MiniDV tape in HDV mode?

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Tom Tanquary

Having just been burned by this ability to use any tape..... yes, there is a difference.

Ahh, let's compare scortch marks - was yours in audio or video? I've had one definite drop-out in HDV on the orange Sony Premium DV tapes, but plenty of audio "Max Headroom" audio stutters. Is this how you got burned too?

[Pedro Paiva]

Hi Dan.

I've just finished shooting a documentary in Thailand.
When I first gor here 4 months ago I brought some HD tapes from Australia and tought I could get more of them here when I runned out.
That's not exactly what happened and I was then forced to use normal Sony DV tapes. After a few days (and tapes) of underwater footage on the remote Phi Phi Island I got back to my laptop for and was terribly surprised with a few dropped frames on very important shots! I had to do magic on the editing in order to take these frames out.
After a lot of search I ended up finding these "Premium" tapes (which are around 7 USD each here) and they are working just fine. I have recorded almost 10 of them and no dropped frames so far.
What I'm also doing with these tapes (I don't know if that helps but that's an old practice from the VHS times) is fast forwarding and then rewinding them before start recording. I think that might help "smoothing" the tape out and avoid the dropped frames...
What do you guys say?

Cheers!

Pedro

Originally Posted by Dan Robinson

I was a die-hard on exclusively using the expensive HDV tapes until recently. I more or less was forced to start using regular MinDV tapes in my FX1 due to simple economics and convenience. I was going through 5-6 tapes per week, and I simply couldn't afford to pay 2 to 3 times the price for the expensive tapes. Furthermore, when you run out and are in a pinch, you have to order them in advance as they are not sold in stores anywhere, at least nowhere I have seen. Nonetheless, I really didn't want to make the switch. But one day earlier this winter, I ran out of the HDV tapes and had no choice but either use a regular MiniDV tape or miss the shots. It worked just fine. That was all it took.

I have recorded some 50 or so regular MiniDV tapes on the FX1 without a single dropout or problem. I have come to trust them completely, and to me it now makes no practical and economic sense to pay the very high difference for the HDV tapes. I'm using the Sony premiums (around $2.00 each when bought in bulk), the same tapes I've always used in the VX2100 and TRV900.

I use a tape once, capture the needed material, then file the tape away in storage. I faithfully and meticulously (some may say obsessively) index and back up the m2ts on multiple hard drives, and have never had to go back to a tape for any reason. This and the fact that I never re-use a tape make the standard MiniDV tapes the best solution.

[Chris Barcellos]

Pedro:

Is it possible the moist or humid conditions might add to dropout potential ?

Here in relatively dry central California, I have used the cheaper tapes without a lot of problem.

[Pedro Paiva]

Hi Chris.

Yes, that's a good point.
It's extremelly humid here!
Do you think the "forwarding/rewinding" technique would do any help?

Cheers.

PP

Originally Posted by Chris Barcellos

Pedro:

Is it possible the moist or humid conditions might add to dropout potential ?

Here in relatively dry central California, I have used the cheaper tapes without a lot of problem.

[Chris Barcellos]

I have never really had to consider it. I certainly wouldn't want to do it in my FX1 causing more wear and tear on the tape transport. I have a cheap old Sharp MiniDv that I use as a deck for SD, so if I was going to do that, I would use one of those cameras. In old days, I remember we used to pre-stripe DV tape by actually recording over it once to preserve an unbroken time code, but that seems to have fallen out of favor.

[Gareth Watkins]

Hi there

Must admit I'm with Dan on this one... after two and a half years shooting on both FX1 and Z1, I've used Sony Premiums for 90% of my shoots...and had ver very few drop out's. It has never made a difference to what I shot or ruined a take.
At the mo I shoot in HDV .. downrez to SD and output to DVD and WMV for the net.
In France bulk buying gets me a Premium tape for under 3 Euros... and HDV tape costs 15 euros... five times the price...

Well I'll take the risk... I shoot 30 or 40 tapes a year.. and for so few errors it is not worth around 500 euros that the extra safety would cost me...

I dare say if I was billing an important client I'd probably use HDV tapes and on pass the cost, but for our inhouse stuff Premiums are fine.

Regards
Gareth