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MiniDV Tape Questionuse, and I'm wondering whether the choice of tapes is of any particular importance. Most of the tape information I've found on the web and in newsgroups so far seems either pretty dated or biased towards selling one brand or another. I seem to recall reading somewhere that, over the life of a camera, it's best to stick with one brand of tape rather than switching around and using whatever brand you can get your hands on. Is this true, and is there a hierarchy of tape brands from "best" to "better" to "good" and on down to the "avoid" category? In the little bit of shopping I've done so far, I have seen an appreciable difference in price between, say, Panasonic brand (cheaper) and JVC brand (more expensive) at a single retailer. Does price translate to "quality" in any meaningful way? Based on the assumption that Sony wouldn't want to make their cameras look bad by selling a crummy tape product with their name on it, my inclination is to stick with Sony branded tape. Any pointers? Thanks. Bob miniDV tape is, for all intents and purposes, the same, regardless of
manufacturer. Most of them OEM it from a limited number of sources, anyway. The concern with mixing brands relates to the kind of lubricant used -- mixing wet and dry lubricants can gum up the heads and transport mechanism. At this point, I think the only tape that was of concern was a Pansonic in a blue and white shell. I prefer to stick to one brand in what is probably an over-abundance of caution. My personal preference is Sony Excellence, which a step up from Sony's "Premium" brand. After shooting several hundred tapes, I've yet to experience noticeable drop out. One point: never reuse tapes. Reuse increases the likelihood of the magnetic medium flaking off of the substrate. Tapes also accumulate dirt, which is abrasive and can cause unnecessary head wear. All my tapes are used exactly twice: once to record the video and a second time to transfer it to my computer. Show quote "yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message news:MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989834@news.erols.com... > I'll be buying a Sony DCR-HC96 SD MiniDV video camera for my wife to > use, and I'm wondering whether the choice of tapes is of any particular > importance. Most of the tape information I've found on the web and in > newsgroups so far seems either pretty dated or biased towards selling > one brand or another. > > I seem to recall reading somewhere that, over the life of a camera, it's > best to stick with one brand of tape rather than switching around and > using whatever brand you can get your hands on. Is this true, and is > there a hierarchy of tape brands from "best" to "better" to "good" and > on down to the "avoid" category? > > In the little bit of shopping I've done so far, I have seen an > appreciable difference in price between, say, Panasonic brand (cheaper) > and JVC brand (more expensive) at a single retailer. Does price > translate to "quality" in any meaningful way? > > Based on the assumption that Sony wouldn't want to make their cameras > look bad by selling a crummy tape product with their name on it, my > inclination is to stick with Sony branded tape. > > Any pointers? Thanks. > > Bob PTravel wrote:
Show quote > miniDV tape is, for all intents and purposes, the same, regardless of Do you use rewinder or rewind in the camera?> manufacturer. Most of them OEM it from a limited number of sources, > anyway. The concern with mixing brands relates to the kind of lubricant > used -- mixing wet and dry lubricants can gum up the heads and > transport mechanism. At this point, I think the only tape that was of > concern was a Pansonic in a blue and white shell. I prefer to stick to > one brand in what is probably an over-abundance of caution. My personal > preference is Sony Excellence, which a step up from Sony's "Premium" > brand. After shooting several hundred tapes, I've yet to experience > noticeable drop out. > > One point: never reuse tapes. Reuse increases the likelihood of the > magnetic medium flaking off of the substrate. Tapes also accumulate > dirt, which is abrasive and can cause unnecessary head wear. All my > tapes are used exactly twice: once to record the video and a second time > to transfer it to my computer. > > > "yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message > news:MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989834@news.erols.com... >> I'll be buying a Sony DCR-HC96 SD MiniDV video camera for my wife to >> use, and I'm wondering whether the choice of tapes is of any particular >> importance. Most of the tape information I've found on the web and in >> newsgroups so far seems either pretty dated or biased towards selling >> one brand or another. >> >> I seem to recall reading somewhere that, over the life of a camera, it's >> best to stick with one brand of tape rather than switching around and >> using whatever brand you can get your hands on. Is this true, and is >> there a hierarchy of tape brands from "best" to "better" to "good" and >> on down to the "avoid" category? >> >> In the little bit of shopping I've done so far, I have seen an >> appreciable difference in price between, say, Panasonic brand (cheaper) >> and JVC brand (more expensive) at a single retailer. Does price >> translate to "quality" in any meaningful way? >> >> Based on the assumption that Sony wouldn't want to make their cameras >> look bad by selling a crummy tape product with their name on it, my >> inclination is to stick with Sony branded tape. >> >> Any pointers? Thanks. >> >> Bob > PTravel, Dick "Richard Lane" <rql***@iieee.org> wrote in message Only the camera. The rewinders are not precision devices and can easily news:f9vdh30rvs@enews4.newsguy.com... > PTravel, > Do you use rewinder or rewind in the camera? > Dick over-tension the tape. Show quote
"yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message I would go for a name brand and not some cheap-ass Chinese no-name crap. news:MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989834@news.erols.com... > I'll be buying a Sony DCR-HC96 SD MiniDV video camera for my wife to > use, and I'm wondering whether the choice of tapes is of any particular > importance. Most of the tape information I've found on the web and in > newsgroups so far seems either pretty dated or biased towards selling > one brand or another. > > I seem to recall reading somewhere that, over the life of a camera, it's > best to stick with one brand of tape rather than switching around and > using whatever brand you can get your hands on. Is this true, and is > there a hierarchy of tape brands from "best" to "better" to "good" and > on down to the "avoid" category? > > In the little bit of shopping I've done so far, I have seen an > appreciable difference in price between, say, Panasonic brand (cheaper) > and JVC brand (more expensive) at a single retailer. Does price > translate to "quality" in any meaningful way? > > Based on the assumption that Sony wouldn't want to make their cameras > look bad by selling a crummy tape product with their name on it, my > inclination is to stick with Sony branded tape. > > Any pointers? Thanks. > > Bob Beyond that I wouldn't worry about it. I would however, spring for the higher grade tapes instead of the lower grade tapes. Somebody! Show quote
"yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message news:MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989834@news.erols.com... I still consider it wise to use one brand of tape (only!) though in> I'll be buying a Sony DCR-HC96 SD MiniDV video camera for my wife to > use, and I'm wondering whether the choice of tapes is of any particular > importance. Most of the tape information I've found on the web and in > newsgroups so far seems either pretty dated or biased towards selling > one brand or another. > > I seem to recall reading somewhere that, over the life of a camera, it's > best to stick with one brand of tape rather than switching around and > using whatever brand you can get your hands on. Is this true, and is > there a hierarchy of tape brands from "best" to "better" to "good" and > on down to the "avoid" category? > > In the little bit of shopping I've done so far, I have seen an > appreciable difference in price between, say, Panasonic brand (cheaper) > and JVC brand (more expensive) at a single retailer. Does price > translate to "quality" in any meaningful way? > > Based on the assumption that Sony wouldn't want to make their cameras > look bad by selling a crummy tape product with their name on it, my > inclination is to stick with Sony branded tape. > > Any pointers? Thanks. > > Bob practice it is likely, no matter what the brand name on it, to have been made by either Sony or Panasonic - but who knows what is what. Particularly important, as I recall, was not mixing the premium Panasonic with *anything* else (different and incompatible lubricants). In the Sony line, there are four usable grades. From lowest to highest quality - Premium, Excellence, DVCam, and HD (selecting the Mini-DV sized cassettes, of course, for your camera). Though the picture and sound will be identical with all, "Excellence" is a good choice for a balance between price, signal longevity, and minimized head wear. In article <MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989***@news.erols.com>,
yetanother***@gmail.com says... > Thanks for the responses. Good info. The advice about not re-using the > Original posting snipped > tapes sounds like a good plan - each tape becomes its own archive rather than being transferred to some other storage form and then re-used. I haven't picked up the camera yet, so it will be interesting to see what grade of Sony tape they bundle with it - Excellence or something else. New question #1: Any pointers on "cleaning tapes"? Are they needed if you only run each tape through no more than twice and use good quality, name brand tapes? New question #2: Is it best to rewind tapes for archival storage, or leave them be after doing a playback to transfer their contents to disk or whatever? I know from my reel-to-reel audio days of old that print- through was less likely to occur if reels were left on the takeup side after playing, because of the lighter playback tension vs. heavier, less even rewind tension on the tape. Thanks again, Bob Show quote
"yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message There won't be any tape included with the camera -- at least none of the news:MPG.212ccf9792259749989835@news.erols.com... > In article <MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989***@news.erols.com>, > yetanother***@gmail.com says... >> >> Original posting snipped >> > > Thanks for the responses. Good info. The advice about not re-using the > tapes sounds like a good plan - each tape becomes its own archive rather > than being transferred to some other storage form and then re-used. > > I haven't picked up the camera yet, so it will be interesting to see > what grade of Sony tape they bundle with it - Excellence or something > else. three Sony's I've owned (2 consumer, 1 prosumer) camer with tape. > Don't use it unless you start experiencing drop outs on a regular basis. > New question #1: Any pointers on "cleaning tapes"? Are they needed if > you only run each tape through no more than twice and use good quality, > name brand tapes? Cleaners are abrasive. > You'll find mixed views on this. It is best to wind a tape through before > New question #2: Is it best to rewind tapes for archival storage, or > leave them be after doing a playback to transfer their contents to disk > or whatever? I know from my reel-to-reel audio days of old that print- > through was less likely to occur if reels were left on the takeup side > after playing, because of the lighter playback tension vs. heavier, less > even rewind tension on the tape. playing after it has been stored for a long time. For this reason, some people like to leave the tape tails out, other tails in. Show quote > > Thanks again, > > Bob "yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message news:MPG.212ccf9792259749989835@news.erols.com... Correct, though I'm less "futchy" about reuse than "PTravel" - the tapes> In article <MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989***@news.erols.com>, > yetanother***@gmail.com says... >> Original posting snipped > Thanks for the responses. Good info. The advice about not re-using the > tapes sounds like a good plan - each tape becomes its own archive rather > than being transferred to some other storage form and then re-used. actually are fairly durable. Copy the edited video back to two tapes and store them properly (upright, dry, cool, and dark) for archiving. This is much better than archiving on DVDs (lower quality, far less permanent or reliable). > I haven't picked up the camera yet, so it will be interesting to see Probably nothing except a recommendation to use Sony tape...;-)> what grade of Sony tape they bundle with it - Excellence or something > else. > New question #1: Any pointers on "cleaning tapes"? Are they needed if WATCH OUT FOR CLEANING TAPES! These should NOT be used> you only run each tape through no more than twice and use good quality, > name brand tapes? except if needed! The fast-spinning Mini-DV heads can be quickly worn out with incorrect use of the cleaning tape. I use a Sony cleaning tape only if major dropouts show (VERY rarely - and that tape gets junked). My procedure is to put the tape in, MAKING SURE THAT THE CAMERA IS IN VCR MODE AND NOT CAMERA MODE (the heads spin continuously in camera mode, not in VCR mode). I start play and run 5 seconds only! I then wait 30+ seconds for the heads to cool, and repeat once - or twice, maximum. If the heads are still showing problems on a new tape, I may repeat this process once (using only two 5-second passes). If that is not sufficient, the heads probably need to be looked at professionally. Taking care to use good tapes well will likely prevent any problem requiring head cleaning (the tapes themselves clean the heads - and can be used as gentle cleaning tapes as a first try with solving a problem). > New question #2: Is it best to rewind tapes for archival storage, or I prefer to rewind the tape fully to avoid tape side displacements and> leave them be after doing a playback to transfer their contents to disk > or whatever? I know from my reel-to-reel audio days of old that print- > through was less likely to occur if reels were left on the takeup side > after playing, because of the lighter playback tension vs. heavier, less > even rewind tension on the tape. tension changes from playback starts/stops. Don't rewind while playing the tape - stop the tape, wind it to the end, then rewind it fully. The tape load with these tiny tapes is FAR less than with the big 10 1/2" audio reels, and the tape itself is not all that physically different, so there is less of a problem. BTW, there is no appreciable print through with digital, at least for a very long time... "yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message news:MPG.212ccf9792259749989835@news.erols.com... Correct, though I'm less "futchy" about reuse than "PTravel" - the tapes> In article <MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989***@news.erols.com>, > yetanother***@gmail.com says... >> Original posting snipped > Thanks for the responses. Good info. The advice about not re-using the > tapes sounds like a good plan - each tape becomes its own archive rather > than being transferred to some other storage form and then re-used. actually are fairly durable. Copy the edited video back to two tapes and store them properly (upright, dry, cool, and dark) for archiving. This is much better than archiving on DVDs (lower quality, far less permanent or reliable). > I haven't picked up the camera yet, so it will be interesting to see Probably nothing except a recommendation to use Sony tape...;-)> what grade of Sony tape they bundle with it - Excellence or something > else. > New question #1: Any pointers on "cleaning tapes"? Are they needed if WATCH OUT FOR CLEANING TAPES! These should NOT be used> you only run each tape through no more than twice and use good quality, > name brand tapes? except if needed! The fast-spinning Mini-DV heads can be quickly worn out with incorrect use of the cleaning tape. I use a Sony cleaning tape only if major dropouts show (VERY rarely - and that tape gets junked). My procedure is to put the tape in, MAKING SURE THAT THE CAMERA IS IN VCR MODE AND NOT CAMERA MODE (the heads spin continuously in camera mode, not in VCR mode). I start play and run 5 seconds only! I then wait 30+ seconds for the heads to cool, and repeat once - or twice, maximum. If the heads are still showing problems on a new tape, I may repeat this process once (using only two 5-second passes). If that is not sufficient, the heads probably need to be looked at professionally. Taking care to use good tapes well will likely prevent any problem requiring head cleaning (the tapes themselves clean the heads - and can be used as gentle cleaning tapes as a first try with solving a problem). > New question #2: Is it best to rewind tapes for archival storage, or I prefer to rewind the tape fully to avoid tape side displacements and> leave them be after doing a playback to transfer their contents to disk > or whatever? I know from my reel-to-reel audio days of old that print- > through was less likely to occur if reels were left on the takeup side > after playing, because of the lighter playback tension vs. heavier, less > even rewind tension on the tape. tension changes from playback starts/stops. Don't rewind while playing the tape - stop the tape, wind it to the end, then rewind it fully. The tape load with these tiny tapes is FAR less than with the big 10 1/2" audio reels, and the tape itself is not all that physically different, so there is less of a problem. BTW, there is no appreciable print through with digital, at least for a very long time... Sorry for the repeat - newsreader glitch.
Don'-cha jes' hate kom-pyoo-trz - You can't live without them, and you can't live with them... -- David Ruether In article <MPG.212ccf9792259749989***@news.erols.com>,
yetanother***@gmail.com says... Show quote > In article <MPG.212bd8f197ed0f35989***@news.erols.com>, To all who responded, > yetanother***@gmail.com says... > > > > Original posting snipped > > > > Thanks for the responses. Good info. The advice about not re-using the > tapes sounds like a good plan - each tape becomes its own archive rather > than being transferred to some other storage form and then re-used. > > I haven't picked up the camera yet, so it will be interesting to see > what grade of Sony tape they bundle with it - Excellence or something > else. > > New question #1: Any pointers on "cleaning tapes"? Are they needed if > you only run each tape through no more than twice and use good quality, > name brand tapes? > > New question #2: Is it best to rewind tapes for archival storage, or > leave them be after doing a playback to transfer their contents to disk > or whatever? I know from my reel-to-reel audio days of old that print- > through was less likely to occur if reels were left on the takeup side > after playing, because of the lighter playback tension vs. heavier, less > even rewind tension on the tape. > > Thanks again, > > Bob > Thanks again for all the great info. As mentioned, there was no tape boxed up with the Sony "Handycam" when I got it today. Oh, well. We'll see what Costco has in stock tomorrow and go from there (maybe going over to Circuit City and/or Best Buy if there's no Sony "Excellence" at Costco). Oh yeah, and a "memory stick duo" for stills, while I'm out shopping... BTW, the camera itself is pretty impressive, with the only drawback, at least to me, being a pretty lame autofocus, and what initially seems to be a hokey manual focus arrangement. (To be fair, these "issues" may resolve themselves as I delve further into the manual.) On the other hand, my wife has been out in back macro-viewing flora and fauna, and is quite happy with the overall package, not least of all because it fits her hands. Happy wife, happy life, as they say. Hopefully all the initial good vibes will persist when we load up the first tape and play it back. Thanks yet again, Bob In article <MPG.212d4a7d526e13a9989***@news.erols.com>,
yetanother***@gmail.com says... ------ much snipped ------ > For anyone interested, no Sony tapes were available at the local Costco. > As mentioned, there was no tape boxed up with the Sony "Handycam" when I > got it today. > > Oh, well. We'll see what Costco has in stock tomorrow and go from there > (maybe going over to Circuit City and/or Best Buy if there's no Sony > "Excellence" at Costco). Oh yeah, and a "memory stick duo" for stills, > while I'm out shopping... > Costco seems to be locked in to everything TDK as far as recordable media goes. I always tried to avoid TDK in computer diskettes as well as audio and data tapes, so right or wrong, I didn't bite. Best Buy didn't have any Sony "Excellence", though they did have multi- packs of Premium, plus another type recommended for HD, which seemed like overkill. Suffering from shopper's overload by this time, I grabbed up a couple of JVC "Professional" tapes at Best Buy, along with a Sony "Memory Stick Pro Duo" and made for the door. JVC has never messed me over, and I'm not sure I could have made it down the road to Circuit City to see what they had in any case. Any recommendations for good web sources for the elusive Sony Excellence tapes? Amazon doesn't seem to be very competitive in this area. Thanks, Bob Show quote
"yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message I wouldn't consider either Costco or BestBuy sources of first resort for news:MPG.212e9cace18cb939989837@news.erols.com... > In article <MPG.212d4a7d526e13a9989***@news.erols.com>, > yetanother***@gmail.com says... > ------ much snipped ------ >> >> As mentioned, there was no tape boxed up with the Sony "Handycam" when I >> got it today. >> >> Oh, well. We'll see what Costco has in stock tomorrow and go from there >> (maybe going over to Circuit City and/or Best Buy if there's no Sony >> "Excellence" at Costco). Oh yeah, and a "memory stick duo" for stills, >> while I'm out shopping... >> > For anyone interested, no Sony tapes were available at the local Costco. > Costco seems to be locked in to everything TDK as far as recordable > media goes. I always tried to avoid TDK in computer diskettes as well > as audio and data tapes, so right or wrong, I didn't bite. > > Best Buy didn't have any Sony "Excellence", though they did have multi- > packs of Premium, plus another type recommended for HD, which seemed > like overkill. > > Suffering from shopper's overload by this time, I grabbed up a couple of > JVC "Professional" tapes at Best Buy, along with a Sony "Memory Stick > Pro Duo" and made for the door. JVC has never messed me over, and I'm > not sure I could have made it down the road to Circuit City to see what > they had in any case. > > Any recommendations for good web sources for the elusive Sony Excellence > tapes? Amazon doesn't seem to be very competitive in this area. > > Thanks, > Bob something like tape. Try here: http://www.protape.com/catalog/catalog_home.asp?CatID=1268&OID=-1&CID=&bustype= Show quote > PTravel wrote:
Show quote > I wish protape was still on Congress Avenue!> "yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message > news:MPG.212e9cace18cb939989837@news.erols.com... >> In article <MPG.212d4a7d526e13a9989***@news.erols.com>, >> yetanother***@gmail.com says... >> ------ much snipped ------ >>> >>> As mentioned, there was no tape boxed up with the Sony "Handycam" when I >>> got it today. >>> >>> Oh, well. We'll see what Costco has in stock tomorrow and go from there >>> (maybe going over to Circuit City and/or Best Buy if there's no Sony >>> "Excellence" at Costco). Oh yeah, and a "memory stick duo" for stills, >>> while I'm out shopping... >>> >> For anyone interested, no Sony tapes were available at the local Costco. >> Costco seems to be locked in to everything TDK as far as recordable >> media goes. I always tried to avoid TDK in computer diskettes as well >> as audio and data tapes, so right or wrong, I didn't bite. >> >> Best Buy didn't have any Sony "Excellence", though they did have multi- >> packs of Premium, plus another type recommended for HD, which seemed >> like overkill. >> >> Suffering from shopper's overload by this time, I grabbed up a couple of >> JVC "Professional" tapes at Best Buy, along with a Sony "Memory Stick >> Pro Duo" and made for the door. JVC has never messed me over, and I'm >> not sure I could have made it down the road to Circuit City to see what >> they had in any case. >> >> Any recommendations for good web sources for the elusive Sony Excellence >> tapes? Amazon doesn't seem to be very competitive in this area. >> >> Thanks, >> Bob > > I wouldn't consider either Costco or BestBuy sources of first resort for > something like tape. Try here: > > http://www.protape.com/catalog/catalog_home.asp?CatID=1268&OID=-1&CID=&bustype= > > > >> > In article <5im131F3p4cr***@mid.individual.net>,
ptra***@travelersvideo.com says... > Thanks, bookmarked it for future reference. Prices look good.-----snip----- > > I wouldn't consider either Costco or BestBuy sources of first resort for > something like tape. Try here: > > http://www.protape.com/catalog/catalog_home.asp?CatID=1268&OID=-1&CID=&bustype= > > The big box places may not be first resort sources, but when you need something right away, they're there... Bob Show quote
"yetanotherBob" <yetanother***@gmail.com> wrote in message They are, but only with the lowest-end consumer stuff.news:MPG.212fecca9ded85bf989838@news.erols.com... > In article <5im131F3p4cr***@mid.individual.net>, > ptra***@travelersvideo.com says... >> > -----snip----- >> >> I wouldn't consider either Costco or BestBuy sources of first resort for >> something like tape. Try here: >> >> http://www.protape.com/catalog/catalog_home.asp?CatID=1268&OID=-1&CID=&bustype= >> >> > Thanks, bookmarked it for future reference. Prices look good. > > The big box places may not be first resort sources, but when you need > something right away, they're there... Show quote > > Bob  |
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