I am having a problem with a new PANASONIC AY-DVM63AMQ MASTER MINIDV TAPES. I have had good success with the others of the set of five packages, until the seventh tape. midway through the tape, photographing hummingbirds on a canon xha1, i saw a 'clean head' warning light, although the camera was recording (parent on hummingbird nest). rewound tape to see if it could be replayed...and low and behold the replay was stuck, then stuttered, then played, then skipped. couldnt believe it. stuck in another new tape and everything was fine...no 'clean tape heads' message and replay was fine. checked the tape out with glazers camera in seattle, and they had the same problem, as their canon xh a1 could not replay the mid section of the tape, where i had the error message. the first 25 minutes could be played back, after that disaster with the stuttering, then blue screen. it recorded, but will not play back mid tape. i only use panasonic tapes, did not cross over to any other brand. i doubt this is a drop out? or a tape mechanism problem?

i have used panasonic for years and really am frustrated with the first cassette problem. and it has very hard to get footage of a female anna's hummingbird on a nest. any suggestions on what to do? I am in the process of trying to reach panasonic, but no success yet. the tape will rewind, then play the first 25 minutes of footage, then the counter will stop, and the footage will stop, then skip ahead on the counter, then stop again. bill