Hey everyone, hopefully someone has run across this before. For the second time in a few months I captured some video at an event, only to get back to my studio to find problems with the recording/tape. Just like the first time when I play the tape on my deck, it shows there is a time code but the picture is black. If I scrub forward I can see a picture, but the second I let off the button its back to black screen. The first time I told my self it was bad media, but now.....I'm not so sure. I was using Maxell MiniDV tape. I already know I screwed the job up, but I have to figure out what's up with my Z1u. It’s my only camera right now and I am loaded down with work...Help...?

Need some clarification:

Just like the first time when I play the tape on my deck...Does this mean you are playing back on a separate deck rather than the cam? If so, what happens when you play back on the cam?

it shows there is a time codeThen the problem is likely not the tape itself.

...the picture is black. ...Black or Blue?

Sounds like your heads are out of alignment. You need to send the cam and the tape in for diagnosis and repair.

Sony has a tape recovery service and they may be able to save your tape.

http://www.sonymediaservices.com/

I agree with Adam that this indicates a head problem.

Suggest that the first step is to run a Sony headcleaner tape through it as per the directions - this could just be dirty heads.

Next step would be professional dissassembly, cleaning, adjustments, etc. as Adam wrote.

Seth, of course you're right that the cheaper, easier, simpler solution should be tried first.

Adam, you are correct I am shooting with the camera, and transferring the footage via separate Sony deck, and the screen is black while it plays with time code running

And, again, what happens when you play back from the Z1? Maybe the problem is with the deck.

When was the last time you cleaned either?

same end result with the camera and the deck......
My problem is could I really get two seperate instances of bad media one month apart. And I did run a Sony head cleaner on the Z1U

No, there's no indication it's the media. You're getting timecode.

Thanks everyone for your input, I have already scheduled to have a Sony specialist repair center do a tune-up and adjustment...

Woody

Quick follow-up question. To minimize the chance of it happening again before I put it in the shop, I thought I would shoot with the camera but record on my companion HDV deck...I have tried the firewire to firewire and the composite out on the camera to the composite RCA on the deck and cannot get it to work....any ideas?? Do I not have some setting right???

I don't know what deck you have. You do know that composite is not HD, right? Your deck might not record from composite anyway. It should record from FW, though. You may have to enable it in the menus. Which deck do you have?

Also, Sonys default to the highest quality output only, so if you have both component and composite output connected, only the component will output. It is possible that if both FW and composite are connected, only FW will output. Try one at a time.

Follow-up: So you've said you have an M10. Okay, so looking at the manual, as I suspected, component is out only, so you are limited to SD analog if you use the composite video in.

Are you shooting HDV? or SD DV? If you want to record HDV on the deck you must use FW only.

Are you sure all the settings are correct on both the cam and the deck? You have had success in shooting HDV and capturing with other tapes and it is only this tape that isn't working, yes?

If you are shooting HDV, your cam and deck BOTH must have VCR HDV/DV in the IN/OUT REC menu set to HDV or AUTO. Otherwise you will get TC but no picture. If it's set to AUTO try HDV on both. If you want to output HDV for capture, make sure i,Link CONV if OFF.

If you shot in DV mode, make sure VCR HDV/DV is set to DV on both cam and deck.