HDV Capture Problems

Hello,
I have two Sony HVR-V1U camcorders.
I'm using FCP 7.03 software.
Ever since I can remember, I've had trouble digitizing HDV footage.
Using the camera as a source deck, the video constantly creates several clips out of a single take without rhyme nor reason. A two minute clip will end up being 3 pieces of video with short gaps of missing video. It's as if there was a "time code break" within the clip causing it to be broken up into 3 separate pieces. But there is no time code break. I have to go back and capture the missing 5-6 second gaps and I never receive an actual error from those sections. FCP just seems to constantly "hiccup" during an HDV capture.
Someone mentioned to me that FCP has a hard time digesting the HDV signal. I've tried capturing using the Apple Intermediate Codec and while I get a bigger file, I still have broken video for no reason. So, my question is:
1. anyone else having this problem?
2. is there another software solution that will capture HDV properly?
3. Is there a cheap piece of hardware that will help translate/capture the HDV out or the HDMI out of the camera?
4. I'm considering purchasing the Sony HVR-MRC1K external memory recording unit. I assume that by transferring these files (like P2 cards) I'll avoid the tape digitizing problem. Does anyone have experience with this external unit and has it improved the "digitizing" process?
Thanks in advance,
Chris M.

If you are not already doing it this way, then ignore this, but here is the way you capture HDV in FCP. I have a Sony FX1 HDV camera so the steps should be the same.

1. Go to the "Easy Setup" under the Final Cut Pro drop down menu.

2. Choose "HDV" under the Format drop down menu.

3. Choose "HDV 1080i60 under the use drop down menu.

Thats all you have do. FCP will detect the proper fps and anything else once it starts capture.

Before you start to capture once the "Log and Capture" window opens, go to the "Clip Settings" tab and uncheck "Create new clip on start/stop". What this does is as it is capturing FCP will not make a new clip every time you hit the record on your camera and then stopped and then hit record again.
It will just capture one long single clip.

I think HDV is a pain in the proverbial. I get tapes from the same camo, from the same camera, use the same capture method and sometimes it captures perfectly, other times it's got little hiccups all the way through. It seems completely unpredictable.

Try cleaning the heads using a cleansing tape, that did the job for me.