I'm having a tape dropout problem that has me bewildered. I'm using Panasonic DVM63MQ tapes in an XL-1. I taped a long training session that used up five tapes. On the fourth tape ONLY, I get dropouts, split frames, pixelation, dropped audio...but it's sporadic. If I hit fast-forward or rewind, the footage goes back to normal. If it starts acting up and I hit pause, then play again, it goes back to normal, but then starts acting up again.

What would make one tape do this when the others don't? And why would FF, rewind, or pause temporarily correct the problem?

I've cleaned my heads several times, but this one tape keeps acting up. The confusing thing is the dropouts happen in different places after cleaning, pause, FF, or RW.

(Nope...haven't used any other tapes in my camera...ever. Always DVM63MQ (except for the Canon head cleaner tape). And yep, I used the dry Canon head cleaner tape several times.)

Any tips on saving the footage (which doesn't appear to be lost)?

Hmm, don't really know John, but could it be a head alignment problem? A difference between your camera and your deck (Or are you using the camera as a deck?)

Aaron

Hi Aaron,

Yep...I'm using the camera as a deck. I guess I'll need to get my hands on another camcorder to see if I can salvage it. Not easy to find in these here parts.

John, you can use any dv camera to play back the footage but that may not be be the problem.Is the footage on tape 4 any different? ( more contrast or faster motion or poor lighting)

Jack,

It's all the same setup, lighting, speaker, etc.

Well... looks like the mystery is going to be solved one way or another. She just died this morning. Dead as a door nail. So I'm packing her up to send to New Jersey.

Keep your fingers crossed for me! [gulp]