Deteriorating playback conditions
Deteriorating playback may be due to the following causes.
•Scratches and dust on the disc surface
This includes fingerprints, dust from the air, tar from cigarette smoke, and so on.
Scratches and soiling which occur before recording are not a problem because they are registered in advance as defects, and recording avoids them. However, scratches and soiling which occur after recording can lead to deteriorating playback conditions.
•Aging of disc recording layers
Over several decades, the recording layers of optical discs can age and cause deteriorating playback conditions.
•Deteriorating laser diodes performance
The performance of the laser diodes used in optical heads can worsen with age, leading to deteriorating playback conditions.
Refer to the Maintenance Manual for an approximate guide to when it is time to replace optical heads.
To prevent playback conditions from deteriorating
Pay attention to the following points when handling discs.
•Do not open disc cartridges and touch discs directly with your hands.
•Do not store for long periods in locations which are dusty or exposed to air circulated by fans.
•Do not store for long periods under high temperatures or in locations exposed to direct sunlight.
If playback conditions have deteriorated
Read errors occur when playback conditions continue to deteriorate.
When a read error occurs, the message “DISC DEFECT” appears, the video freezes, and the audio output is suppressed.
If this happens, check the following points.
Whether the disc displays the same playback condition on other XDCAM devices: If so, the surface of the disc may be dirty or scratched, or the performance of the recording layers on the disc may have worsened due to age. Do not use discs with these symptoms.
Whether every disc inserted into an XDCAM device displays the same playback conditions: If so, the performance of the laser diodes may have deteriorated. Check the total optical output time.
Freezing a Picture during Playback
Proceed as follows.
1 Press the PLAY/PAUSE button to start playback.
2 Press the PLAY/PAUSE button again at the instant when you want to freeze the picture.
A frozen picture appears.
The time code is displayed in the time counter display section and the PLAY/PAUSE indicator changes from constant lighting to flashing (one flash/second).
3 To restart playback, press the PLAY/PAUSE button once again.
When remotely controlling the camcorder from an
You can perform the same operation from the
Checking the Last Two Seconds of the Recording (Recording Review)
If you press the RET button on the lens while recording is paused, the last two seconds of the recording are played back on the viewfinder screen and the LCD monitor. Use this function to check whether recording went smoothly. If you hold down the RET button on the lens, playback begins from the beginning of the clip. After playback, the camcorder is ready to start recording again.
When the LENS RET function is assigned to one of the ASSIGN 1/2/3/4 switches, you can use that switch in the same way as the lens RET button.
When the Clip Continuous Rec function is enabled, the review returns to the recording start point.
Checking the Recording on a Color Video Monitor
Connect a color video monitor to the VIDEO OUT connector or SDI OUT connector of the camcorder. By pressing the PLAY/PAUSE button, you can view the recorded picture.
On how to connect a color video monitor, see “Connecting an External Video Monitor” on page 45.
Playback and Recording 3 Chapter
Playback 77