Useful life of a consumer dvcam? (Pana DV-852)
 

I have a modest amount of footage on dv tape which needs to be transferred onto disc and dvd. In some cases the same tape may be played back twice; sooner, direct to DVD via a consumer dvd recorder (saves time), later onto disc.

i) how many hours of playback constitute significant wear?
ii) around when should I expect it to wear out? Repairs would probably be more than replacement cost, so it's effectively worn out once something gets flaky. It's been treated well, no drops, hot/cold transitions or harsh environments.
iii) Does leaving the cam power on (ac adapter) after the recording completes matter? I'd think the camera would auto-shutoff any moving parts once there's nothing on tape.... but this is consumer not industrial gear and you can't assume too much.

Hard to say- most cameras will easily give you 1000+ hours of playback/record, especially with good treatment and regular head cleanings.

Noah