (i.e. it creates a new file with the date/time in the top corner).

So now I'm happy-er. Still think every camcorder should have a button, you push it, it puts the date/time onto the image. With my analog 8mm camcorder I used to flash the date/time at the beginning of each new segment of video, then turn the date off, so when editing I'd know when a new day's worth of shots began on the tape.

Thanks again for your help.

- Collapse -
Just a comment.
Jan 18, 2006 11:52AM PST

AVI is a "container" of formats which can include MPEG encodings. Don't get the idea in your mind that AVI is "AVI" since CODECS can put so many encodings into the file with a name that ends in .AVI.

Don't fret about it much, since there is much to ponder and digest.

Cheers on the progress.

In closing, stick with Firewire and dump software that doesn't work with it proper.

Bob