Hi, my first post here and I'm hoping some of you knowledgeable people will be able to help me!

I've had my JVC GR-DVL 275E Mini DV for just over two years now, and been very happy with it. However it's recently started to give me a problem.

Whenever I use it after it's been out of use for a time - say a couple of weeks or a month - the first minute or two of recording displays 'banding' ie the picture cuts up horizontally, before settling down.

Now it's chewed a couple of tapes. I'm wondering if all this is a head-cleaning issue? I've never used a headcleaner, I've heard some people don't recommend them?

So - three questions:

Headcleaner or not?

And if yes, is there a recommended brand?

What's the technique for hand-winding a few inches of tape back into a mini-dv cassette, I'm guessing there's some kind of ratchet / interlock mechanism that needs to be defeated?

Thanking you very much in anticipation

Martin

:( :

i would just recomend taking it to a shop or sending it to JVC or sometihng. i had a cheapo JVC once, and it always ate tapes, and always screwed them up as well. so i would just take it to a shop, you can buy a headcleaner, but that doesnt have anything to do with eating tapes i dont think.

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Frank Sinatra - \"Thats Life, Biatch\"

Thought maybe dirty head + tape path would hinder smooth running of tape = picture distortion & tape snarl up. Wrong?

you may be right, just go buy some generic head cleaner. i use the Fujifilm ones, but im sure theyre no better than the jo shmoe ones. i hardly use them either, cause they can really screw up your camera sometimes.

__________________
Frank Sinatra - \"Thats Life, Biatch\"