DV tapes unusable after DVCam record
 

I used to have a Sony PD1 DVCam camera. Now I have bought the Canon GL2/MX2 which is a standard DV format.
If I use one of the previous DVCam tapes to record the sound is off-sync and very slow (appr 30% too slow) when I capture the tape on my PC..
Wjat can I do to "re-format" the tapes ?
Thanks

DVCam has a faster tape to head speed. That is why they only record 40 minutes to a 60 minute mini DV tape. You will need to borrow, rent etc. a DVCam camera or deck and record the signal to your MX2 for future use.

Some people have slowed the sound down with software, in post, with mixed success.. The pitch is usually off slightly and a lot of time is wasted getting sync to match.

Hi Jeff,
You're an active person :-)
I do not need the footage anymore, I just want to re-use the tapes but cannot use them on my new Canon without this problem. Also with new footage.

That's odd, have you tried using a bulk eraser to erase the tape? The consumer ones generally aren't powerful enough with the new tape formulations. A TV station might run them through a commercial bulk eraser if you ask nice.

It's strange, I would think recording the DV format over the DVCam format would fix things.

What about "erasing" the tape by just recording a blank wall for 60 minutes and then trying again? Maybe that first time around there'd be a problem but after that'd maybe it'd be ok.

Have you tried using new tapes? They're fairly cheap, so buy a few, and see what happens.