simple question.. what are the best mini dv tapes, regardless of price? and what sets them above the rest?

There are no independent studies done that we can analyze to see what the best tape technologies are, hence an entire forum devoted to DV tape. It's all speculation. Dry Lube, and thicker tape will probably be best, only because I assume it would cause less gunking, and thicker tape is less likely to stretch/warp and break.

I guess buy the most expensive tape and you could claim you have the best. I often use and have had no problems with Panasonic MQ's.

I vote for Sonys. hehe. Never really used anything else.

What I can tell you for certain about videotape is this: There is a considerable amount of variation and flux in the quality of tapes.
Not all the varieties produced by a manufacturer will necessarily
be of high quality, just because some of their offerings are good.
Just because the tapes from a manufacturer are good this year, doesn't guarantee they will maintain this in the future. Sometimes, a bad batch of tapes will make it to market, but this doesn't mean that those of the same brand produced before and after this will be bad. Tapes that perform the best won't necessarily last the longest.

You get the picture-----you have to continually reevaluate the brand and type of tapes you use. You have to have an open mind about what you use and not become overly prejudiced, pro or con, about the merits or deficiencies you experienced in the past. Also, a lot of tapes are made by one manufacturer and labeled for sale by a competitor, as are many models of video equipment and their components. It's enough to drive you batty.

80 minute tapes? They can avoid tape changing. The downside is that the tape is a little more fragile.

2- Seriously, there's minimal differences between tapes. Especially when comparing more expensive tape to cheaper tape that does the same thing... I haven't seen any evidence showing the overpriced tape is measurably better.

3- Some tapes have a memory chip in them, which is mildly useful but not worth the price.

4- Mixing tape lubricant can still be an issue if you stumble upon old tape. Sony and Maxell reformulted their tapes in 1997 to solve the lubricant mixing issue in 1997 according to dvfreak.com.

5- Forget tape, get a direct-to-disk recorder. Long lengths and fast capture can be big advantages.

6- Another alternative viewpoint: The best mini-DV tape is the tape that is there when you need it. Buy lots of cheaper tape and carry it with you so you are safe against running out.