Mosaic picture during playback

mosaic in picture means that head cleaning needed with a clean tape ,comes from dust,but if it stable and is not dissapeared maybe is an electronic problem

Use Sony Video-8 Head Cleaning tape to clean video head of camcorder that seems dirty / clogged and causing mosaic noise in picture.

Digital camcorders use compression algorithms that allow them to "cheat" or squeeze the very complex video signal on to a small tape in a short amount of time. When you zoom or pan quickly, each frame is completely different from the one before and the little internal computer can't keep up with the images. It does what it can in the amount of time it has and what you see is the shorthand version. The only solution is don't move the camera fast or buy a new camcorder which will have a faster internal computer.

comon sony issue. Proble is low torque tension on the head and on clean of the video head. Sony's don't have alot of tension on their take up reel though. I can increase this for about $100 on most models. www.megaone.com/larry

One possible cause is that normal recording
could not be performed because the heads were
dirty at the time of recording. Clean the heads,
and perform recording and playback again. If
normal playback can be performed, the heads are
clean. Before an important recording, be sure to
conduct a test recording to make sure that normal
recording can be performed.

≥If the heads become dirty soon after cleaning,
the problem may be the tape. If so, try another
cassette.

≥During playback, the picture or sound may be
interrupted momentarily, but this is not a
malfunction of the Camcorder. (One possible
cause is that the playback is interrupted by dirt
or dust that momentarily adheres to the heads.)

This is a proper maintenance job. I know exactly what you are talking about and your comment about pausing and then it works sometimes confirms in my mind at least, that this is an issue with the mechanism for turning over. It happens through general use, but can be prevented by conservative use of the pause button when playing back. In my experience, the pause button is used rather than switching off, when logging....dont know if this is true on your end but I hope it helps in some way.

If the heads become dirty, “NEED HEAD
CLEANING” appears during recording. During
playback, moreover, the following symptoms
appear.
≥Mosaic-like noise appears partially or the
sound is interrupted.
≥Black or blue mosaic-like horizontal stripes
appear.

When normal playback cannot be performed
even after the head cleaning
One possible cause is that normal recording
could not be performed because the heads were
dirty at the time of recording. Clean the heads,
and perform recording and playback again. If
normal playback can be performed, the heads are
clean. Before an important recording, be sure to
conduct a test recording to make sure that normal
recording can be performed.
≥If the heads become dirty soon after cleaning,
the problem may be the tape. If so, try another
cassette.
≥During playback, the picture or sound may be
interrupted momentarily, but this is not a
malfunction of the Camcorder. (One possible
cause is that the playback is interrupted by dirt
or dust that momentarily adheres to the heads.)

What camera are we talking about here? Have you tried resetting the camera?

J. DeRuvo
Digital Camcorder HQ