FS-100 Bad Dropout and timecode mismatch

Hi guys,
After a few weeks of practicing with my PAL FS-100 and HVX202, I did my first real job today. It was fairly easy as it involved shooting 6 different interviews of between 3-5 minutes each.

I opted to shoot DV resolution so that I could have a simultaneous DV tape backup incase I had any issues with the FS-100. I'm glad I did!!

After importing into Avid Express Pro 5.5.3, all my clips were fine except that I came across a bad dropout on both video and audio tracks on my second interview on the FS-100 recording. It was 3 frames in duration and the video image was broken up with multiple red/green pixels thrown in whilst the audio on both channels just gave a loud, short splat of white noise. That was problem #1.

So being an experienced editor, I figured I'd just look at the source timecode and then go and capture that same timecode from DV tape. After capturing, I matched the two source timecodes together and performed an overwrite edit. Immediately, it was out of sync.

Through slip-trimming I was able to get it back into sync... but the source timecode on the DV tape was 34 frames (01sec 08frm in PAL) EARLIER than the source timecode on the FS-100. Hmmmm.. major issue!!

I know that with high end VTR's you can have play/delay settings which affet the timecode/video sync relationship, but I don't believe this is the case for capturing from DV tape from the camera, hence I believe there is a 34 frame delay in the timecode being recorded to the FS-100 when simultaneously recording to DV tape as well.

I'm emailing the Focus support guys but was wondering if anyone else has seen (a) dropout problems in the middle of recordings, as this is inexcusable and (b) if anyone had noticed the timecode delay, although I imagine not many people have had to do frame accurate sync edits between the DV tape and FS-100 hence it would not be an easy thing to notice.

Appreciate any feedback.

Regards,
Steve
voutique
Perth Australia