lol, yea. I gotta figure something out, I dont know. Hopefully I can somehow trick them into fixing my camera for free. Ill keep updating this as things go! Thanks

Be careful though with faking a receipt, it may get you on some sort of blacklist by JVC (technically it's fraud). They can probably also figure out from the camera's firmware/internal memory/whatever when the first recording was made.

Since this is a somewhat known problem, not caused by using the device in a wrong way, they might repair it for free, or at a low cost. All they do is update/recalibrate the sofware (at least that's what I am told).

Ps: mine is back from JVC, I can pick it up tomorrow at the store!

good point Sander. I guess being more up front about it would be better.

Let us know how yours is tomorrow. looking forward to another satisfied customer!

A quick update: it looks like the dots are gone! I'm going to test some more tomorrow.

Sander...

Did you send yours off, or did the dot just go away. I've started noticing it on my camera, sometimes it's there for a full shot, sometimes it's not at all.

Hard to figure out what it is... it definetly appears when I'm wearing a white t-shirt and close to the camera... if I step farther back it goes away instantly. I thought it was a focus issue, but after messing with that, the focus itself didn't appear to cause the issue. I think certain colors are triggering the dot on mine...

Regardless, I'm probably going to send mine off soon, because it's annoying me, alot!

Good news Sander, looking hopeful. Keep us posted!

Richard,

Most of the people here have experienced a white dot, how come you're only seeing it when it's against a white Tshirt? or is that just when it's the most noticeable?

I personally noticed it most against darker colours, especially against black. But the dot was intermittent. Sometimes on a shoot and sometimes not. I couldn't have that, not when I had to stuff for clients.

If you have any problem with the camera at all with white dots, then I definitely recommend getting JVC to sort it for you. Two weeks without, is well worth it to get it fixed. I'm certainly glad I did.

I really love this camera, but this dot thing is killing me, though I have yet to see it in a few weeks, even when recording for long periods of time. I would really like to get 2 more, especially now since they are like $7-$800. What do you think??

GC

White Dot
 

Wayne... Sorry I didn't reply right away, I was out of town. I can make mine come and go by changing the color in the shot and focus of the camera. It isn't just white I noticed... a good example (I'll upload a clip when I get time)... is that if I have it in auto focus mode... I can put my hand 6 inches in front of the lens, and the dot goes away, but as I move my hand back, the dot pops up again.

It's very wierd... but regardless, I will take your advice and send it off for repair.

Thanks,
Richard

I'm considering getting another myself. The white dot thing is a very isolated problem and has affected only a few of us. Since you can get it fixed easily enough through the warranty, I wouldn't worry about it. Get em while they're cheap! I don't think JVC has come up with anything as good to replace it, and I understand they're switching to AVHCD soon.

Avey

Cheers Richard.

Please keep us up to date on the results so we all know that we're getting things put right. It's encouraging for people who have had this problem to know that it's easily fixable.

Dreaded white dot has reappeared.

Not happy.

Only on about half a dozen shots out of a lot of shots taken over the two weeks on hols, but never the less, it has reappeared. in a different place to last time.

Will be doing some testing over the next few days to see if I can make it come back and then it's off to the shop again.

:-(

Hello Richard,
My GZ-HD7 was just one month old when I noticed the dots in the recordings. After finding out I wasn't the only one with this problem (thanks to this DV Info forum!) I went back to the store where I bought the device. They send it back for repair to the JVC HQ in The Netherlands. I had it back in less then 10 days and the dots were gone!

Hi Guys

I am returning my camera on monday for the second time. They say, in the shop, that this is most unusual, but then they would wouldn't they?

Sander, how long ago was your repair? My original repair was only about 6 weeks ago.


Avey

Hello Wayne,
Sorry to hear about the returning dots... It's a really strange problem, even more if the dots can return and at other places! This also means that anyone who's experienced the problem has a chance to see the dots again someday.

Here's my cam history:
Date of purchase: April 28, 2008
Back to the store: June 30, 2008
Received at JVC HQ Leiden (The Netherlands) (according to the work order): July 1, 2008
I had it back on July 14, 2008

Since I've got it back I haven't used it that much (7-8 hours maybe). I'm curious what they're going to do with yours; again a software reset, or maybe replacing some hardware parts (as this is the second time you're returning it)?

Who knows Sander, who knows…

I have (at the insistence of the shop manager) written a letter to go back with the camera, not slagging JVC off, but explaining the disappointment of a second return and that, when the cam is working, it's pretty damn great. Hopefully I struck the right note. The Shop manager also said she'd speak to the rep about it. She is aware that the best outcome would be a replacement (with a fresh warranty) but who knows. The cam shop I got it from is unusual in that the people who work there are very keen and rather good so that gives me a little confidence that they will be fighting my corner.

I'll keep you posted.

*sigh*... Was just reviewing some shots from 2 weeks ago, and guess what... A white dot in the bottom right corner!
Demo screenshot is from some testing stuff and unedited, hence the awful color and interlacing. The second picture is three screenshots overlayed showing the location of the white dot is exactly the same as before.

This is very depressing.

Since I haven't heard anything from the shop since I took it back in last monday, I'm suspecting that JVC will just repair the problem again and send it right back.
And if that happens I think I will have to sell it while it's working fine. Not happy about this at all since I have no idea what to replace it with and have various accessories specially purchased for the HD7.

I saw some footage from Steve Mullen yesterday and although he hasn't said anything in this thread, I saw three white dots on his footage! I don't know ho he stands it. As far as I am concerned it is unacceptable.

It can be 1, 2, or 3, and then none. Seems to depend on background. As you pan they can appear and dissapear.

Not a typical dead or stuck pixel, but it must be something about the CCDs. Since mine are white -- that means the same issue on all 3 in the same place! That seems VERY unlikely. Perhaps something in the AGC that affects RGB signals at the same instant in time.

The only good thing is its SO intermittent that it's OK for "home movies." I'll bet 99/100 will never see it since they tend not to stay ON very long. One can only hope for a new version of the HD7.

PS: Did Executing PRESET ever fix anyone's camera?

Hi Steve, I didn't find a PRESET, but I did do a RESET and it didn't help. I did notice all three of your dots at one point on the kitty footage, but like you say, they come and they go.

I took literally hundreds of shots on holiday and the new dot appeared in about half a dozen of them and that was on a particularly hot day. The cam was too hot to touch on top at one point. But another day, the cam was just as hot and no white dot.

When I discovered it back at home (shock), I did some testing and, letting the camera run for the full length of the hard drive's capacity, I found the typical problem, when the cam has been running for a couple of hours, i gets quite warm and the dot reappears. I want it for more than home movies so it's not ok for me and I'm going to have to sell it when it's fixed. - And believe me, I'd rather not have to as I've grown to love this little cam over the past year, how easy it is to get some good shots and the flexibility of the manual controls and so on. Shame on you JVC for ruining a great cam with such a simple little problem!

Service sheet from last time's repair said simply: 'Updated software, serviced and realigned as required'. So not much help there I guess.

What's an AGC by the way?

Avey

The thought of selling had crossed my mind too, but I have no idea what other camera to buy instead. Besides I don't think I can afford a new cam at the moment, since I got the GD7 for a reasonably low price and as far as I know there aren't many other cameras in that price range which have the same specs. Anyway, first I'm going to return it again, probably today. Let's see what they tell me this time...

Btw: AGC is Auto Gain Control. My pixels are white too, so like Steve says, it must be something that affects all colors (RGB).

Steve, can you please give us some more info on the "Executing PRESET" you mentiond?

Good luck with that Sander.

I took mine in two and a half weeks ago so it shouldn't be far off now. i'm disappointed that no one contacted me re a replacement which is what I was really chasing after.

i suspect they'll just repair it and send it back as before. Useless.

Add to that, my Twoneil lens adapter finally turned up yesterday. So what shall I do with that now? hmm.

I got the cam back just now and have set it on test. The people at the shop said they spoke to the service manager at JVC about our concerns regarding warranty running out and ending up with a camera that may or may not need a third repair, and was told that they were VERY surprised to have to repair it again and that this is very rare. They also apparently have a three strikes policy at JVC and if it has to go in a third time, no matter what the warranty situation, it will be replaced.

All sounds very promising. Only time will tell. at least the pressure's off for selling it now. I can keep it and hope it doesn't happen again, and if it does, take them for a new one. Always proving they have a new one to send me.
Avey

Thanks for the update Wayne! Although I still got 7 months warranty, it's good to hear about their "three strikes"-policy. Haven't got mine back yet, but as soon as I do I will test and post the results here!

7 days of testing later - (constantly filling the hard drive then checking the footage) - has revealed no new white dots as yet Sander. Just done another session today.

I figured if I am to get a new one if the dots come back, then the sooner they come back the better. (Odd way of looking at it I know but hey…) After all, it WAS six weeks before I got the return of the dots last time.

I was told that JVC had updated the firmware, whereas last time, the chit said updated software. So who knows, maybe that'll make the difference.
Look forward to hearing your results bud.

They are the same thing -- so they did the same thing twice. But, firmware/software can't go "bad" so their explanation makes NO sense. ZERO!

My GUESS is that they ran software that mapped-out the bad pixels.

Of course, I still can't see HOW three pixels at the same spot on three separate chips could go bad at the same time!

Lets assume a GREEN gets stuck ON. The pixel should range from green to yellow to cyan to magenta as the background varies.

Lets assume a GREEN gets stuck OFF. The pixel should range from red to blue to magenta as the background varies.

Perhaps, the V and H pixel-shift circuit in some weird way makes white when one of any of the nearby pixels goes bad in any way.

If they did map out bad pixels - it should work unless the camera is re-exposed to high heat. Unless, of course, the CCDs are slowly going bad over time. Something I've never heard of.

Thanks for the post Steve, most helpful.

You;re right, the pixel didn't change colour, it just stayed white. I admit, things were hot in Turkey and the camera got too hot to touch more than once, but why then would the problem be intermittent?

Of all the footage I brought back, (about four and a half hours worth) less than five percent of it had the white dot . Then, when I ran it on test over and over when I got back, the dot came back when the camera got warm after running for a while, a couple of hours or so.

Surely if a pixel died, that would be it it would be permanently white?

All this means that I can't trust the camera after all and will have to sell it. Poor show!

These CCD pixels are not dead, they're "hot". A CCD matrix is like an analog shift register - the amplitudes are serially shifted from the cells to the readout. If a cell has a higher than normal leakage, by the time a frame is fully shifted the pixel voltage amplitude drops, and the pixel will look brighter. The leakage is proportional to the temperature, so hot pixels show up after a warm-up. Of course, there are many more hot pixels in your CCD than you think. I once did an experiment - put my HD7 running in the carrying case, and left it there for the night. When I took it out in the morning it was very hot to touch (don't do this at home!). After I closed the lens cover I could see something similar to a christmas tree - dozens of hot pixels all over the image - red, green, blue, white, etc.

It's a very common problem (unfortunately) for all CCD-based devices. Nikon SLR cameras are known for these problems, many Pro systems as well. Pro cameras sometimes use coolers, ice packs, etc.

CMOS sensors don't have the hot pixel issue, because, they not serial devices like CCD.

Hey, thanks Max!

So how do I avoid the pixels coming back white? Just simply keep it cool? That's not always possible if I'm filming a play performance or Seminar as the cam has to work in warm environments for a long stretch without a break.

Ice packs then?

Hi Wayne,

I don't think with a consumer camera you can really do anything. Either live with it, try to have JVC to repair it, or consider a CMOS sensor cam. The problem with the CCDs is that being the delicate analog things, they "evolve" - blemishes can appear with age, due to certain conditions, etc. With CMOS sensors it's a bit easier - either you have a defective pixel or you don't - the defects are mapped-out when the chip is made and stay that way forever.

Has anybody tried to heal a ccd by putting it in the fridge or even freezer? Perhaps running.

It's back! I haven't done any testing yet, but I will put it on a tripod and let it record for some time today. The workorder said they replaced the prism element (I think that's the element that breaks up the incoming light (image) before it reaches the CCDs(?))

The Prism Element eh? Sounds odd.

Keep it running and see how it goes Sander. I ran mine every day for three weeks filled up the drive and then emptied it again. No problems yet. But I haven't been anywhere hot yet either.

Sure does.

AHHH. Prism block includes the 3 CCDs that are glued in place. So it does make sense.

I'm glad it makes sense :) I was told that this was a pretty big (and probably expensive) part of the camera. Anyway, JVC replaced it and my problem with those white dots seems to be gone! I let it record until the hard disk was full (twice now) and there's absolutely no trace of any white dot in the recorded movies! To be sure I'm going to do some outside recording tomorrow.

oh, man... I just saw this post and went thru all the pages...

I just bought the HD7 used from Steve. I hope I don't run into this issue when it counts for my footage... I am feeling kind of bummed out now...

Don't worry. I checked the camera. And, you've been using it.

It seems there are two kinds of dots. One is where, for some reason, the CCDs get killed by something. Once killed, they need to be replaced. This seems to be very rare otherwise the boards would be filled with posts. They aren't.

The second is temporary dots that are related to very high heat. I experienced this once after shooting with two camcorders on a 115+ day in Las Vegas. I left the camera I wasn't using on a table in the hot sun. I used the HD7 second. (Now I know why they make silver cameras.)

My HD7 movies that day had a few dots and I thought it was broken. I found this thread and was about to ship it in for repairs. After I erased the disk's content, I recorded a new clip for JVC. NO DOTS!

They were gone and never came back. Lesson learned when shooting in LV.

And mine's been fine since I had it repaired. I tested it day after day after day (for about 5 weeks - seriously!!) and not a spot of bother.

However I am now selling because I've ordered a 5D MkII to replace both the HD7 and the Canon EOS 400D for my work.

Damn fine camera though, as you can see here…

Soft Layeth the Land on Vimeo

I have noticed dead pixel, in my HD7, what would be solution? Is this because of heat or something else? Mr. Mullen, wrote some time back that, there would be two reason, one is too much heat and another is CCD problem, any idea?

Thanks