maybe you guys have an idea - posting this here b/c I'm not sure where the problem is ..

shot several tapes in HDV on the A1

try to capture the HDV via firewire using my HW (works flawlessly for other caps) -- result is errors in the cap file - macroblocks that look like tape dropouts. in fact, there are so many errors that cineform dies when trying to create an avi file (in batch) - this cap was using cineform

catpure again HDV in vegas, same problem, at similar / exact points in the tape -- would seem to indicate a problem with the tape (??) (brand new sony DVM63's, same exact tape I've used from day 1 with the camera).

play the tape on the A1, and at those error points, it looks fine. set camera to downconvert to SD and capture in vegas, and it looks fine for all 63 minutes on the capture file

so -- the data rate on SD and HDV is the same, and I don't think firewire cables are certified any differently, and I know my HW config is fine. but, try to capture the tape twice on HDV and I get the same problems at the same places.

I did get a dirty heads message this weekend when taping, I think it's the first one I've gotten with this cam.

Could dirty heads be the culpret?? Why would the tape play fine visibly without being able to send HDV on firewire if it's dirty heads? the problem seems to be repeatable on the tape side, yet why can I then downconvert and capture flawlessly?

if it may be dirty heads, is my sony miniDV head cleaner safe to use on these heads? (I've used it once I think on another camera).

any thoughs are appreciated!!

For the microblocks issue look at my thread titled: "I need your help guys!!". I have sample grabs showing the color blocks.

For the microblocks issue look at my thread titled: "I need your help guys!!". I have sample grabs showing the color blocks.

do you have a link or post #?

do you have a link or post #?

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=99432

Alain - thanks.


The tape head cleaning seems to have done the trick. Capture of the HDV is now fine. Doesn't explain why I could play the tape on the camera with no problem but not capture successfully without cleaning the heads, but it could be the signal takes different paths from the heads (although I would have thought all went through one decoder first, but not sure)