HELP! Black horizontal bars across footage

R

rachaelworld

New member
Hi all,
First post and I'm fairly new with this stuff so please be gentle. I am trying to capture some footage using camera, not a deck, and on both the LCD screen and preview in FCE I am getting black horizontal bars (not letterboxing) through the footage. I have checked a couple of tapes and it's on all of them.
I see a couple of threads saying it is dirty heads, is this the only reason for black bars? It's not a setting problem?
And if it is dirty heads is the footage fooked now or is it a case of the problem being with playback?
I am supposed to be showing rushes to the producer tomorrow, if I can use a headcleaning tape and then the footage will be fine, is that the best course of action? Or, as I have seen alluded to elsewhere the headcleaning tapes **** the heads, and the footage is buggered anyway, so best not to do it? :(
 
Try capturing/playing the footage back with another DV camera. If that works, then use the correct head cleaning tape (depending on whether you use wet or dry lube tapes) in your camera for 5-10 seconds only. The cleaning tapes are abrasive so only use them sparingly.
If the problem persists, take it in for a professional cleaning.
Hope this helps.
Ken
 
Thanks for the reply Ken, I don't have another deck or camera but will hopefully get to go to use a friends later. Are you saying though that the footage may have recorded ok and it might just be a playback problem? I know you can't say for definite but is this a possibility? Just looking for a grain of hope as I'm feeling a tad suicidal here!
I use Sony tapes as they're easiest to find all over the world, should I use the Sony headcleaning tape or are there any problems assosciated with these?
 
Sounds like a playback problem (when the same bars appeared while playing back from my old Sony DVCAM deck, I cleaned the heads and all was well again).
I have been using Sony tapes in my DVX100A since day 1 and have had no problems. I carry a Sony head cleaning tape with me just in case. If you use Sony tapes, use a Sony head cleaner.

If you can, buy a cheap DV camcorder to use as a "deck" for capturing and printing back to tape. It won't be as robust as a "real" deck, but will certainly take the strain off of your DVX.
Don't know where you're located, but I've seen them priced as low as $200-$250 here in Los Angeles.
And don't drive yourself crazy over the footage with the bars. :)
Hope this helps.
Ken
 
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the reassurance, not freaking out anymore. Spoke to the producer and he was very understanding. Haven't been able to view the tapes on another deck yet, but used the head cleaning tape and it didn't change, so getting the heads cleaned professionally. Anyway, we'll see.

Lessons learned......

always have the manual with me, as the warning light had come on periodically but I didn't know what it was and had forgotten about it by the time I got home so didn't check:Drogar-Dum(DBG):

and always do a recording check.

:beer::dankk2:
 
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