Tape tips

I had the same problem. The tape cleaning helps, but it probably is a mechanical issue. My camera had the same issue. I removed the door, when you look inside you see the tension bars have notches in them they probably came loose and need to be tightened a bit.

I would suggest you tighten one first a little and play back see if it gets better, then tighten the other a little and check again. When tightening make sure you tighten at them at 1/4 - 1/2 turns at a time.

The process is a bit tedious, but necessary as not to damage the unit.

Eventually you will see the image getting better. Then you can clean the heads once more again.

Hope this helps you out,

Frank

If cleaning the heads using the cleaning tape did not help, then there are 3 possibilities that I know of:

1) The heads are sufficiently dirty to require direct cleaning with a more powerful solution.
2) The heads are defective.
3) The heads are out of alignment.

Parity errors are not usually controller problems. If the head alignment has drifted enough, you may be missing a track when recording. An initialization includes writing format information at the beginning of the tape. This is "re-read" during the process to confirm correct writing. This is the part that is failing.

Keep me posted.

Dan

try this:
1. make sure the tape is not loose - turn one end to tighten
2. make sure the head is clean - try a qtip or slightly damp swap long enough to reach and clean the head (silver drum but please be extra careful not to use to much force there is a litte haed that reads the tape and if you get any strands caught on here it will be hard to get out) the head will spin but clean and hold as much as possible because the head is harder to clean while spinning and the head is in between that has a very small slot to see it but it is close to the gapped seem of the haed
3. if you can fwd and rewind tape
4. make sure nothing is stuck in like and torn tape pieces

try this:
1. make sure the tape is not loose - turn one end to tighten
2. make sure the head is clean - try a qtip or slightly damp swap long enough to reach and clean the head (silver drum but please be extra careful not to use to much force there is a litte haed that reads the tape and if you get any strands caught on here it will be hard to get out) the head will spin but clean and hold as much as possible because the head is harder to clean while spinning and the head is in between that has a very small slot to see it but it is close to the gapped seem of the haed
3. if you can fwd and rewind tape
4. make sure nothing is stuck in like and torn tape pieces


now sometime tapes of 120m are really not recommended because of the load of tape amd ost have a tension sensor 60m is usually the best recommended

your camcorder video head is dirty, use a brand new tape and playback for around 5 minutes or more, this will serve as your video head cleaner. you may try at least five times doing this: insert, play, eject,play, eject again. your camcorder has a built in videohead cleaner and activates only during insert, play or rec, and eject mode. If the problem is still there, manual videohead cleaning is needed, use clean bond paper and lighter fluid, damp the bond paper (Size about 1" by 3") with fluid and rub with care the videohead (not the bond paper!The vhead should be the one turning not the paper)by slowly turning the videohead against the paper. Be careful cause this is dangerous that you might brake the videohead permanently. apply only a slight force to the head.