I have a Sony TRV-11 single chip DV camera, and it used to do this quite a bit. I was told it was a head cleaning issue, so I used the cleaning tape. Sometimes it would clear the problem, and sometimes it would not. I had someone else suggest that it happened because the tape had slack in it, and I should fast forward and rewind the tape.

I don't believe either of these were the problem. I noted that simply removing the tape and then re-inserting it would sometimes cure the problem. However, the one thing that ALWAYS fixes the problem is to find a section of the tape that I can record over, and then simply press the start/stop button to record for a few seconds. Sometimes I get the message to insert a cleaning tape. I ignore that, and press the start/stop button again. Usually it starts. I then rewind to the place where I want to playback, and everything usually works OK from that point on, as long as I keep the tape inserted.

i have never (on purpose) used any on-camera transition effects. i don't even know if my camera has them.

johnmeyer - my problem sounds similar to yours. i would get the head cleaning message shortly after cleaning the head. so i cleaned it again the the message sometimes would come back. after several cleaning cycles, this has happened on my last two tapes. when recording, you can't tell if it's happening. i only see it during playback.

slambubba,

I own a GL2 and had the same problem you encountered. I too, like others, used a head cleaning cassette to clean the heads, but to no avail.

Do you use a mini dv rewinder?

I know this may sound odd, but here goes. I talked to someone about my problem and he asked me if I used a mini dv rewinder. I told him "yes". He advised me to stop using it. He said the rewinders don't "slow down" when it nears the beginning of the tape, like it does when a camcorder rewinds the tape. According to this gentleman, the "sudden stop" of the tape in a rewinder "can" cause damage to the tape.

So, I threw away the tapes that were having problems and began with new tapes and used my GL2 to do the rewinding. I haven't had 1 problem since. I've recorded over the same tape(s) 5-10 times with absolutely no bad picture, mozaic type problem.

Now, I can't say this will work for everyone, but it worked for me.

I know you'll get arguments from both sides on this issue (using the rewinders to save the camcorder equip, etc.), but I've decided to stick with what's working for me.

Are you re-using a previously recorded tape?

John