Why one random video mysteriously has no sound/audio at all out of about 30 videos in Panasonic HC-V785?

Understanding Audio Dropouts in Panasonic HC-V785 Recordings: A Technical Insight

If you’ve been recording with the Panasonic HC-V785 camcorder and have encountered an unexpected issue where a specific video lacks audio entirely, you’re not alone. This seemingly sporadic problem can be confusing, especially when most recordings remain unaffected. In this article, we’ll explore possible causes, troubleshooting steps, and best practices to help you understand and prevent such occurrences.

Background
The Panasonic HC-V785 is a versatile camcorder capable of recording high-quality videos in the HE 1080 intelligent auto format, producing MTS video files. Users often transfer recordings by copying files directly from the SD card’s stream folder onto their computers. Occasionally, users notice that within a batch of recordings, certain videos are completely silent despite having normal visual quality.

Scenario Overview
In a typical recording session, a user recorded approximately 30 videos per SD card session. Subsequent viewing revealed that at least two videos—located randomly within the batch—were entirely silent despite having intact visuals. These anomaly videos appeared amidst otherwise fine recordings, with lengths varying from around 0.58 to 1.59 minutes.

Key Observations:
– The problematic videos are positioned at different points within batches.
– Visual quality remains normal; only audio is missing.
– The issue occurred in two separate batching sessions.
– No external microphone was used; recording was via the internal microphone.
– The camera was previously subjected to minor impact, with a previous video being cut off mid-record, which the camcorder automatically corrected.

Potential Causes and Troubleshooting
1. Temporary Recording Glitches:
– Temporary software or hardware glitches during recording can sometimes result in incomplete audio data. The automatic correction after impact suggests the device has internal safety features that might influence recording stability.

1. File Corruption During Transfer:

2. Copying files directly from the SD card without proper ejection or using unreliable storage devices can lead to corrupted video files, sometimes manifesting as missing audio.

3. Auto-Start/Stop and File Segmentation:

4. The camcorder automatically starts new files after reaching certain durations, which could introduce intermittent recording issues, especially if impacted or interrupted during recording.

5. Impact Damage Effect:

6. Physical impact might impact internal components or disrupt ongoing recordings, possibly causing audio recording errors or loss.

7. Settings and User Interactions:

8. No known “random button” exists for disabling audio; however,