Damaged miniDV tape: bad lot or bad camera? Recovery?

I shot a couple of rolls of Sony Excellence miniDV tape from a new lot
I'd just received from B&H, and on playback both showed intermittent
video breakup (horizontal sections perhaps 1/10th of the screen in
height, horizontally offset) along with missing audio in those
sections.

Visual inspection of a bad section shows, looking at the non-oxide
side of the tape, a series of pin-point protrusions spaced a few mm
apart extending in the direction of tape motion. (The tape is indented
as if pushed by a pin from the inside).

Did my camera (VX700) suddenly go crazy, or did Sony's tape-making
machine go haywire? (I've been using the same tape as my "standard"
for quite some time with no problems.)

Any suggestions on a house that would take a stab at recovery would be
appreciated. I'm in Los Angeles.

 

Anything can happen...more likely the camera but I recommend the Panasonic
Master Grade anyway...smaller lots, better quality and QC, fewer problems.

cb


<< Subject: Damaged miniDV tape: bad lot or bad camera? Recovery?
From: JT
Date: Tue, Jun 15, 2004 5:46 PM
Message-id: <>

I shot a couple of rolls of Sony Excellence miniDV tape from a new lot
I'd just received from B&H, and on playback both showed intermittent
video breakup (horizontal sections perhaps 1/10th of the screen in
height, horizontally offset) along with missing audio in those
sections.

Visual inspection of a bad section shows, looking at the non-oxide
side of the tape, a series of pin-point protrusions spaced a few mm
apart extending in the direction of tape motion. (The tape is indented
as if pushed by a pin from the inside).

Did my camera (VX700) suddenly go crazy, or did Sony's tape-making
machine go haywire? (I've been using the same tape as my "standard"
for quite some time with no problems.)

Any suggestions on a house that would take a stab at recovery would be
appreciated. I'm in Los Angeles.

Craig Berlin
Pro-Tape.com
Apple * Avid * Digidesign * Fuji *JVC * Maxell * Panasonic * Pinnacle *
Sennheiser * Sony * Steinberg

 

That VX700 is almost 10 years old and could be the culprit. Have
you run any more tapes through it since and had similar problems? I
just got a bunch of Sony Excellence tapes from B&H and they've run
perfectly. I'd trust them more than I would those of any other brand.
As most people have said, it's best not to switch brands due to the
difference in chemicals used to lubricate the tapes.

I'd have someone with a different DV recorder try some of those
tapes and see what happens. Your old camcorder might be ready for a
full head and tape pathway cleaning, lubrication and adjustment by a
professional. If any of the tape-drive components get dirty and
gummed-up, the tracking and synchronization can be thrown off and
disable the recorder. A camcorder that old is certain to eventually
have such problems, if it hasn't been serviced.

Steve McDonald