mini DV camera question

[funkymatt]

Model: JVC DR-D250U
I've had this camera for quite a while with no issues. Last time I used it it asked me to clean the heads. I didn't have a cleaning tape at the time and eventually forgot about it since I didn't use it until today. Now it looks like all video playback has ceased. It appears to record correctly, but get no video when i try to play it back. Do you think the camera is jacked up? Should I buy a cleaning tape? I thought a cleaning tape only improves garbled recording?

anyone?

and a :beer: for useful replies!

 

[gsellis]

Get a cleaning tape. Garbage builds up and it looks like it is on the read section of the head. You do need to clean the heads, but it is not beneficial to be an obsessive compulsive about it (which can over-wear the heads).

Stick with a tape brand too. While it used to be true that mixing wet vs dry lube types would really mess it up, it is more about how the tape seats. The "profiling" is the important part. The same tape type "seats" itself for better performance.

You can read more about profiling in this post

DV Info Net - Thin Black Line - Tape brands and profiling