Bad MiniDV transfer can be improved?

[Gary34]

I am using a Cannon ZR 500, Pinnacle 510, transferring into WinDV using a windows 7 PC. Some of my tapes are coming out perfect. Some are coming out really bad. The image on the preview screen of WinDV looks the same as the preview on the camera so I'm thinking the issue is the tape itself and it is what it is. They are all SP recordings. I am just wondering if there is something I can do to fix this.

[aramkolt]

Curious what others will say here, don't think I've seen that before. It's almost like the tape speed isn't quite right, so there's a sort of rolling unsync to it similar to how it would be if you were doing a mild fast forward or rewind

Only thing I can think of is that the tape speed at which it was recorded might be slightly off, or it could be an alignment problem during the original recording. If it's an alignment thing, it's possible that unaligning a deck could make it play back, but I'd be hesitant to do that with a deck that you care about because it could be hard to get back to a normal alignment for future use.

Were the tapes that do this all from the same batch/recorded on the same camera originally?

If you run out of other ideas, I'd be very curious to try this tape with my DSR-2000A which has a sort of variable speed playback allowing it to play back even LP tapes when (supposedly) no other DV playback device will. Haven't heard of it being a problem on SP tapes, but reaaaaally curious if it has potential applications there also in some cases. I'd do it for free of course, just pay return shipping if you need the tape back. If transfer is successful, I can probably upload it to a file server so you don't have to mail a flash drive.

[Haunted_TBC]

I'd be curious to see how this tape is interpreted as .dv by DVRescue, it may be able to address this exact issue.

[radiokom]

Maybe not directly related to particular issue, but I would not use 510 firewire input for DV transfer. If your PC has no firewire port just install PCI or PCIe card with firewire ports. And try another DV camcorder or deck simply to be sure it is not particular camcorder together with particular tape problem. What you see on camcorder display when play this tape? If the same, problem is camcorder, tape or both. If picture on camcorder display is OK, problem is after that.

[Gary34]

I should have thought of the simplest thing first with this. The problem was just dirty heads. I took off the plastic cover so I could get to the heads easier. I soaked a Qtip in 99% alcohol and cleaned the tape path then I got a piece of paper and bent it over the Qtip to clean the drums. Then let the paper spin the drum as I clean. It looks a lot better. Ill clean it one more time then it'll be good.

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Were the tapes that do this all from the same batch/recorded on the same camera originally?

No that camera is broke. They are SP though so tracking isn't really an issue.

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If you run out of other ideas, I'd be very curious to try this tape with my DSR-2000A which has a sort of variable speed playback allowing it to play back even LP tapes when (supposedly) no other DV playback device will. Haven't heard of it being a problem on SP tapes, but reaaaaally curious if it has potential applications there also in some cases. I'd do it for free of course, just pay return shipping if you need the tape back. If transfer is successful, I can probably upload it to a file server so you don't have to mail a flash drive.

Thank you for the offer. I appreciate that.

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Maybe not directly related to particular issue, but I would not use 510 firewire input for DV transfer.

Why would I not use the firewire to USB bridge on my Pinnacle?

[radiokom]

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Originally Posted by Gary34

Why would I not use the firewire to USB bridge on my Pinnacle?

Because any unnecessary bridge is potential problem. For DV you need stright firewire to firewire transfer without any additional devices like 510 between ports. But I am curious - what you see on camera display?

[Gary34]

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Because any unnecessary bridge is potential problem. For DV you need stright firewire to firewire transfer without any additional devices like 510 between ports. But I am curious - what you see on camera display?

My camera’s display looks the same as what I see on the preview screen in WinDV.

I have read that the DV bridge on the Movie Boxes is more reliable than a lot of adapters. https://dvmp.co.uk/dv-capture-over-usb.htm in

From what I can see the Pinnacle works really well for transferring DV but I haven’t compared it to installing a FireWire card.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiokom

but I would not use 510 firewire input for DV transfer.

Why not? It works perfectly fine. I've set it up on dozens of computers, never an issue with the Firewire.

Even the bad-version Pinnacle cards usually are fine with Firewire, though sometimes the "bad" aspect is due to the USB/drivers not working. (The main "bad" aspect has to do with analog noise.) But that's not the case here, with the specific user, this exact card.

Firewire cards are a PITA in the 2020s.

[Gary34]

The Pinnacle works well for me with WinDV once I figured out that one of my USB ports was bad and moved it to a different USB port. It’s been hassle free.

WinDV is really nice in windows 7 and completely unusable in windows 10 for me at least. I know results vary with windows 10. That has nothing to do with the Pinnacle though because it did its job in windows 10 and 7. I’m glad I have a windows 7 machine with hot swaps.

With losslessly compressed analog capture with a Pinnacle it works well in windows 7 and 10 for me.

-- merged --

Alright I cleaned the camera a second time and with those two tapes I will get a good transfer then it will do like it did and not play right. Maybe the issue isn’t dirty heads.

I got two really good captures of one troublesome tape and one good one of the other troublesome tape. The other three tapes I had no problem with.

I’m not sure why it’s doing that.

[radiokom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Why not? It works perfectly fine. I've set it up on dozens of computers, never an issue with the Firewire.

Even the bad-version Pinnacle cards usually are fine with Firewire, though sometimes the "bad" aspect is due to the USB/drivers not working. (The main "bad" aspect has to do with analog noise.) But that's not the case here, with the specific user, this exact card.

Firewire cards are a PITA in the 2020s.

OK, I simply always try to make path as short as possible. Never experienced problems with new PCIe or PCI firewire cards. However PCI is rare now (so I have a few as spare for XP machines with AGP and without PCIe slots), looks like they stopped production, but PCIe is available everywhere. With old stock may be a problem.

[Gary34]

DV rescue is a really neat tool. This is the first time I’ve heard of it. It points out every frame that is off. I ordered a cleaning tape and I’ll see if that helps.

[aramkolt]

Cleaning tape is a good tool to have, though I'm more used to a dirty head having large bars of video missing similar to this:

Screenshot 2026-04-30 at 10.47.46 PM.jpg

DV rescue does have some unique features like trying to recapure frames where there errors several times, though from what I'm reading, you might need to use the command line for more advanced features. Seems like there are currently lots of errors on each frame here, so I don't know if it's as likely to help a stream like that much compared to say a tape with a badly read frame here and there.