In Brand Differences at DVinfo.net

Graham Jones · May 21st, 2004, 05:10 PM

I understand there's no difference between different brands of Mini DV stock (apart from wet Sony vs. dry everything else, in terms of lubricants)... but are there in brand differences.

Like: is a standard Sony Mini DV tape really inferior to a 'Pro Master' (or whatever they call their most expensive) Sony Mini DV tape?

Would durability be the only difference?

I'm about the buy stock for a feature length project and am wondering...

Thanks

Frank Granovski · May 21st, 2004, 06:05 PM

A lot of this is marketing. Generally, more expensive tapes are better, or their makers would have us believe. I use Fuji and find it to be the best for me. I've never had problems with it.

Graham Jones · May 22nd, 2004, 03:16 AM

yeah, but I'm saying I've reached a point where they are the same to me - your Fuji and my Sony... I don't perceive a difference between brands..

what I'm not sure about is 'in brand' differences, i.e. assuming a given company is making more than one spec of Mini DV tape, pricing them differently, are the higher priced ones better?

Frank Granovski · May 22nd, 2004, 03:25 AM

There's only a few companies that make miniDV tape. Fuji is one of them, and they only make 1 high quality type. Why do you want to get razzle dazzled with the brands that have 99 different wrappings and prices? What cam are you using? Are you asking which one is best? Fuji and the high-end Pana is best, in my opinion, and Fuji makes at least some of the tape for Pana. I assume the pricier Sony tape is good too these days, unlike 5 years ago.

Graham Jones · May 22nd, 2004, 04:44 AM

Why do you want to get razzle dazzled with the brands that have 99 different wrappings and prices?

I'm not

What cam are you using?

JVC GR-PD1

Are you asking which one is best? Fuji and the high-end Pana is best, in my opinion, and Fuji makes at least some of the tape for Pana.

No, I'm not asking which brand is best

Frank Granovski · May 22nd, 2004, 05:08 AM

Okay. Let's begin again.

Quote:

Like: is a standard Sony Mini DV tape really inferior to a 'Pro Master' (or whatever they call their most expensive) Sony Mini DV tape? Would durability be the only difference?

The lubes are different and the more expensive tape comes from the middle of the roll and not the ends. How's that?

Graham Jones · May 22nd, 2004, 05:19 AM

Yeah, that's what I'm asking.

Sorry if I wasn't clearer.

Anyone else?

To be more specific, hopefully clearer, here's a case in point.

Say I choose JVC Mini DV stock. The British JVC site offers various options including:

The standard M-DV60ME

The pro M-DV60PRO

JVC themselves simply advise people to master on the latter - they don't explain why. Maybe most people know. Can ya tell me? Anyone else know the actual difference beyond Frank's helpful advice that 'the lubes are different and the more expensive tape comes from the middle of the roll and not the ends...'

As I said previously, I'm about the buy stock for a feature length project and, just as I have previously gotten over the notion that there's a difference in picture quality from manufacturer to manufacturer... am wondering whether I should also get over the notion that there's a difference, WITHIN individual brands, between these 'standard' and 'pro' Mini DV stock offerings.

Thanks for the help.

May 21st, 2004, 05:10 PM	#1
Graham Jones Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 489	In Brand Differences I understand there's no difference between different brands of Mini DV stock (apart from wet Sony vs. dry everything else, in terms of lubricants)... but are there in brand differences. Like: is a standard Sony Mini DV tape really inferior to a 'Pro Master' (or whatever they call their most expensive) Sony Mini DV tape? Would durability be the only difference? I'm about the buy stock for a feature length project and am wondering... Thanks

May 22nd, 2004, 03:16 AM	#3
Graham Jones Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 489	they are the same to me yeah, but I'm saying I've reached a point where they are the same to me - your Fuji and my Sony... I don't perceive a difference between brands.. what I'm not sure about is 'in brand' differences, i.e. assuming a given company is making more than one spec of Mini DV tape, pricing them differently, are the higher priced ones better?

May 21st, 2004, 06:05 PM	#2
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	A lot of this is marketing. Generally, more expensive tapes are better, or their makers would have us believe. I use Fuji and find it to be the best for me. I've never had problems with it.

May 22nd, 2004, 03:25 AM	#4
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	There's only a few companies that make miniDV tape. Fuji is one of them, and they only make 1 high quality type. Why do you want to get razzle dazzled with the brands that have 99 different wrappings and prices? What cam are you using? Are you asking which one is best? Fuji and the high-end Pana is best, in my opinion, and Fuji makes at least some of the tape for Pana. I assume the pricier Sony tape is good too these days, unlike 5 years ago.

May 22nd, 2004, 04:44 AM	#5
Graham Jones Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 489	Why do you want to get razzle dazzled with the brands that have 99 different wrappings and prices? I'm not What cam are you using? JVC GR-PD1 Are you asking which one is best? Fuji and the high-end Pana is best, in my opinion, and Fuji makes at least some of the tape for Pana. No, I'm not asking which brand is best

May 22nd, 2004, 05:19 AM	#7
Graham Jones Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 489	Yeah, that's what I'm asking. Sorry if I wasn't clearer. Anyone else? To be more specific, hopefully clearer, here's a case in point. Say I choose JVC Mini DV stock. The British JVC site offers various options including: The standard M-DV60ME The pro M-DV60PRO JVC themselves simply advise people to master on the latter - they don't explain why. Maybe most people know. Can ya tell me? Anyone else know the actual difference beyond Frank's helpful advice that 'the lubes are different and the more expensive tape comes from the middle of the roll and not the ends...' As I said previously, I'm about the buy stock for a feature length project and, just as I have previously gotten over the notion that there's a difference in picture quality from manufacturer to manufacturer... am wondering whether I should also get over the notion that there's a difference, WITHIN individual brands, between these 'standard' and 'pro' Mini DV stock offerings. Thanks for the help.