pd100A playback / recording issues at DVinfo.net

Tommy Yi · May 28th, 2004, 04:11 PM

I'm a bit in a rut. My Sony DSR-PD100a is having some major issues. I fear that the heads are damaged.

Playback issues:

1) Video recorded on another Sony DVCAM will play back on the pd100a with glitches or pixelation. Mainly found on the left side of the screen.

2) Audio will skip and/or not play at all.

The footage on the tape or the tape itself is not the culprit. The tape plays flawlessly with no audio or video drops in any other dvcam deck or camcorder.

Recording issues:

Video that is recorded onto the pd100a is very pixellated (again mainly on the left side) and audio rarely is heard.
This happens even when the tape is played in a different dvcam deck or camcorder.

I have cleaned the heads as directed with a chamois swab and head cleaning solution recommended by Sony. I have also run the dry dvcam cleaning tape for not more than 5 seconds twice.

All this at first seemed to help at first, lessening the pixellation and audio dropouts, but they were still there. After putting the camera down for 5 hours and testing it out again, the problem has become worse.

Playback on pre-recorded tapes dropped audio, to the point where you may hear 1 second of audio every 3- 10 seconds. Pixellation is apparent to the left side of the video, especially in panning shots.

When recording and then playing the footage back, The entire frame is covered in square pixellations and audio is not audible. It seems the problem is more severe when recording footage with the pd100a.

Does anybody know what the hell is wrong with the camera? I'm convinced that the heads aren't just dirty, but possibly damaged. But, I'd really like to be proved otherwise. I don't have the funds to buy another camcorder.
If the heads are damaged, is there any way to get it replaced/repaired without costing an arm and a leg?

Thanks,

Tom

Mark Williams · May 28th, 2004, 04:19 PM

I had the same exact problem about two years ago on my GL-1. It drove me nuts trying to figure it out. It turned out to be a head alignment problem. But there is more here. Some of my tapes that had previously played flawlessly on the cam would not play back at all after the repairs were made since they were recorded on misaligned heads. The tapes made before the heads went out of alignment were ok.

Best of luck and be glad your tapes are ok.

Regards,

Mark

May 28th, 2004, 04:11 PM	#1
Tommy Yi Tourist Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1	pd100A playback / recording issues I'm a bit in a rut. My Sony DSR-PD100a is having some major issues. I fear that the heads are damaged. Playback issues: 1) Video recorded on another Sony DVCAM will play back on the pd100a with glitches or pixelation. Mainly found on the left side of the screen. 2) Audio will skip and/or not play at all. The footage on the tape or the tape itself is not the culprit. The tape plays flawlessly with no audio or video drops in any other dvcam deck or camcorder. Recording issues: Video that is recorded onto the pd100a is very pixellated (again mainly on the left side) and audio rarely is heard. This happens even when the tape is played in a different dvcam deck or camcorder. I have cleaned the heads as directed with a chamois swab and head cleaning solution recommended by Sony. I have also run the dry dvcam cleaning tape for not more than 5 seconds twice. All this at first seemed to help at first, lessening the pixellation and audio dropouts, but they were still there. After putting the camera down for 5 hours and testing it out again, the problem has become worse. Playback on pre-recorded tapes dropped audio, to the point where you may hear 1 second of audio every 3- 10 seconds. Pixellation is apparent to the left side of the video, especially in panning shots. When recording and then playing the footage back, The entire frame is covered in square pixellations and audio is not audible. It seems the problem is more severe when recording footage with the pd100a. Does anybody know what the hell is wrong with the camera? I'm convinced that the heads aren't just dirty, but possibly damaged. But, I'd really like to be proved otherwise. I don't have the funds to buy another camcorder. If the heads are damaged, is there any way to get it replaced/repaired without costing an arm and a leg? Thanks, Tom

May 28th, 2004, 04:19 PM	#2
Mark Williams Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Deep South, U.S. Posts: 1,526	I had the same exact problem about two years ago on my GL-1. It drove me nuts trying to figure it out. It turned out to be a head alignment problem. But there is more here. Some of my tapes that had previously played flawlessly on the cam would not play back at all after the repairs were made since they were recorded on misaligned heads. The tapes made before the heads went out of alignment were ok. Best of luck and be glad your tapes are ok. Regards, Mark