I've read it is a good practice to record the full length of the tape with the lens cap on to get a continues time log on the tape, (no blue screen). This technique is mainly to make video editing easier at a later time. Seems logical but not practical unless you have a cheapo miniDV camera you can waste away the heads on doing this.

Do any of you do it? Can you buy pre "blacked" tapes?

You probably shouldn't do it. Blacking tapes is useful to give them continuous timecode. Some NLEs like FCP3 (not FCP4) don't like broken timecode.

If you are doing the shooting, you can avoid broken timecode. Use the end search feature on your camera to find the last timecode. You know if the timecode reset if the display shows 00:00:00;00 (something like that).

If you get broken timecode, you can fix it by making a dub with device control off. You need a 4pin-4pin firewire cable and you need to make sure the recording device is not copying the timecode but generating new timecode.

Interesting thought though.... Why don't the manufacturers sell tape that is already "formated". It took a while but floppy disks are all now pre-formated. Seems the same could be done with tapes (although, I'm sure at a greater cost).

I tear open the plastic, remove the tape from the case, put it in the camera, and press RECORD.

No blacking (waste of time and head use).

It is absolutely not neccesary to black your tapes prior to shooting. The only reason to black a tape is if you are planning to do "insert" edits, deck to deck.

The camera is going to record the current timecode over anything that you have previously recorded, regardless of whether it is "black" or actual pictures. This kind of defeats the purpose.

It also opens up the possibilty of broken TC as the times you previously recorded will, in all likelyhood, not match the new TC.

As far as wear and tear on your equipment...imagine buying 100 tapes and blacking all of them. Besides wasting your time, you now have 100 hours on your heads, transport systems, etc., and you still haven't shot anything!

As far as editing and broken TC are concerned, I just manually digitze the affected clip...no muss, no fuss, no having to dub.

I DO pre-stripe my tapes with 30 to 60 seconds of color bars, that way, I don't have to stop in the middle of a shoot and deal with it.

RB

Yes, before taping the event we run about 30 seconds or so. This confirms the tape is OK AND gives me some pre-roll space if I need to recapture. However, I just record whatever the camera is seeing instead of color bars. This seems to work for us.

Why do you record 30 seconds of colour bars on a digital camera? And why beforehand?

Surely colour bars are only useful if they are recorded at the same time as the material you are shooting, to show the camera's colour balance, and also on an analogue camera?

Just puzzled,

Julian

...a good practice to record the full length of the tape with the lens cap on to get a continues time log on the tape, (no blue screen).You forgot one thing: insert a dummy plug into the audio socket. You can buy one at Radio Shack. Personally, I don't find the need to strip miniDV tapes.

Since my NLE program seems to have a problem capturing from the beginning of the tape, I have adopted the practice of recording about 25 seconds with the lens cap on and then using the rec-search button to back the tape up to the 15 second mark. This insures that I'll be able to capture anything recorded on tape.

As soon as I open a new box of tapes, I'll do this to all of them so they are ready when needed.

It's obvious that you would not stripe your tape with color bars on one camera if you are going to use it in another one as each camera will be different in its settings.

The reason SMPTE color bars are recorded is to properly set up your waveform/vectorscope levels for digitization regardless of whether your camera is digital or analog.

If you do not have SMPTE bars, it is still a good idea to record some kind of signal a few seconds into a new tape. This ensures that you begin recording away from any potential wrinkle or imperfection on the tape that may be caused by manufacturing process. It also gives you some pre-roll time.

It would really suck to begin shooting on a brand new tape and find that those critical few seconds are ruined because those first couple of inches of tape were flawed!

Frank, I am still trying to figure out why you would need a dummy plug if all you are doing is pre-striping your tapes, although I gather from your post, that you do not do it anyway. The only time we use a dummy plug to cancel the audio is during an evidence or crime scene shoot where any chatter on tape becomes part of the evidence, and taken out of context by an opposing attorney, could become a problem.

RB

From what I've read the procedure with a cam entails recording, to strip the tape, with a cap on the front and a dummy mic plug inserted. I presume so that audio isn't recorded?

My understanding is contrary to what Rick Bravo has posted. According to Daniel Brown of Adobe, if you "stripe" your tape with time code, that time code is retained by the tape perpetually, regardless of tape-overs or gaps between scenes. Seems a good plan to me. I recognize the issue of extra time on the heads. As for the issue of audio and lens caps, that can be avoided by recording in VCR mode instead of camera mode. I have been burned by NOT doing this more than once. I try to make it a habit now.

This is digital. The tape will not know if it records black or white, sound or silence. It makes no difference if you leave the lens cap on or not, or if you plug the microphone jack or not.

If I blacked my tapes, it would cancel the "End Search" function which I find useful when I've had to rewind my tape a little for a check up playback. I just press "End Search" and I'm back on the last recorded frame, ready to shoot without gap in the time code.
On a blacked tape, it would always get me to the end of tape!

The only precaution to avoid breaks in time code: always start a shoot on the last recorded frames.

For a new tape, I begin with at least 10 sec. of a black still frame I've stored on the Memory Stick. My camcorder being very low-end, I can't mess with any setup, gain or color adjustment, so I always use the same test tape to get SMPTE color bars when I start a new editing session.

Jeff:
When you record in VCR mode without an input signal, you don't get black, you get "No Signal" which triggers the blue screen in playback. It will give you a time code though.

Tor:
If you black your tape by recording with the lens cap on, you get a full tape of ambiant sound and unwanted conversations from the camera mics. That's why Frank plugs the mic input: to cut the in-camera microphones.
For better blacks on consumer cams, turn the manual aperture control all the way down to shut the iris even if you put the lens cap on. In Auto-Iris, all you get is noise from the +18db gain.

<<<-- Originally posted by Norm Couture : Jeff:
When you record in VCR mode without an input signal, you don't get black, you get "No Signal" which triggers the blue screen in playback. It will give you a time code though.
.... -->>>

Isn't that the point? To stripe the tape with timecode?

On the PDX-10, "End Search" only works as long as the tape is left in the camcorder. If you take it out to review other work, or for any other reason, it can't find the end again. Unless you spend the extra money for the tapes with the chip, which I haven't convinced myself to do yet.

According to Daniel Brown of Adobe, if you "stripe" your tape with time code, that time code is retained by the tape perpetually, regardless of tape-overs or gaps between scenes.


When you record on a tape, everything gets recorded over what was previously recorded - including the timecode. Now, since the timecode already exists, it STARTS with that timecode when recording. However, the timecode WILL be replaced with a new timecode. To prove this, take a tape that was recorded in SP and record over it in LP. You will see a timecode jump at the end of the LP section as it goes back to the previous SP timecode.

Unfortunately, this also means that you *could* get a very slight timecode jump IF the tape didn't run at EXACTLY the same speed on the second pass. I would rather see the timecode jump back to zero than try to locate a 2 frame gap in the timecode. Ultimately, I would rather back up the tape slightly into the newly recorded timecode so I get NO gaps (which is what I try to do!).

If I were to leave an accidental gap between 2 shots on my tape, I'd prefer it to be a silent black with video sync rather than an out-of-sync blue screen with white noise in the audio.

Norm,
Yes indeed. I often use the camera to record the occasional sound track, ambience etc on purpose - without shooting video. My point is - it does not matter for the tape, nor for the quality of your subsequent recordings what way you do it. There's no VCR mode on my camera anyway, so I wouldn't know about that. I'd be surprised, though, if VCR timecode is recognised by the DV recording afterwards.

<<<-- Originally posted by Norm Couture : If I were to leave an accidental gap between 2 shots on my tape, I'd prefer it to be a silent black with video sync rather than an out-of-sync blue screen with white noise in the audio. -->>>

Good point. I hadn't actually used the method I described. I have always used the lens cap and not been concerned about the ambient noise. As I finished striping the last tape of a couple of boxes, it occurred to me that I could have done it in VCR mode. I was planning on doing it that way on my next batch, but I think I'll stick to black and the background noise of me clicking away on my keyboard, making posts on obscure bulletin boards. ;^)

Rick,

You say "The reason SMPTE color bars are recorded is to properly set up your waveform/vectorscope levels for digitization regardless of whether your camera is digital or analog." This is not completely true.

It only makes sense to record camera-generated SMPTE (or whatever style) colour bars for an analog camera, or if there is an analog tape or link in the capture chain
This is because a digital camera does not create "red" internally and then record that on tape, complete with camera variations and tape variations that need to be fixed later. A digital camera simply records "255,0,0" which is pure red, regardless of camera variations, tape variations or whatever. This is then captured over 1394 as "255,0,0" - again, no corrections necessary. That is the whole point of digital video technology.

If, on the other hand, there is an analog tape, or an analog link in the capture chain, then there will be a need to have colour bars.

I understand that many individuals and companies still record camera generated colour bars, but this is usually because of an established work process (why fix it if it ain't broke?) or misundersdtanding.

Regards,

Julian

In the PAL system and Japanese NTSC, black level is 0 IRE. No problem. But in North America, NTSC's black level must have a 7.5 IRE setup to play correctly on a TV set.
And to make things more complicated, we use Japanese NTSC DV camcorders which do NOT use the 7.5 setup. They send a 0 IRE signal through their a/v outputs to our monitors and TV sets.
I can see by the pludge section of the color bars at the beginning of a tape whether I'll be watching a correct picture or not. That's one of the reasons I appreciate a recording that starts with SMPTE color bars. Especially when I mix pictures from different sources at editing.

ANALOG WORLD:

If you are talking *analog* editing tape-2-tape it's defintely better to record black (called hard punch - which means just run a signal of black into the record deck) and run it for the length of the tape. Afterwards, rewind and start editing with less caution...control track breaks will occur less this way.

What this allow you to do is "insert" editing as opposed to "assemble". You can assemble if you want to, but if you are a professional and care about your project from start to finish...well, do inserting because its safer. You're less likely to break your control track - which is like the railroad track for the locomotion. If there is one piece of track missing...bye bye locomotion.

If you decide to analog edit using assemble, just beware to always start recording in your last few frames of video. If you don't...it's a lost railroad track and you're bumming.

DIGITAL WORLD:

Blacking a tape isn't really needed. However, you might want make sure that you have timecode being sent to the tape. In the PD150 - you have to actually hit the button for the timecode to head to the tape. I'd definately check your user manual. Just because you have a digital tape doesn't mean its REAL timecode.

Also, in the digital world its still needed for you to backup a second into previously recorded tape. If you don't...it just gets ugly.

Blacking tapes by the bundle used to be common in post houses that edited VHS, 3/4" and Beta etc. In the recent days...I bet that's still common. However, with digital we can have less wear and tear on the heads of our equipment.

Murph

Frank,

My apologies.

I thought you were referring to just striping the first few seconds of a tape, with color bars, as we do, not the whole thing. That's why I was confused as to why audio would be an issue. If you are doing the whole tape, then it would make sense to cancel the audio.

Julian,

We use our SMPTE color bars as a starting reference when digitizing into our AVIDs both from our Mini-DV and BetaCams, with great results. You are absolutely right, it 'aint broke, so we're not fixing it!

Jeff,

I'm no engineer...but my engineer is, and according to the Grand PUBAH, time code in the digital realm is recorded mulitplexed into the video itself and not recorded longitudinally as it would on an analog tape such as from a BetaCam. So, as Edward stated, all previous picture, audio and timecode will be replaced by the new recording.

Anyway, you all have a happy holiday.

RB

I would record room tone in the first 30 or so seconds of your tapes. This way:
1- It gives you filler sound.
2- You give your NLE enough pre-roll to capture your clips. FCP for example defaults to 2 seconds pre-roll.

This has nothing to do with blacking your tapes.

<<<-- Originally posted by Rick Bravo : snip.

The reason SMPTE color bars are recorded is to properly set up your waveform/vectorscope levels for digitization regardless of whether your camera is digital or analog.

snip

RB -->>>

IF the tape is recorded as a digital signal, like DV and DVCam and their spin-offs, the signal is already digitized. The transfer from tape to computer is just a file transfer. You cannot affect the signal on the way in.

It is useful to use bars for output but then you just as well could generate the bars in your NLE because in both cases, they are computed and are therefore (one hopes), perfect representations. Camera or NLE as a source should not matter.

Always black my tapes. Wasted way too much time with broken timecode in my NLE, having to babysit the capture 'cause I can't to a batch operation.

My camera, a VX2000, will pick up the timecode IF you take the time to find a good place for the procedure; play 'til a few seconds before the end of your existing footage, switch to record mode, and shoot. This becomes a pain when I'm trying to work fast. End Search doesn't work if you take the tape out.

Regarding timecode replacement, if I remember correctly, this has never worked for me. Record a tape, screw up the timecode, go back and record OVER the broken area, and the timecode remains broken.

I think. I could be mistaken, as I've been striping my tapes for a while now.

Mind you, all this is coming from someone who doesn't do too much filming, much less for a living, so extra head wear isn't really an issue for me.

Regarding timecode replacement, if I remember correctly, this has never worked for me. Record a tape, screw up the timecode, go back and record OVER the broken area, and the timecode remains broken.


This is NOT true. The timecode is ALWAYS replaced. However, if you start in a bad timecode it will be replaced with bad timecode. If you back up and start with a good timecode, it will be replaced with good timecode.

The only time a timecode break should be an issue is when you remove the tape. In that case, when you insert the tape, take the couple of seconds necessary to back up into the previous timecode area. AND, before you take the tape out, take 10 seconds to record some expendable footage.

Okay, I think I get it; the stuff is replaced, but it'll still start from zero, wherever you begin re-recording?

That's what fooled me, I imagine--the resulting timecode, while rewritten, was still wrong.

Thanks for the clarification!

<<The only time a timecode break should be an issue is when you remove the tape.>>

It could also happen if you review shots before the tape is finished. You could accidentally wind or play it past the last timecoded point. Make sure yoy don't.
Some cameras have a end of tape search function for those cases. Use it if you have it.

Otherwise - like Ed said, if you just record - stop - record and so on you should have no problems, and no need for striping. Even if you turn you camera off between takes.

Before I remove a tape or even turn off the camcorder, I always record a few seconds of Room Tone. That gives me some tone to use and a place to back up into when I need to insure a non-broken code.

Since my (and most NLEs?) ignore tape time code after the footage is on the timeline, I don't worry about broken code since my NLE (Edius) will jump gaps in time code.

I was very confused too - have a Canon XL1 and using Canopus DVStorm + Sony DSR25 tape recorder.

If I black the Sony DVCAM tape (the big one - not miniDV) in the DSR25 recorder (using black burst generator) OFFLINE (not connected to DVStorm) and I use that pre-black tape to record masters using DVStorm, will DVStorm's generated timecode override the timecode that was already present in that tape? Or is that a function of the DSR25 that will use whatever timecodes that is on tape.

Further complication - DSR25 supports "internal" and "external" DV timecodes.

If I set DSR25 to "external" and assuming DVStorm generates its own timecode, will DSR25 ignore that, and use whatever timecode it finds on tape (pre-black version)?

If I set DSR25 to "internal", how will that affect future recordings (if any)?

My plan is use one DVCAM tape (184 minutes long) to record masters (append to it) - but there doesn't seem to be any way for the DSR25 to do an "END SEARCH" function. So, I am thinking of pre-black tapes and use the timecode to specify to Canopus DVStorm to forward to the timecode of the last recording before I record the new one.

Will that work?

Thanks,
TS

It might but why not append a minute of black to the end of all your work. Then you can back up the cassette by a half-minute or so and have no problems with broken time code.

A simple test will tell you which time code setting is correct on the 25.

Blacking tapes is expensive. Depending on the life you get from the transport and heads, every hour costs you between $2 and $5.

You are absolutely correct. There is no need to black the entire tape. I tested it with my DSR25. There is a feature "INDEX" on that machine, which allows me to place either automatically or manually an invisible electronic signal on the timetrack which only the player picks up. You can then do a fast rewind/wind to the exact "INDEX" that is located on that tape. "END SEARCH" the last recorded frame, and start the new recording from there.

TS

Cameras like the Canon XM1 which have a facility for recording still photographs on the tape allow you to put an extra 7 seconds of whatever on the tape at the end of a session, and this includes timecode. I find this useful as it provides some leeway for locating a start point for the next session.

A couple of snaps at the start of the tape provides the necessary pre-roll for capturing.

Understand. I am not talking of doing that on my Canon XL1. I am referring to post processing stage - where you dup a master on a BIG DVCAM tape (184 mins).