my current camera (jvc gr dv500) is messed up. making noises n weird lines

[bojadada]

ok, i have a jvc gr dv500 and im starting to have problems with it. a while ago, whenever i recorded something, it makes really weird annoying noises. i cud still record, but it just made loud noises and it was loud enough to the point where it was captured on the recording. now, it still does it, and like every 9 in 10 times im trying to watch/record a video, it asks me to take the tape out and put it back in. and it also says that i need to use a cleaning cassette. i think that maybe i got sand in it or something because i went to a park a while back, but im not sure. and when i watch some parts of a tape, it would just cut off and act as if its blank, or it would partially stop (like if i am walking, my head would stay in the same spot but the rest of my body would keep moving). i also dropped it a few times, but i didnt really notice anything different from how it was before, and ive dropped it another time but that was before it had problems, and it didnt get any problems as a result of dropping it. so would using a cleaning cassette fix this? help is REALLY appreciated, i dont want to invest in a new camera.

[edDV]

Get a service evaluation. Noise is always bad.

The DV500 was a nice pro camera but won't do 16:9.

[bojadada]

k, but like, if i were to use a cleaning cassette, would it at least get rid of all the errors and the weird lines in the videos? im sure that the sound might be something with the internals, but im more concerned on being able to at least record stuff without the lines showing and errors popping up.

[minidv2dvd]

maybe. did you change brands of tape? head buildup from different lubes is possible and a head cleaning tape can remove it. only use it as per the instructions with the tape.

[M Bruner]

Sounds to me like EdDV has your answer. If your camera tells you to constantly remove an reinstall the same cassette, take it to a repair shop before you do anything else. Electronic equipment cannot repair itself, and if you let a problem go uncorrected it only makes the problem and or damage worse. Most repair shops clean cameras when they repair them anyway, so forget about a cleaning cassette, and take that puppy in TODAY, if possible.