Are all minidv tapes the same? at DVinfo.net

Ridzuan Yunus · March 14th, 2004, 12:36 AM

I started using the sony dv tapes but someone recommended panasonics coz he says the pics are better. I found out that there are different packings for the panasonic tapes though I can't find out their differences accept for record length.

These tapes are digital, aren't they suppose to read only zeroes and ones. And if so wouldn't all mini dv tapes produce the same picture quality?

Chris Hurd · March 14th, 2004, 12:50 AM

There is absolutely no difference in image quality whatsoever between different brands of DV cassettes.

The differences between brands involve different lubrication processes (it is unwise to mix brands for this reason) and liklihood of glitches and dropouts. There are consumer grades, prosumer grades and professional grades of DV cassettes.

This particular forum is dedicated to DV tape discussions; please browse through the hundreds of topics here and undoubtedly you'll find the info you're looking for. Hope this helps,

Lou Bruno · March 16th, 2004, 07:06 PM

Never mix SONY with PANNY brands. The two lubricants cause a VARNISH to adhere to the heads and causes the transport system to become full of debris. This is true no matter who denies it. I see cameras every week that have to be cleaned!

Frank Granovski · March 17th, 2004, 12:06 AM

I had bad luck with every single JVC tape I ever used. I've had no problems with Fuji and Pana (never mixed---used in different cams). :-))

John Britt · April 25th, 2004, 05:34 PM

I picked up a recent issue of a scriptwriter's magazine (not a typical mag for me, but I was lured by the issue's "Producing your own feature" theme) and it again perpetuated the lie that image quality will vary between different brands of miniDV tape.

It's frustrating to see publications claiming to tell you "everything you need to know about DV filmmaking," yet they can't even get the simplest basics correct. It makes you wonder if any of the information between their covers was worth the $6.00. Not only can you get the correct information from the helpful folks like Chris here at dvinfo, but it's free of charge, too!

March 14th, 2004, 12:36 AM	#1
Ridzuan Yunus Tourist Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: malaysia Kuala Lumpur Posts: 2	Are all minidv tapes the same? I started using the sony dv tapes but someone recommended panasonics coz he says the pics are better. I found out that there are different packings for the panasonic tapes though I can't find out their differences accept for record length. These tapes are digital, aren't they suppose to read only zeroes and ones. And if so wouldn't all mini dv tapes produce the same picture quality?

March 14th, 2004, 12:50 AM	#2
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	There is absolutely no difference in image quality whatsoever between different brands of DV cassettes. The differences between brands involve different lubrication processes (it is unwise to mix brands for this reason) and liklihood of glitches and dropouts. There are consumer grades, prosumer grades and professional grades of DV cassettes. This particular forum is dedicated to DV tape discussions; please browse through the hundreds of topics here and undoubtedly you'll find the info you're looking for. Hope this helps, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

March 16th, 2004, 07:06 PM	#3
Lou Bruno Go Cycle Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntington, NY Posts: 815	Never mix SONY with PANNY brands. The two lubricants cause a VARNISH to adhere to the heads and causes the transport system to become full of debris. This is true no matter who denies it. I see cameras every week that have to be cleaned! __________________ Lou Bruno

March 17th, 2004, 12:06 AM	#4
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I had bad luck with every single JVC tape I ever used. I've had no problems with Fuji and Pana (never mixed---used in different cams). :-))

April 25th, 2004, 05:34 PM	#5
John Britt Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 621	I picked up a recent issue of a scriptwriter's magazine (not a typical mag for me, but I was lured by the issue's "Producing your own feature" theme) and it again perpetuated the lie that image quality will vary between different brands of miniDV tape. It's frustrating to see publications claiming to tell you "everything you need to know about DV filmmaking," yet they can't even get the simplest basics correct. It makes you wonder if any of the information between their covers was worth the $6.00. Not only can you get the correct information from the helpful folks like Chris here at dvinfo, but it's free of charge, too!