Sony offers a 40 min DVD CAM (Mini) tape with and without memory (PDVM40N and PDVM40ME). It is expensive, but is advertised as having fewer dropouts than consumer grade tape. Has anyone tried these? Does the memory show start / stop points?

There are a lot of threads discussing tapes and whether or not DVCAM recording and DVCAM "rated" tapes are better for avoiding dropouts.

The chip on DVCAM and mini-DV tapes store some information but more people don't buy those because they're more expensive.

The chip has nothing to do with the amount od dropouts a tape will have. The chip is used to record information for sony proprietory search and linear edit functions. Don't waste your money.

DV Cam uses the tape at a faster rate. A 60 min DV is a 40 min DV cam. Less info on a given area of tape = less chance of a drop out. If you're using it for DV use a premium DV tape and don't waste your money.

Sony, Panasonic and Fuji are all considered good tapes. there really is no scientific info available on which is better. I use sony and have had no problem. i've heard of less problems from Fuji. That's unscientic as hell but that's life.

frank granovski (check out his website, dvfreak.com) claims that he read a scientific report comparing mini-DV tapes and that Fuji came out on top. Link: http://www.dvfreak.com/tape.htm