: transfering via firewire video that is polluted with what I believe is artifacts, digital specks throughout, with rewind -fast forward some of it clears up, I am assuming it is dirty heads, however if I come out of the camera S-video or analog RCA connector the problem is not there. Is this because there is a different set of heads for the DV and analog or is there something else going on?? I have tried cleaning the heads with the Sony DV cleaning tape which changes nothing, no results at all. I am putting this into a Casablanca with DV firewire input, could it have anything to do with the firewire connector. I have also noticed that on the message board some have suggested problems with using different brands of tape, 90% of the time I use Panasonic, 10% Sony. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Kevin M.
First, it is particularly ill-advised to mix Panasonic and Sony tapes (though that may be an issue of the past - I don't know...). Second, if you have dropout problems it shows in the analogue output as misplaced small squares in the picture (or maybe bits of earlier recordings showing in the small squares if the tape is reused and not "blacked" or bulk-erased first). If different, and not in the analogue output, I would suspect digital transfer problems...