DV(HDV) Tape Issues

I was going to keep all my used tapes as stock but i now have all the best bits copied from each onto different tapes, so thats 50-60 PHDVM-63's narrowed down to 15 full of montage 'Best of' clips ..So i wil be using the originals again...

But another story is I had a broadcast company ask me for some footage I shot from a while a go, but that has been taped over with my Rome holiday visit last summer...Last minute decision..Buy new use old ...Oh well.

Dive safe

DeanB

Hi

I usually use the sony mini DV tapes PREMIUM , are there any diferences to the sony EXCELLENCE line besides the price ?

Another thing i've read somewere that I should record in "black" in a new tape and then record on top the new footage , is this true?

Thank you.

Hi Lula

It's really up to you, I have been using cheap $5 Panasonic's since 1999 and the footage is still there just like the day I shot it. Yes you may get a dropout now and again but it's not very often. I even use the same tapes in my SONY HDV camera's now.

I have also used some Premium $$$ DVCAM and HDV tapes and have gotten dropouts on them too so go figure.

You don't need to record black on the tape unless timecode is very important to you. What can happen is there might be a cut in time code if you don't que the tape back up after reviewing it or after you took the tape out of the camera and then put it back in and don't que it up to where you stopped filming on it so when you press record it starts from zero again.

Most NLE can keep importing even it it comes too a break in the timecode while you are fire wiring in.

I do recommend that what ever tape brand you go with stay with them due to different lubes on the tapes. Early SONY tapes where really bad and if you put in another type brand after using them it would cause all kinds of problems. SONY uses a different lube now days so it's not much of a problem. If you do put a old SONY premium tape in your camera, use a head cleaner before you put another brand in. I did this the other day and the camera would not play the image of other tapes until I put in a head cleaner. Another good thing is record nothing for the first 30 seconds at the start of each new tape.

Wow! Wagsy - as usual - couldn't have summed all that up any better.....

just make sure that you have a cleaning tape in your kit at all times - one that matches the brand of the tapes that you are shooting with in your camera..... possesing a cleaning tape has saved my bacon on numerous occasions when I would've been otherwise totally, utterly and royally screwed right up the woopsy.....

Chris

Hi Lula

It's really up to you, I have been using cheap $5 Panasonic's since 1999 and the footage is still there just like the day I shot it. Yes you may get a dropout now and again but it's not very often. I even use the same tapes in my SONY HDV camera's now.

 

I have also used some Premium $$$ DVCAM and HDV tapes and have gotten dropouts on them too so go figure.

 

You don't need to record black on the tape unless timecode is very important to you. What can happen is there might be a cut in time code if you don't que the tape back up after reviewing it or after you took the tape out of the camera and then put it back in and don't que it up to where you stopped filming on it so when you press record it starts from zero again.

 

Most NLE can keep importing even it it comes too a break in the timecode while you are fire wiring in.

 

I do recommend the what ever tape brand you go with stay with them due to different lubes on the tapes. Early SONY tapes where really bad and if you put in another type brand after using them it would cause all kinds of problems. SONY uses a different lube now days so it's not much of a problem. If you do put a old SONY premium tape in your camera, use a head cleaner before you put another brand in. I did this the other day and the camera would not play the image of other tapes until I put in a head cleaner. Another good thing is record nothing for the first 30 seconds at the start of each new tape.

All good advice... Mixing brands is a bad idea, pick a good brand and try to stick with it to minimise headaches.

Wags? No mention of EDIUS.. well done!

Don't use a cleaning tape too often though - dirty heads are one thing, but too much cleaning gives you no heads at all!

I think Drew posted a thread a couple of months ago about this attempting to dispell some of the myths with tapes. I didn't necesarily agree with all of it, but it was as usual for Drew very in depth. If you do a search you should be able to find it.

Cheers, Simon

Don't use a cleaning tape too often though - dirty heads are one thing, but too much cleaning gives you no heads at all!

 

I think Drew posted a thread a couple of months ago about this attempting to dispell some of the myths with tapes. I didn't necesarily agree with all of it, but it was as usual for Drew very in depth. If you do a search you should be able to find it.

 

Cheers, Simon

absolutely!

Simon's spot on - always read manufacturers instructions when using such devices (most brands recommend 10 seconds per clean). They also recommend certain restrictions to the number of times one should repeat a clean repetitively.... something to do with the magnetic heads - the cleaning tape doesn't (100%) actually "clean", per se, but it gives the magnetic heads the kick in the bum that they need in order to get things hunky-dory again... (as opposed to a cleaning brush on a CD-Rom lens cleaner - check out the actual tape inside a cleaning cassette, what do you see(?) an, apparently, normal tape staring back at you...)

good luck with the gremlins - be prepared!

chris

I've merged the 2 threads yet again and have pinned it so people will see it.

The tape lube issue has been discussed almost ad nausem. Every tape manufacturer would be inviting a lawsuit if they made products that still mangled tapeheads without BIG warning signs on the packaging. The real issue is how old the stock of the tape is. And unless you're on a remote location in Indonesia or somewhere where the older problematic tapes have been dumped, it's pretty much history.

The issue is that in the litigious environment, even publishing this could invite a suit if someone has an issue.

The best advice is to follow the cleaning regimen of the camera using cleaner tapes and alcohol swabs like those from Read Right.

Nowadays some cameras display the hours of use of the tape head and drum. If you have an important project and want to feel extra secure, clean the tape head with a cleaner tape or swab before you do a brand change.