disable auto-power off

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Martin" <zedolf@o2.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2l7uvcF9tm4dU1@uni-berlin.de...
> I have a Samsung VP-W80U analogue camcorder and am trying to take some
> time-lapse footage with it - capturing directly to my WinTV PCI card's
> composite video input.
>
> Unfortunately, the Samsung turns itself off after five minutes in
'standby'
> mode - ie it hasn't been operated for five minutes so it powers down.
>
> I've had a look at the manual and it looks like this feature cannot be
> disabled...
>
> Other than recording to tape whilst capturing, to ensure that it doesn't
> power down, has anyone got any other suggestions?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Martin.

Try taking the tape out. There should be a mode that will give you audio
and video out with the camera turned on.

Rich

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Martin" <zedolf@o2.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2l7uvcF9tm4dU1@uni-berlin.de...
> I have a Samsung VP-W80U analogue camcorder and am trying to take some
> time-lapse footage with it - capturing directly to my WinTV PCI card's
> composite video input.
>
> Unfortunately, the Samsung turns itself off after five minutes in
'standby'
> mode - ie it hasn't been operated for five minutes so it powers down.
>
> I've had a look at the manual and it looks like this feature cannot be
> disabled...
>
> Other than recording to tape whilst capturing, to ensure that it doesn't
> power down, has anyone got any other suggestions?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Martin.
>
>
>

Brilliant!

It needs the tape removed to disable the auto-powerdown.
I tried the other suggestion - removing the battery and using the AC
adaptor - but it still powered itself down after five minutes.

Thanks to you both for your time.

Martin.

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Just guessing here, but I think the reason for automatically powering down
has more to do with saving the video heads than it does saving the battery.
Batteries are easily recharged, but clogged and/or worn heads are much
harder to repair. Cameras are allowed to stay powered when the tape is
not loaded because there is no chance of head damage when there is
no tape in the camera.

As an aside, you should figure out what happens to the tape position when
the camera unloads then reloads the tape. Does it rewind a little, or does
it move past the location it was in when you parked the tape.

It is important that you not loose critical footage when the camera reloads,
and it is also important that you start in video each time so that there is
no
blank space between takes. Consumer DV devices will reset the time code
to "0" every time there is a blank section on the tape. Most professionals
will roll tape for about 10 seconds before and after a "take". That way
there is some buffer, in case you need to re-cue the tape

David