Help with tape problem (by 5 users)

Only one thing will cause the symptoms described: While in pause or stop
during recording, the tape in the camcorder mis-threaded (i.e.: did not follow
the proper path around the guides and headwheel). This can be caused by wear
and crud in the mechanism, or by simply shaking/jarring the machine just right
(wrong?) while it is stopped (and the tape is slightly loosened).

Dirty heads CANNOT CAUSE OCCASSIONAL LOSS OF PICTURE IN PART OF A TAPE.
Especially when the picture gets visible when in pause, slow, or "picture
scan". The picture in a mis-threaded segment is visible under those
circumstances because video head tracking data is genrated in a different way
than in play. If the heads are dirty enough to prevent recordingthen
NOTHING is on the tape...and it cannot magically appear while in pause.

Dirty heads (which are amazingly rare) cannot do what is described: If the
heads are dirty enough, then a properly recorded signal will not play back at
all, period, in any mode. If the heads are dirty during recording, then a
poor-quality signal will get recorded (noisy, poor color, both), or no signal
will get recorded at all. That's analog. With a digital machine, it either
works or not...no in between in any mode. Most "dirty heads" complaints have
absolutely nothing to do with the heads: Its guide post adjustment or pieces of
???? in the mechanism.

Paul Weber
Albuquerque, NM

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