URGENT help!!

jambredz

jambredz

Veteran
Hi guys I'm in Antigua working on a documentary and I need some help. After the first day of filming yesterday I was watching the footage last night and there were problems on playback. I can't post it now cuz I'm on my fone but I will try to explain. On playback there are glitches in both audio and video and little ...spotty stuff ( for lack of a better term) I duno if that's what u guys call artifacting. That's goin on. The weird thing is that during the day we watched some footage from the dvx and it was fine. What I found is that when I rewind the affected parts it would play fine sometimes...and the problems happens anywhere it wants to...there is no consistency. So I will watch a part of the footage with the prob...rewind it and play it and it will be fine. So to salvage the day of shooting that is what I had to do in capturing. Capture wat played fine and when the prob occured ..stop...rewind and recapture.

What I wanna know though is is this the tape?? Or my camera. I don't use this cam to capture but I forgot my capture cam. So the deck is more or less new...in regards to capturing. Cud it be dirty heads?? I used the blank tape method last night just in case it was dirty. But there is no dirty heads signal. I feel like chucking the whole lot of tape I have cuz If its like that in one tape from the same batch, it mite be with all of them. I will need to see where I can get tape. I was totally freaking out.
 
If the glitches are hitting inconsistently, you have dirty heads. Just use the blank tape cleaning method the first hour-long chance you have. Though, I'm surprised that the red X hasn't appeared.

You only have to worry about the footage itself if the exact same errors occur in the exact same spots every time.
 
Oh ok...tahnks alex. I did the blank tape method and it didn't help. I'm gonna do it again. I guess if that doesn't work...cleaning cassestte?


Question. Will it it affect the footage if I record with the dirty heads if the blank tape method doesn't work? So at least I'd hav the footy.....or waaaiitt( this just came to me)...cud it have not worked cuz I did the blank tape method and rentered the tape with the footy to capture therefore nullifying the cleaning? . Cuz wudnt the tape with the footy hav been dirty?
 
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ok so the depressing result is that after 2 blank tape method trys still no go. lemi just get this straight...blank tape...vcr mode...play to end...discard correct? tried that twice. popped in a new blank and recorded 2mins to test playback. Played it back...same thing...played with glitches the first run....played flawlessly the 2nd...and 3rd...and glitches the 4th. So it seems it will record the footage fine...but playback sucks. still no red X. i'll have to see if i can get a cleaning cassette.

but since it seems to be at least recording fine...then i have to do that till i get the cassette. i've never used a cleaning cassette yet but reading here u guys say dont run it more than 5 seconds right? If that doesnt work what else could it be? any other suggestions? its pretty urgent. thanks
 
Cleaning cassette is an absolute last resort, and make sure that it matches the type (wet or dry) of your blank stock. In other words, don't use a Sony cleaning cassette unless you use Sony stock.

VTR mode.
PLAY mode only for 5 seconds.
Eject cassette.

Never, ever, ever rewind a cleaning cassette.

And if this doesn't work, it's time for a professional cleaning.
 
223 hrs

So I used the cleaning tape right b4 I had to shoot cuz that's wen I got it. So I cudnt even test...but is this normal for u to play the cleaning tape and the time meter doesn't move? i dont hear anything like the heads moving. is that normal? I thought it wud move so i can time it? So I just counted. When I reach back to the hotel I will test if it worked.

Also..can u use a cleaning tape again (provided u don't rewind it) or is it a one use thing?
 
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jambredz said:
...but is this normal for u to play the cleaning tape and the time meter doesn't move? i dont hear anything like the heads moving. is that normal? I thought it wud move so i can time it? So I just counted. When I reach back to the hotel I will test if it worked.
Click to expand...

There is no time code striped on a cleaning cassette. Same as using the blank tape method... no TC counter. If you look through the tiny window on the door, you'll see the transport moving.

jambredz said:
Also..can u use a cleaning tape again (provided u don't rewind it) or is it a one use thing?
Click to expand...

Use it in 5 second stints until it reaches the end, then discard. BUT, anything more than once every 300 hours is not a great idea. In fact, the cassettes themselves aren't the best solution. If it didn't work this first time, go to a pro. People like to try and use the cleaning cassette over and over until it works, and that just damages the heads.
 
Hey thanks for the help guys. The cleaning cassette made it better but didn't completlt eradicate the prob...it did get quite a bit better. I have one more day of shooting (today) so when I get back home I'll send it off to the US to get prof cleaned. Thanks for all the help. Reeeeaally appreciate it.

Its weird I haven't gotten the red X
 
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