Odd problem? dv video disappears

[phorkster]

So I bust out the camera today to take some footage of my 5 month old and I view the tape to make sure I am at the end of the previous footage. So I'm watching it, and then all of a sudden the video disappears... I rewind all the way to the beginning and play it, and now nothing comes up... Any ideas of what went wrong? This is a Sony DCR-HC28 using a 60min Fujifilm MiniDV tape. Any help would be appreciated, as out summer vacation stuff is on there.. Thanks in advance.

[lgh529]

You didn't say how you were watching it, but if it was an external monitor or TV, then check your cables. I know you probably already did that, but that one gets the best of us sometimes.

If you're just looking that the camera LCD screen, then I would try a head cleaner.

Also, see if you have the same problem on another tape. That would isolate the problem to either the tape or the camera.

For future reference, I've had four different Sony Cameras and they all are kind of picky about the tapes I use. Ideally, I try to only use the same type of tape in each camera, but that's not always possible. I stick with Sony and TDK tapes mostly. Again, not because they are the best, but because I have had the least problems with those brands in the Sony cameras that I have owned.

[phorkster]

I was watching it on the LCD screen, as for the head cleaning, its a brand new camera (a few months old anyways and very little use so far). No time stamp of note appears to be on the tape at all, its like the tape was formatted some how and lost everything..

[phorkster]

Any ideas as to why the video isn't showing up anymore?

[jagabo]

Either the LCD screen is dead, the DV to LCD circuitry is dead. or that particular tape is dead. Have you tried other tapes? Do you see settings menus and stuff generated by the camera? Can you see the live camera view?

[phorkster]

Funny, I tried taping today and I got the Clean The Head message... This shouldn't be happening so early in the cameras life imo.

[minidv2dvd]

if you have been using tapes from more than one manufacturer or even more than one model of tape from the same maker, you may have inadvertently mixed tape lube types on the video head. dry and wet lubes mixed can make a mess on the heads. try to always stick to one model tape.

[turk690]

Even if you just bought the camcorder, unpacked it, & inserted a dirty tape, then these no video symptoms will occur nonetheless. Old tapes, tapes that have been lying around unboxed, cheap tapes, not sticking to one brand or model of tape, smoking while taping or taping a smoke or dust-filled or extremely humid room can leave deposits on the head and do them in. If it's fairly certain this is the cause, my SOP would be 1. I'll insert a cleaning cassette and let it work its wonders; 2. I'll get a specific brand of tape, sparkling new ones still shrink-wrapped (Sony, if only coz that's a Sony camcorder) and do a test recording of 5 to 10 minutes, and stick to that brand for eternity. It's a good thing if the camcorder displays messages saying the "head is dirty" which at least gives u a clue, but I've had very painful experiences of the camcorder going through all the motions merrily without this, ending in an hours worth of junk on playback. It's also one reason why I never reuse DV tapes.

[phorkster]

Thanks for the tips!

[phorkster]

Problem still exists, I think the issue is the camera itself. I'm going to go kill the guy at the store now, because we are putting my dog down today and my wife recorded my son saying things about the dog.