XH-A1 Remove Cassette Issue ... Playback footage starts / freezes / starts / freezes!

[Don Palomaki]

Do I understand correctly that one tape does not playback well in either camcorder?
and the other tape plays OK in both camcorders?

Is this only with digital captures (via IEEE1394) files or analog (SD or HD) output as well?

Is it always the same spots on the tape, or do the locations of the problems vary?

Head cleaning tapes are abrasive so they should be used minimally because the wear the heads very fast, thus the recommended time limits.

In some cases had better a better (more consistent) analog output than via firewire thanks to error correction on the camcorder. In these cases an analog capture, while arguably a bit lower quality than digital, may provide more usable video. If the problem spots vary you can perform multiple captures and piece together a continuous result from the several captures.

[Greg Pattenaude]

Thanks again, Allan. Still no luck but I'm going to have someone take a look at it.

Greg

[Greg Pattenaude]

Don - I've only used the firewire interface and have never tried analog output but that's a great suggestion. Let me see what that yields and I'll report back.

[Allan Black]

Originally Posted by Don Palomaki

Head cleaning tapes are abrasive so they should be used minimally because the wear the heads very fast, thus the recommended time limits.

Hi Don, after many years with magnetic tape and transports, I think the premise that dry DV cleaning tapes will ‘severely damage’ the tape head has grown out of all proportion. To me, it’s been promoted to prevent users starting the tape, and letting it run right through to the end thinking that will do a better job. I don’t have any experience with wet cleaning tapes where you brush the liquid on the head then run the ‘wet’ cleaning tape. Canon and other DV camera makers say don’t use them, use only dry cleaning tapes.

Here’s what Canon Support says … https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/ind...01c99704287e7d

Note:
• Do not rewind the cleaning cassette after each use. Rewind the tape completely, only after it has reached the end. The entire tape can be used twice before replacement of the tape will be required.
• If the cleaning cassette is used excessively, it may cause undue wear on the video heads.

Yet on page 143 of the XH-A1s instruction manual it reads …
To maintain the best picture quality, we recommend cleaning the video heads frequently with the Canon DVM-CL Digital Video Head Cleaning Cassette or a commercially available dry cleaning tape.

So what does Canon Support really mean by, ‘excessively’ and ‘may cause undue wear?’ Then why does the Canon instruction manual recommend cleaning the video heads frequently? Of course an iron or ferrite DV tape head is going to wear, but any suggestion that they’re so soft that they can be damaged needing replacement, through running a dry DV cleaning tape ‘frequently’ for 10secs each time, over the life of the camera, is not correct.

Cheers.

[Allan Black]

At the present time there are no ‘wet’ mini DV cleaning tapes available, I’d say Canon say ‘only use dry’ in case some come on the market in the future.

And what’s interesting about this thread is, people who previously posted in 2013 are now getting emails saying AB has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to ... 8 years ago.

Most will have forgotten all about it but those who do, will have their kids asking …. “What’s magnetic tape dad?”

Cheers.