Panasonic Tape Question/tape type

Michael Pappas · October 12th, 2002, 11:14 PM

The MQ tapes from Panasonic is all I use now. No more Sony. The MQ series tapes are made to be robust for in studio recorder work. The PQ is also good too! I just fugured that if two bucks got me more robust quality, it's worth it.

<<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : I presume the master quality tape is more robust. Why not just use 60 minute tapes? They are thicker than 80 or 83 minute tapes. -->>>

Josh Bass · October 12th, 2002, 11:57 PM

I'm curious. . .what's banding?

Frank Granovski · October 12th, 2002, 11:58 PM

Blake, I've had no problems with either Panasonic or Fuji tapes. In one of my MX300s, I only used Panasonic. This cam I gave to my wife's sister after putting about 20 hours on it. With all my other cams I use Fuji, and again no problems. Stay away from cheap tapes and from mixing tapes. I've heard many sad stories from people using TDK and Maxell, and I've had sad stories too with JVC tapes. Some people are just lucky, I'm not. So I don't take chances with tape.

Frank Granovski · October 13th, 2002, 12:01 AM

"Banding" is those blocks of lines you get when your heads are dirty.

October 13th, 2002, 04:00 AM

Josh,
Thanks,
answered my question
and for extra credit,
saved me some money.

ProTape is signifdicantly less than B&H
for the same tapes.

October 13th, 2002, 04:10 AM

One more question...

Why the 83 minute tapes?

Panasonic makes a 80 minute pro quality tape and an 83 minute pq tape. Same tape? Marketing? Different division? What?

mr cameraman · October 13th, 2002, 11:25 AM

I guess I'll have to take a chance and switch from Maxell tape which I'm using in my Sony TRV 27 and use the same brand in both... which ever brand I trust. I'm uncertain of which tape brand to trust at this stage. It seems like there are positive and negative remarks about every brand by different users.

I want to be able to use tapes from my Sony VX2000 in my Sony TRV 27 when editing wedding video footage. I want to use my VX2000 solely for capturing footage and use the TRV 27 for the wear and tear of playing/editing footage later. My TRV 27 is also new and has only one tape that was used in it which is the Maxell.

Has anybody had any problems making this change with brands this early? As I said both camcorders has had only one brand used for about an hour or two in each.

This is my last question on this topic. It just seems unbelievable that such problems exist with tape with our present technology.

I greatly appreciate all your professional advice.

Off to the next topic!

Josh Bass · October 13th, 2002, 12:37 PM

I was told if you'd run less than 6 tapes through a camera in it's career, you could change with no problem. Panasonic and Sony are definitely good brands, you just might want to stay away from their lowest grade.

B. Moore · October 13th, 2002, 05:17 PM

Hi,
For 2 1/2 years I've used Nothing but Sony Excellence and Premium tapes and never had a problem.

Once I put one of these tapes in a panasonic mini-dv vcr that had been used to play other brands of tape. Even though I had used my XL-1 to originally load it into my G4 and every thing was fine, when I tried to do it after using that vcr , the tape was all gummed up , had to be thrown out and I had to send the XL-1 in for another cleaning.

So the moral to the story is stick to one brand and don't eve put it in another machine which may have had other tapes put throughthem weither it be a camera or vcr.

Bruce

Josh Bass · October 13th, 2002, 11:47 PM

That's a good point about the other machines besides the camera. Never thought of it. . .probably because I don't yet have a minidv deck.

Dave Grey · October 14th, 2002, 03:47 PM

Does anyone know where to find a reasonably exhaustive list of the OEM agreements for tapes currently on the market?

Maxell DVM 30 made by Panasonic...
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/protape/maxdvm30semi.html

Canon made by Panasonic...
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3928

JVC made by Panasonic...
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000pid

Panasonic M2 at first made by Fuji... (WTF is M2? Do they mean MQ?)
http://www.taperesources.com/faq.html#diff_proffesional_tape

It is quite confusing. After making some calls, I am reasonably certain that the Canon branded miniDV tape is Panasonic PQ series. This is good for me because I bought Canon the first batch but want to switch over to the Pana. But how about the rest? If anyone has assembled some kind of a cross-reference it would be great.

lyd

Jeff Donald · October 14th, 2002, 04:45 PM

M2 or M II is Panasonics version of Betacam SP. It is an analog component recording system. It offered quality similar to Betacam SP and was used mostly by NBC and some of their affiliates. I used it as an in house alternative to Betacam SP.

Jeff

October 12th, 2002, 11:57 PM	#17
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	I'm curious. . .what's banding? __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

October 13th, 2002, 11:25 AM	#22
mr cameraman New Boot Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 14	tape brand mixing I guess I'll have to take a chance and switch from Maxell tape which I'm using in my Sony TRV 27 and use the same brand in both... which ever brand I trust. I'm uncertain of which tape brand to trust at this stage. It seems like there are positive and negative remarks about every brand by different users. I want to be able to use tapes from my Sony VX2000 in my Sony TRV 27 when editing wedding video footage. I want to use my VX2000 solely for capturing footage and use the TRV 27 for the wear and tear of playing/editing footage later. My TRV 27 is also new and has only one tape that was used in it which is the Maxell. Has anybody had any problems making this change with brands this early? As I said both camcorders has had only one brand used for about an hour or two in each. This is my last question on this topic. It just seems unbelievable that such problems exist with tape with our present technology. I greatly appreciate all your professional advice. Off to the next topic!

October 13th, 2002, 12:37 PM	#23
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	I was told if you'd run less than 6 tapes through a camera in it's career, you could change with no problem. Panasonic and Sony are definitely good brands, you just might want to stay away from their lowest grade. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

October 13th, 2002, 11:47 PM	#25
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	That's a good point about the other machines besides the camera. Never thought of it. . .probably because I don't yet have a minidv deck. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

October 14th, 2002, 03:47 PM	#26
Dave Grey Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Wilkes-Barre PA Posts: 34	Can't tell the players without a scorecard... Does anyone know where to find a reasonably exhaustive list of the OEM agreements for tapes currently on the market? Maxell DVM 30 made by Panasonic... http://shop.store.yahoo.com/protape/maxdvm30semi.html Canon made by Panasonic... http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3928 JVC made by Panasonic... http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000pid Panasonic M2 at first made by Fuji... (WTF is M2? Do they mean MQ?) http://www.taperesources.com/faq.html#diff_proffesional_tape It is quite confusing. After making some calls, I am reasonably certain that the Canon branded miniDV tape is Panasonic PQ series. This is good for me because I bought Canon the first batch but want to switch over to the Pana. But how about the rest? If anyone has assembled some kind of a cross-reference it would be great. lyd

October 12th, 2002, 11:14 PM	#16
Michael Pappas Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: California Posts: 667	The MQ tapes from Panasonic is all I use now. No more Sony. The MQ series tapes are made to be robust for in studio recorder work. The PQ is also good too! I just fugured that if two bucks got me more robust quality, it's worth it. <<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : I presume the master quality tape is more robust. Why not just use 60 minute tapes? They are thicker than 80 or 83 minute tapes. -->>>

October 12th, 2002, 11:58 PM	#18
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Blake, I've had no problems with either Panasonic or Fuji tapes. In one of my MX300s, I only used Panasonic. This cam I gave to my wife's sister after putting about 20 hours on it. With all my other cams I use Fuji, and again no problems. Stay away from cheap tapes and from mixing tapes. I've heard many sad stories from people using TDK and Maxell, and I've had sad stories too with JVC tapes. Some people are just lucky, I'm not. So I don't take chances with tape.

October 13th, 2002, 12:01 AM	#19
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	"Banding" is those blocks of lines you get when your heads are dirty.

October 13th, 2002, 04:00 AM	#20
JimbobRW Posts: n/a	Josh, Thanks, answered my question and for extra credit, saved me some money. ProTape is signifdicantly less than B&H for the same tapes.

October 13th, 2002, 04:10 AM	#21
JimbobRW Posts: n/a	One more question... Why the 83 minute tapes? Panasonic makes a 80 minute pro quality tape and an 83 minute pq tape. Same tape? Marketing? Different division? What?

October 13th, 2002, 05:17 PM	#24
B. Moore Major Player Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 181	Hi, For 2 1/2 years I've used Nothing but Sony Excellence and Premium tapes and never had a problem. Once I put one of these tapes in a panasonic mini-dv vcr that had been used to play other brands of tape. Even though I had used my XL-1 to originally load it into my G4 and every thing was fine, when I tried to do it after using that vcr , the tape was all gummed up , had to be thrown out and I had to send the XL-1 in for another cleaning. So the moral to the story is stick to one brand and don't eve put it in another machine which may have had other tapes put throughthem weither it be a camera or vcr. Bruce

October 14th, 2002, 04:45 PM	#27
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	M2 or M II is Panasonics version of Betacam SP. It is an analog component recording system. It offered quality similar to Betacam SP and was used mostly by NBC and some of their affiliates. I used it as an in house alternative to Betacam SP. Jeff