I shot a Theatre Performance using a Sony 80 minute MiniDV tape (DVM80PRL). This was probably the 5 time I reused the Tape. When I play the tape back, the first 2 minutes and 53 seconds of the tape does not play. The Time Code advances and if I fast forward I can see that the Camera actually recorded to the tape. After the 2 minute and 53 second mark, the Tape plays fine till the end with no drop outs. Since the Tape plays fine always at the same Time Code, I don’t think it is a dirty head. Does anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to capture the first 3 minutes of the tape?

My experience is that the information is lost and you can't get it. If someone has a way to get it, I'd like to hear it, too.

Greg, it looks like you've experienced the main reason why I don't reuse tapes for anything I consider to be important.

Thanks for the Reply Mark. Lesson Learned!!!!

Try playing it back in the camera that recorded it?

2- Was it recorded LP mode?

I recorded in HDV and yes I am playing it back on the same Camera it was recorded on. Thanks Glenn!!

Bit of a long shot this one but definately worth giving a try....you didn't say what the camera was. It might just be worth trying the tape in another camera that can read the HDV format you shot.

If you don't know anyone with a camera suitable, it might be worth popping down to your local camera store and see if they'll let you pop the tape into one of their cameras. If that first 2 minutes actually plays then I'm sure someone on the forum could try the tape on their system to recover the lost video.

CS

Can't say of this will work for HDV, but...
in a case recently where I had horrific dropout on regular DV, I founb that I could recover the entire image perfectly by putting the deck in pause. Apparently, the signal was there but was very weak, and repeated passes in pause let the buffer build the picture up gradually. I set my NLE for single-frame record and managed to recover the entire missing stretches.

good luck..... S

I am assuming maybe incorrectly you are using a Sony Z1, FX1 or V1 camera. If not, then cast a very jaundiced eye over my comments.

Do you have your camera HDV DV playback selection on "Auto" or "HDV". Select it to "HDV".

"Auto" is a known troublemaker when capturing to some computers and more so playing back tapes which have previously been recorded. If the tapes have previously carried a MiniDV recording, then "Auto" is going to be really confounded by what it finds.

There may just be a little bit of leading old footage on the tape and it may be that the camera finds its feet only on the first break in the new recording or a co-incidental dropout in the recording which forces it to shake hands with the timecode again.

Try playback or capturing from a short distance into the first take, not from the very beginning.

Try dubbing this take from the source tape to another tape via firewire to another camera or deck. If it is possible to have that camera or deck generate its own timecode in VTR mode then select free run, but that option may not exist for dubbing via firewire.

If you can get an image to appear in "pause", extracting each single frame in "pause" steps while dubbing to another camera or deck, then extracting and re-animating them in your NLE or capturing direct via "single frame mode" as Steven suggests above might work but a very arduous process.

Finally if I have sent you on a goosechase, my apologies. I know not all but just enough to stumble.

I am assuming maybe incorrectly you are using a Sony Z1, FX1 or V1 camera. If not, then cast a very jaundiced eye over my comments.

Do you have your camera HDV DV playback selection on "Auto" or "HDV". Select it to "HDV".

"Auto" is a known troublemaker when capturing to some computers and more so playing back tapes which have previously been recorded. If the tapes have previously carried a MiniDV recording, then "Auto" is going to be really confounded by what it finds.

There may just be a little bit of leading old footage on the tape and it may be that the camera finds its feet only on the first break in the new recording.

Try playback or capturing from a short distance into the first take, not from the very beginning.

Try dubbing this take from the source tape to another tape via firewire to another camera or deck. If it is possible to have that camera or deck generate its own timecode in VTR mode then select free run, but that option may not exist for dubbing via firewire.

If you can get an image to appear in "pause", extracting each single frame in "pause" steps while dubbing to another camera or deck, then extracting and re-animating them in your NLE might work but a very arduous process.

Finally if I have sent you on a goosechase, my apologies.