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Sony HVR-Z1 / HDR-FX1
Pro and consumer versions of this Sony 3-CCD HDV camcorder.

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Old September 16th, 2011, 10:54 PM   #1
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Bad recording....

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...?
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Old September 17th, 2011, 11:08 AM   #2
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Re: Bad recording....

Need some clarification:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arthur Wardle View Post
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?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arthur Wardle View Post
it shows there is a time code
Then the problem is likely not the tape itself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arthur Wardle View Post
...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/
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Old September 17th, 2011, 01:07 PM   #3
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Re: Bad recording....

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.
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Old September 17th, 2011, 11:09 PM   #4
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Re: Bad recording....

Seth, of course you're right that the cheaper, easier, simpler solution should be tried first.
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Old September 18th, 2011, 02:31 PM   #5
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Re: Bad recording....

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
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Old September 18th, 2011, 06:01 PM   #6
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Re: Bad recording....

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?
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Old September 18th, 2011, 08:37 PM   #7
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Re: Bad recording....

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
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Old September 19th, 2011, 09:56 AM   #8
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Re: Bad recording....

No, there's no indication it's the media. You're getting timecode.
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Old September 19th, 2011, 02:12 PM   #9
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Re: Bad recording....

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

Woody
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Old September 20th, 2011, 11:31 AM   #10
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Re: Bad recording....

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???
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Old September 20th, 2011, 11:41 AM   #11
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Re: Bad recording....

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.
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Last edited by Adam Gold; September 20th, 2011 at 01:43 PM.
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