Pixelation when using DV tape

D

Deaniweenie

Active member
I have been filming using the tape mechanism (I know, sacrilege when I could be getting HD with the P2 cards but some clients still want DV footage on tape) and I have been getting very bad pixelation, the sort you get if the heads are dirty. The tape mechanism has had little use so I suspected I had a batch of dodgy tapes, particularly as it happens mostly (but not exclusively) in the last ten minutes of the tape. I wondered if the mechanism was unable to keep correct tension on the tape, as the pixelation is worse if the camera is panned left or right, possibly pointing to physical camera motion and tape handling. I haven't cleaned the heads yet as I am awaiting a head cleaning tape (after referring to the manual).

The thing that bothers me most is that I have used DV tape for years, PD150, PD170, DSR500, and many many more, racking up thousands of hours of recording and have only ever had 'dirty heads' once before. Yet within a few hours of using the HVX200 I am having problems. All my tapes are new and never reused. I will be sending my current batch of new tapes back for replacing just to be on the safe side. But at the moment I'm very nervous about using my camera on client shoots.

Has anyone else had problems with DV tape in the HVX200?

Thanks

Dean
 
No, I'm in the UK so I'm recording in 50i.

The pixelation is not uniform across the whole of the picture it is big random blocks of pixelation just like you get with dirty heads. But the thing is this, I recorded one tape and the problem started at about 50 minutes into the tape. Same on the next tape. The first 50 minutes look fine then after that the picture begins to break up. More so if the camera is panned quickly.
 
Thanks.

I have just tried two more (brand new) tapes from the current batch and the problem is even worse. However, I put a tape in that has been in my Handycam for ages and the HVX replays the existing footage fine and records clean footage on that tape. This makes me think bad batch of tapes.

One thing though, although the footage on the older tape looks fine there seems to be an issue with timecode during rewind. When rewinding the tape the timecode from the newly recorded footage stutters and stops until it gets to the point where the Handycam footage is recorded and then it displays smoothly. Again pointing to dirty heads.

I'm having trouble finding a supplier who can get the Panasonic AY-DVWMCL head cleaning tape here in the UK so I can't rule out dirty heads yet.

All the tapes were Sony Premium D60
 
FWIW, I had a bad batch of New Beta tapes once. It can happen.
But with your evaluation it does sound more like dirty heads.
Go online, get a head cleaning tape delivered ASAP. Just don't over use it as most dry cleaning tapes are extremely abrasive. But a must to have in your camera bag.
Best of luck.
 
Thanks Ted,

I managed to pick up a head cleaning tape from CKE in Shipley, UK, the only place I could find that had one. I was even told by one big UK supplier that they wouldn't get one in for me as it wasn't cost effective and wouldn't recommend any other cleaning tape. That left me a bit high and dry.

Anyway, I now have a tape but I'm up to my eyes with editing work so I can't test it right now.

Who is responsible for the loss of the shoot if it turned out to be a bad batch of tapes? Could Sony be liable for the costs incurred? What is Sony's guarantee for their tapes? Does anyone know?
 
I'm pretty sure I've seen it stated in most manuals that the manufacturer can't be held liable for loss of footage due to equipment failure. I think the the same would apply to tapes.
 
Deaniweenie said:
Who is responsible for the loss of the shoot if it turned out to be a bad batch of tapes? Could Sony be liable for the costs incurred? What is Sony's guarantee for their tapes? Does anyone know?
Click to expand...

Media manufacturers will replace the media. That's all.
Read the fine print.

Your responsiblity as DP is to guarantee the results.

One way is to hook up the firewire output to a laptop with FCP
and capture to disk while you're recording to tape.
Set the capture/input to DV-NTSC and device control to
"Non Controllable Device" Then hit "Capture Now" before you roll tape.

The other way would be to record to P2 (set to DV) and
dub to DV tapes for your client. You can get about a half hour
of DV on 8GB.

Les
 
Thanks to everyone for your input on this issue.

Yes, I thought that the media manufacturers wouldn't take responsibility for faulty products.

Most of what I record is run and gun stuff so the capture-to-computer idea wouldn't work for me. Wherever possible I will be recording to my (16GB) cards and dumping to tape but sometimes my clients have to take tapes away that day, right after the shoot.

With hindsight I could have and would have recorded the recent work to the cards but I think this has been a good lesson for me. I have always taken for granted the reliability of media and now I know that there could indeed be problems.

Thanks once again.
 
Additional: I returned my camera to Panasonic to be checked out and when it came back the report sheet said that the mechanism had been replaced. There must have been a major fault after all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top