playing a new blank tape through

F

firehawk

Veteran
I had issues with my DVX100B recording horizontal lines (venetian blinds) which would leave whatever was under the new footage showing through every other line: blue if it was a new tape, or the previously recorded footage.
This seems to happen whenever the dreaded red X appears during recording. I used a cleaning tape twice and hoped the problem was resolved but the problem still happens. I noticed when I try to record and the X appears, if I stop recording and then start back it usually goes away and is fine.

I read elsewhere on this forum that someone recommended playing a new unused tape in VTR mode from start to end and then discarding the tape. Could this possibly help? My camera has 27 hrs on it. I only use Panasonic tapes but have used two different ones.
The problem so far has only happened in cool conditions, but I don't trust the camera at this point.
Thank you in advance for any help/advice.
 
Be careful with cleaning tapes! They should not be used often at all.

This is why the blank tape method helps so much... it knocks loose the offending dust and doesn't wear on the heads like the cleaning tape does. I've used my cleaning cassette three times in the three years that I have had the camera.

Give the blank tape a try. It should help. If not, you may have gotten something else in there on the heads (working in a really dusty environment?) and you may need to have some professional cleaning done.
 
You should only use head cleaning tapes once every 100 hours on time on the camera. The blank tape method works great. Definately try that
 
i have never heard of this method, im going to have to put this to use next time i run into a dirty head problem
 
firehawk said:
I read elsewhere on this forum that someone recommended playing a new unused tape in VTR mode from start to end and then discarding the tape.
Click to expand...

Why would you have to discard the tape? Is it rendered useless after this procedure, or is it more of a cautionary reason? Sorry if this is a dumb question:Drogar-Thinking(DBG
 
Buck Turgidson said:
Why would you have to discard the tape? Is it rendered useless after this procedure, or is it more of a cautionary reason? Sorry if this is a dumb question:Drogar-Thinking(DBG
Click to expand...

Not a dumb question... actually a very good one!

If you rewind and then reuse the tape, you put the contaminants right back on the tape heads. Better to kill a $4 tape this way than to cause $400 in repairs by over-use of a cleaning cassette.
 
C2V said:
Not a dumb question... actually a very good one!

If you rewind and then reuse the tape, you put the contaminants right back on the tape heads. Better to kill a $4 tape this way than to cause $400 in repairs by over-use of a cleaning cassette.
Click to expand...

That makes perfect sense. Thanks for responding.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top