Panasonic BR & HDD recorders.

OK, I tried connecting the two older Sony cams to the Panny via USB, but it wasn't having it. Each time I tried, something (I couldn't quite see what the little warning sign was) flashed in the front display.

What I did notice was that after that attempt, those 'trial' recordings I was so pleased to have achieved by connecting the newer Panny cam (records in AVCHD) via USB to the Panny recorders HDD? They have gone, disappeared completely :eek:...the HDD is formatted!! It doesn't matter as far as it goes, because they were just 'will it work' trial runs anyway. However, I need to find out why it happened.

I had read that such things are possible, but of course it may be nothing to do with the try-out with the other two cams. I haven't yet absorbed the entire 98 pages of the new recorder manual, because my two remaining brain cells would have thrown themselves down, kicking and screaming, and sulked for days if I do it all in one go :laugh:.

It may well be that you need to carry out pre/post procedures on the new Panny when recording things, otherwise the recordings will disappear after a while. Lots of reading to do :thumbsdow
 
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Hi Guys, I have just received the £100 'MYPIN' video capture device from Amazon. I have opened the box and carefully examined the contents, without removing any of the wrapping, as you do!

I have to say I am a bit disturbed, but it may just be paranoia, so I thought I would ask for your thoughts. The 'Manual' (140cm x 90cm) which they rename inside as being a 'quick start guide', consists of 20 pages, only 6 of which are in English (chinglish :D), and that includes 1 page of specs. Most of the content is brief description of the button functions, almost no actual 'how to' info, and you don't have room for a lot on 140cm x 90cm pages!

However, the bit that bothers me most is the message on a separate folded card in the box. I will quote the contents of the first half, to get your views on that. Not sure blackmail is legal, but would love your thoughts, because I admit to being an old cynic :). The contents :-

If you can share an unbiased product review on Amazon, you will get a limited one year replacement warranty. How to review it on Amazon:

It then goes on to describe how to write a product review, followed by this :-

After you complete the product review, please enter your order ID and the review to [email protected] to register a one year warranty and request promotion code for a 20% off a new unit.

Am I just being silly here, or is that a bit disturbing?

The bit below is from a Gov. regs. page. Would that still be enforceable if the product comes from China? (Not certain it does come from China, nothing about country of origin, but it seems that way)

Consumer rights or rights under a guarantee
A guarantee gives you added protection when you buy good or services but it does not replace your consumer rights. You are entitled to raise a problem about a product for up to six years from the date of buying it regardless of the terms of any guarantee.

You can rely on the remedies available to you under law rather than your rights under a guarantee. This means that if you complain about an item that is not fit for purpose, does not match the description, or is not of satisfactory quality, the trader must deal with it. They cannot force you to use the guarantee.

Cheers, Dave.
 
Hi,I cant really think of anything else in relation to the Sony camcorders then,sorry.Page 65 of the Blu-Ray recorder manual,is that how your copying from the Panasonic camcorder?.When trying to replay the recordings transferred already are you using the function menu button,then scrolling along to the AVCHD folder?,I dont have any such recordings so its possible they are there instead of in all.No reason they shouldnt appear under all,but as you'll know this recorders a peculiar beast to operate.
 
Hi,I cant really think of anything else in relation to the Sony camcorders then,sorry.Page 65 of the Blu-Ray recorder manual,is that how your copying from the Panasonic camcorder?.When trying to replay the recordings transferred already are you using the function menu button,then scrolling along to the AVCHD folder?,I dont have any such recordings so its possible they are there instead of in all.No reason they shouldnt appear under all,but as you'll know this recorders a peculiar beast to operate.

Hi volvofan, thanks for your reply :)

Don't worry though, you tried to help but the wretched recorder said no. I suspect it will not be the last thing this bit of kit will have the pleasure of refusing to do for me 🤣.

The point is, the recorder IS a complicated, clever bit of new technology. In contrast to that, I am an ancient technophobe who has got in over my head in my efforts to help my old lass get her holidays put on discs. I should be able to do that for the poor old soul, and to my shame I can't. Even with all the help you guys have given me, I am still overwhelmed.

Did you see my post about the MYPIN video capture bit of kit? I am terrified to unwrap it in case I need to send it back, 'cos they will insist it's in pristine, unopened condition, or will refuse to accept it :(
 
Had a quick look at the MYPIN sounds a good bit of kit,if it works as intended.I dont know about the warranty situation though,Amazon tend to be good with things like that even if you buy things through them,as opposed to directly from them.You could maybe try again with the USB transfer with the Panasonic camcorder using a short recording as a quick test.Failing that perhaps try using an SD card in the camcorder using it to transfer recordings from internal storage to the card,then remove the card and put it in the Blu-Ray recoder and transfer from the card to the recorder.Cant see how else to make things work though.
 
Hi again volvofan, the Panasonic camcorder footage is really easy to record through the USB connection onto the new Panny HDD, great quality picture and sound when we played it back on our Panny TV too. There was one or two weird bits where the recording was going well, but would suddenly stop after a minute or two.

The wife and I were awestruck that it had recorded the whole thing in such a short time. However, when we played it back, there was in fact only a couple of minutes of footage recorded 🤣 . It did that twice, but then on the third try it did record the whole thing (although that time it was a different bit of footage). Of course, the next day that recording had disappeared, but that's another story.

So, no idea what that is all about, but as I say, I have a LOT to read, and a lot to learn. The other two cams are a different problem. Not sure about the MYPIN. It may be spot on, do the job perfectly, and so be the answer to all my probs with the other two cams. Then I really would be sorted!

The way I read John7's posts about this bit of kit was that he had not actually used this item, but just naturally assumed that the manufacturers claims on specs and capabilities were genuine (and I repeat...they may well BE genuine). So, I had no issues with that, because you sure as hell SHOULD be able to believe what is claimed by a company.

But (and it's a BIG but), I was not impressed with what I saw (and read) on opening the box. Again, I am a tech idiot, so I may well be totally wrong on this. However, even if is a perfect bit of kit, it may work like a dream in the right hands....but I don't have the right hands, and so I would struggle BIG time trying to use it with the almost non existent instructions on HOW to use it. And another £100 on top of the £480+ cost of the Panny recorder is a lot of money if I am too dumb to make it work :blush:

I know a group of guys who may be able to help me with that, but I think I would be strangled if I asked too many more favours :laugh:
 
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Just to answer your question about the "Mypin" unit. I wouldn't worry about the manufacturer blurb. Your Contract is with Amazon and if you have any issues, you will have no problem with returning it to Amazon for a refund. I use Amazon all the time and their customer service is exemplary, which is why I always use them. I once had a colour laser printer that was 12 months past it's warranty when it decided to pack up. Amazon refunded the full cost as the product clearly was not fit for purpose, regardless of the manufacturer warranty.

I have also returned products that I had used and tested that did not work as expected/advertised, again with no issues.

I have not used the Mypin device but I recommended it to you as it seemed the least technically challenging equipment that would (possibly) allow you to get the results you want in conjunction with your BR Recorder.

Personally, I use a similar device for recording HDMI sources but my equipment entails recording an HDMI stream to a PC via a capture device and then editing the resultant files on a PC before filing them to a storage device (NAS) for playback.

So, in summary, I would say give the Mypin a go and see how you get on - it doesn't look too complicated (to me ;) ) to use and I really hope it enables you copy your videos to your recorder.

Come back here with any queries and I'm sure we can advise further :thumbsup:
 
Just to answer your question about the "Mypin" unit. I wouldn't worry about the manufacturer blurb. Your Contract is with Amazon and if you have any issues, you will have no problem with returning it to Amazon for a refund. I use Amazon all the time and their customer service is exemplary, which is why I always use them. I once had a colour laser printer that was 12 months past it's warranty when it decided to pack up. Amazon refunded the full cost as the product clearly was not fit for purpose, regardless of the manufacturer warranty.

I have also returned products that I had used and tested that did not work as expected/advertised, again with no issues.

I have not used the Mypin device but I recommended it to you as it seemed the least technically challenging equipment that would (possibly) allow you to get the results you want in conjunction with your BR Recorder.

Personally, I use a similar device for recording HDMI sources but my equipment entails recording an HDMI stream to a PC via a capture device and then editing the resultant files on a PC before filing them to a storage device (NAS) for playback.

So, in summary, I would say give the Mypin a go and see how you get on - it doesn't look too complicated (to me ;) ) to use and I really hope it enables you copy your videos to your recorder.

Come back here with any queries and I'm sure we can advise further :thumbsup:

OK John, that all sounds pretty sensible to me, and this sentence alone had me laughing like a drain :-

I have not used the Mypin device but I recommended it to you as it seemed the least technically challenging equipment that would (possibly) allow you to get the results you want in conjunction with your BR Recorder.

You summed me up in the funniest way, I absolutely loved it 🤣 🤣 🤣

I should tell you that I was in the Churchill hospital in Oxford today, having gold markers inserted into my prostate gland, to allow radio therapy to be targeted efficiently, so had all sorts of things whacked up my botty :p. Sooo......to have me in metaphorical stitches after that was quite an achievement :laugh:

So, I will overcome my rather pathetic self doubt and make this thing happen :thumbsup:
 
This thing is fated. I went in to the Oxford Churchill hospital to have the gold pellets whacked into my prostate (For those who haven't experienced it, it's used to guide the X-ray beam onto target, for radio therapy). I came home from that feeling fine, then the next day I had a TIA (a mini stroke) and spent the next 54 hours in High Wycombe hospital being shoved through CT scan doughnuts and MRA scan tubes, a canula pumping stuff into your arm, and all that nonsense.

Turns out that fortunately the clots that had blocked the blood vessel in the brain had cleared themselves, so the vessel didn't rupture, excellent news, problem sorted. This time it ended well, but I would rather not give it another try :p. The bad news is that my already ludicrously bad short term memory is now noticeably worse. Sorry, who are you people? 🤣

So, no progress to report back on I fear, but in a day or two I will be back to normal (sad but true :rotfl:) and will have a damned good go at putting everything through it's paces. After that, if everything goes to plan, I will rapidly be ranked up there with Spielberg :laugh:
 
Look after yourslf @numptydumpty nice to hear that you are still in good spirits. By the way I'm gibbsy the moderator. ;)
 
Hi gibbsy, thanks for your kind thoughts. I was just looking at your avatar there, and thinking how much your dog looks like mine. I have two 6 year old cockers, brother and sister from the same litter.

The only problem is that I love them far too much, so they are terribly spoiled and perhaps a fraction overweight. The dog is mine and the bitch my wife's. She brought them to the hospital to collect me on Thursday, and when she told me how upset he had been during my two days in lock-up, I could have cried, silly old fool ☺.
 
Hi gibbsy, thanks for your kind thoughts. I was just looking at your avatar there, and thinking how much your dog looks like mine. I have two 6 year old cockers, brother and sister from the same litter.

The only problem is that I love them far too much, so they are terribly spoiled and perhaps a fraction overweight. The dog is mine and the bitch my wife's. She brought them to the hospital to collect me on Thursday, and when she told me how upset he had been during my two days in lock-up, I could have cried, silly old fool ☺.
Our girl is well past her 12th birthday. Still doing despite having had an operations to remove a soft tissue sarcoma a year ago this week. She is undoubtedly my wife's dog and follows her everywhere. Didn't get her until she was 9 months old as she had been run on for showing. Delightful from the day we had her. First dog we've every had on it's own.
115192703.pWvT69hs.DSC_0072_2.jpg
 
Our girl is well past her 12th birthday. Still doing despite having had an operations to remove a soft tissue sarcoma a year ago this week. She is undoubtedly my wife's dog and follows her everywhere. Didn't get her until she was 9 months old as she had been run on for showing. Delightful from the day we had her. First dog we've every had on it's own.
View attachment 1387469

What a beautiful dog gibbsy, I adore those typical show dog ears. My two are, shall we say 'of questionable lineage' 🤣

They are from a litter bread as money making pets by a friend of the wife's, and the 'pedigree certificate' I would guess was tastefully designed by their child in the art class at school :laugh:. However, am I bovvered? Hell no!

I WAS bovvered though when I saw him when I came out of hospital. The wife had taken them to a local groomer, who appeared to have cut their coat with garden shears. Worse still, his lovely long ears now looked a bit like a black St. Bernard's tongue :blush:

That woman has no heart :laugh:
 
Sounds like something of an ordeal numptydumpty but glad to hear it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Hope you have a full and speedy recovery!
 
They are from a litter bread as money making pets by a friend of the wife's, and the 'pedigree certificate' I would guess was tastefully designed by their child in the art class at school :laugh:. However, am I bovvered? Hell no!
Absolutely. Cockers are very loving and who cares where they come from as long as they give a lovely 'cwtch'.
 
Sounds like something of an ordeal numptydumpty but glad to hear it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Hope you have a full and speedy recovery!

Hi k-spin, thanks for your kind thoughts. Actually, during the day today, I have noticed what I assume are little artefacts of slight damage to the brain, but I have to say that they are mere extensions of things that were already going on before.

Everyone, as they get older, seem to experience the 'Going to get something from another room, and then when you get there, you have no idea what or why you went there' syndrome 🤣

Well, this is a bit like that, and I was already experiencing a few bits like that before. However, now it has definitely progressed since this TIA. For instance, I went to make the tea and coffee a short while back, got the cups, saucers and spoons in place, picked the sugar bowl up....then couldn't for the life of me remember how to get the sugar into the cup :(. Thing is, it probably only took me perhaps 10 seconds to remember how. There were several similar incidents, but I solved/remembered each time, so perhaps that is something that will improve with time.

If the wife suddenly hangs a Paddington Bear type address label round my neck when I go out, I will know things didn't go well :rotfl:
 
Absolutely. Cockers are very loving and who cares where they come from as long as they give a lovely 'cwtch'.


Ha haaa, 'cwtch', I love it gibbsy :laugh:.

You are spot on of course, they are clever, stupid, delightful, aggravating, gorgeous bundles of joy that can drive you to distraction.....and if they were in peril, you would risk your life to save them.

I am willing to bet that a psychiatrist, on reading that, would almost certainly declare me insane, along with the very many others who feel exactly the same way about dogs ☺
 
Oh my lord :( . Every time I try to get things done, I run smack into another brick wall. The MYPIN box says it records onto an SD card, so I thought yup, got a couple of them. Then this morning, when I am all fired up and ready to go on my trial run, I see that it's actually requires MICRO SD, and it needs to support exFAT and FAT32 :eek: . Now, as an aside, there are phrase books and such available for most foreign languages, is there one for the AV technology language????

Anyway, I drag (read 'beg and grovel') my chauffeuse out to Tesco, ask the staff if the available £32 Sandisc Ultra, Micro SDXC 1, UHS-1, 128GB, C10, A1, 100GB/s, 667x card (puff, puff)....supports both exFAT and FAT32?

Sufficient to say that I bought it and left the shop with absolutely no more idea on that score than when I walked in :laugh:. So, get home, straight onto Google.....to find that exFAT has to be re formatted to FAT32, or vice versa, depending which one you need, 'cos they are different.

So, what the heck now? I don't know which of those this card supports, because very conveniently, the packaging doesn't tell you :facepalm:. Even if it did tell you, it is obvious that the one has to be changed to the other in a PC or whatever, so clearly it cannot support both, even though the MYPIN box says it must do so!

My bottom lip is not trembling at all, honest. Translator and AV expert help required yet again please 😩
 
Hi good people, could someone please look ay my question above about these 'FAT' things. and explain to me ('cos I really don't understand it, and Google is NO help).

I will then promise faithfully not to talk about dogs ever again, not one single word 🤣
 
This might help:CARDS - What are the differences between FAT16, FAT32 and exFAT file systems? | Integral Memory.The SDXC card needs to be formatted which will give it a file system before using it.FAT32 and exFAT are file systems,SDXC are exFAT by default.It's usually best formatting it in whatever device your using if required.
I dont know how the MYPIN treats SDXC cards,fairly sure you can just put the card in and follow any onscreen prompts regarding formatting,if none appear maybe go through the menu/settings to see whats there.
Manual for camcorder here:https://tda.panasonic-europe-servic...sn2/data/ALL/HDCSD900EB/OI/849785/vqt3k80.pdf.Page 46 deals with card formatting,pages 111 and 112 deal with copying from the camcorder to the SD card,pages 119 to 121 deal with copying to a Blu-Ray recorder.Dont know if this is any help,or just confusing things further.
 
Hi again volvofan, thank you yet again for the temporary loan of your brain :laugh:. That info is absolutely going to help me, in fact it already has, because what you have said makes sense even to me, so I now dare go ahead and give things a try.

My problem is always that there is no information available on any of this AV tech that is suitable for idiots, or people who know absolutely nothing about the subject. The information available is all in terminology and acronyms which is only of any use to those who already understand the technology, it's like preaching to the already converted, and I need more than that.

I am not totally stupid, but I do have a mental block where technology is concerned....I need it spelled out for me in layman's/child friendly terms.

Thanks volvofan, you have given me something to work on once again :clap:
 
OK, I have been working away at this, and because of the multitude of different USB connector shapes, types/sizes/ versions etc, as has already been discussed, I ran into an issue. The MYPIN capture device has yet again another version of USB socket. I have the lead that fits it, which has a standard A size USB on the other end.

So, the two older camcorders that I wish to run through the MYPIN have Sony propriety USB outs, and I have that type with again the standard A type on the other end. The question is, If I get a 'cheap as chips' (£2.50 +/-) coupler (type A USB 2 female/female), and join the two leads with that, then to my tiny mind, that has connected the camcorder/s to the MYPIN ???🙏

However, this is you guys A/V hobby, which is always frustratingly complicated to silly billies like me, so now I guess you are going to tell me that my idea is WAY too sensible and straight forward, so no it wont work 🤣 .

Secondly I have no idea if any/all/none of the bits (apart from the coupler) are USB 1/2/3/4 or whatever! as the camcorders are old, I imagine they are early versions, but wouldn't have a clue with the MYPIN.

Does it even matter?

coupler in question :- USB 2.0 Coupler A TYPE Female to Female Socket ADAPTER Joiner | eBay

Cheers guys, Dave.
 
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I dont know if that'll work or not,maybe,could I try suggesting a different method?.
Unsure how the MYPIN works but think the jist of it is it captures the HDMI input which will be the playback from the camcorder then saves that to the SD card,think the USB connection is for transfering recordings from the card to a PC.
Just assuming the Sony camcorders plug into a HDMI socket on your TV?,plug that same lead into the MYPIN HDMI input should be good to go,the HDR-HC3E seems to have a standard HDMI output according to its manual,page 39.
Manual link here:https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/2661/26613561M.pdf.
 
You can't connect USB to the MYPIN. You need an HDMI signal to record. For the cameras that do not have a HDMI output, you need to convert their AV output to HDMI. My posts 63 and 66 show some example convertors, depending on what output is available from the camcorder(s).
 
I dont know if that'll work or not,maybe,could I try suggesting a different method?.
Unsure how the MYPIN works but think the jist of it is it captures the HDMI input which will be the playback from the camcorder then saves that to the SD card,think the USB connection is for transfering recordings from the card to a PC.
Just assuming the Sony camcorders plug into a HDMI socket on your TV?,plug that same lead into the MYPIN HDMI input should be good to go,the HDR-HC3E seems to have a standard HDMI output according to its manual,page 39.
Manual link here:https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/2661/26613561M.pdf.
Hi Volvofan, thanks for your reply mate, appreciated. You are absolutely right of course, head up my backside again. I keep muddling up parts of one piece of info from one post up with bits from another, and getting over excited and then leading myself completely down the wrong road :facepalm:.

I can of course connect the HDMI output of the HDR-HC3 to the HDMI input of the MYPIN, as you say. Its the other even older Sony cam that I cant, 'cos it doesn't have an HDMI in or out.

OK, I did just that, put the SD card into the MYPIN, connected it to the camcorder, recorded a very short (6 min) video of underwater footage which I shot with the HDR-HC3 in my housing. Spot on. Took the card out, whacked it into the Panny recorder, recorded it to the HDD, played it back....absolutely stunning :clap:

So, elated or what? Here we go I thought, put a longer tape (25minutes) in the camcorder, put the SD card back in the MYPIN, recorded it, seemed to be running the same, with the word REC in red print flashing on and off in the top of the MYPIN's little screen, as before, finished the recording, went through the process to watch it on the TV....it started in the middle of the tape, it hadn't recorded all of it at all 😩

So, 1 step forward, 2 back. It may be that you have to format the SDXC card again before attempting to record another tape onto it? Beats me, but I will carry on playing with it all, not beat yet by a long chalk!

Thanks again volvofan, for pointing out where I was going wrong. I did mess up again, but that's me I fear. Another thing is how to give a name or title to a recording once you have done it. I have read all the likely areas in the manual, but cant find the instructions for that. I expect they imagine folk already know how to do that. Clearly then, they haven't met me :laugh:

I will be back (sorry)

Dave.
 
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