DVD-1150 FAQs

Please note:  The DVD-1150/1150b has officially been DISCONTINUED.  We may build some on Special Order for special military projects, but really, it's gone.

Please investigate the BCD HDi-250 and the new HDi-SDI recorders.

We rely on you to advise us, and encourage your comments and questions. Here are some of the more Frequently Asked Questions...

• Q: Does it have Firewire, IEEE-1394, SDI or Component Video In/Out?
  A: No. Composite & S-video In/Out.  We do, however, plan for an HD recorder that adds Component & HDMI In/Out, with optional SDI/SDI-HD.
• Q: Do you offer Balanced Audio/XLR In/Out?
  A: Not yet.  We plan for that option in the next one.
• Q: Does the DVD-1150HDD act like a network drive?
  A: No. We do offer the optional Outload System as a special order item. ($695.00) This permits copying ALL of the MPEG files from the hard drive to a local PC via USB all at once. It works with special program on a local Windows® PC only, not as a network drive.  Our new machine is fully networkable.
• Q: How long does it take to copy from the HDD to a DVD disc?
  A: It depends on the speed/quality of the original recording as set by the QUAL x command (x is the quality/speed from 1 to 5. QUAL 1 is the best: a DVD will hold 1-hour of video at QUAL 1.)

Here are the HDD-->DVD copy times for a 20-minute video. All files are the same time duration, but higher quality/faster speed have higher bitrates & larger files.

• Q: So how good are the QUALities?
  A: Our subjective opinion is that:
  QUAL 1 is excellent
  QUAL 2 is the "normal" speed. 2Hrs on a DVD
  QUAL 3 is very good.
  QUAL 4/EP is better than VHS.
  QUAL 5/SLP is less than VHS
           (QUAL 5 Motion is pretty blocky. Might be ok for talking heads.)

Unintended Features

We test our products in every way we can think of. Our clients, however, are often even more creative and have procedures we never thought of. Some of the items below are actual limitations of the machine. Please check back to this page from time to time to see any updates, changes, deletions, or additions.

Please see also the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this article.

"-R" Recording
The DVD-1150 uses "+R" and "+RW" discs only.
This is not an issue with us, but it important to some of our clients. We prefer the +RW format to any other because it needs no finalizing. Just remove the disc and play it on another player.

"Cannot Copy" error appears on the TV monitor screen.
This error occurs when one attempts to copy a commercial "Hollywood" DVD from another machine. The DVD-1150 will not copy a copy-protected source. This error message can also happen when video input is from certain TV cameras. It appears that the camera inserts some sort of data into the video that the DVD system interprets as copy protection. The current remedy is to use a different input source.

Time Remaining Display is inaccurate in certain circumstances.
The Time Remaining display on the front panel, and the RS-232 TLFT (Time LeFT) command will become inaccurate after Pause-during-record. Upon unpausing, the Time Remaining will revert to the original value at the start of the recording session and count down from there. There is no fix for this right now. The elapsed time (front panel display and FRAM command) will indicate the correct elapsed time.

Recording fails if no video input.
The unit will not record if there is no video input.
Recording will fail if video is removed when unit is in Record-Pause and the machine is then UnPaused. Record, Pause, remove video, Unpause. This is one instance in which the MODE and STAT commands incorrectly indicate RCRD (Record) instead of NVID (no video). Inasmuch as correct status is a hallmark feature of the DVD-1150 series, we very much regret this and are working to find a remedy.

Certifications
The DVD-1150 and DVD-1150HDD are custom devices, CE Certified.  They are hand-built to high industrial standards. The major components of Power Supply, DVD Drive and Hard Drive have one or more of the following certifications: FCC, CSA, CE, UL, VDE. Specifics on request.

As for vibration, one of our clients said we passed their test and was kind enough to send us this note: "The vibration testing we performed was based on Mil-STD-810F using a profile of a 500 mile transport to an area via a rubber tired vehicle. The vibration range we used was 12-500Hz for 40 minutes per axis (longitudinal, transverse, and vertical). "

Troubleshooting
These are genuine "issues" that should not happen. Ever. But sometimes they do. Please contact BCD for current status: 800-223-6734 (800-BCD-MPEG)

# # #