http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Tag: tapes - Recent Posts en Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:59:06 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-tapes#post-72813 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:15:43 +0000 EarlC 72813@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I bite the bullet and like Jack, clean the unit whenever I have to access other client tape brands in my production. It's a tradeoff but I'd rather deal with a bit of over-cleaning rather than deal with some serious toe jam that would otherwise result, and expensive repairs.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-tapes#post-72805 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 07:57:33 +0000 MProductions 72805@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Darn...so I have about 10 yrs. worth of footage that I've been hoarding, do you think I should toss all the tapes at this point? I would hate to do an annual camera cleaning and mess it up again.</p> <p>Thanks guys!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-tapes#post-72791 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:04:51 +0000 EarlC 72791@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Short answer: IMHO, nothing you do can salvage that bad tape, even purchasing a MiniDV playback system. You'd likely experience the same issues.</p> <p>After experiencing this first hand early on in my video production career, with devastating results financially and professionally, I also stayed with one brand, using SONY Premium tapes in Canon cameras, and have since experienced the same overall performance satisfaction as Jack.</p> <p>During the time of my initial experience with the consequences of mixing brands ... in my case going from SONY to Panasonic, to TDK, to some other brand I cannot remember, under extreme duress I purchased a SONY DSR-11 playback deck. It helped some, in some instances, but was unable to resurrect the tapes that mattered, to the degree that I could satisfactorily salvage a major production.</p> <p>I also had attempted to playback the tapes in the units in which they were recorded as well as other units I had around the editing suite ... to no avail. Lesson learned the hard way on many levels. Since remaining with a single quality brand after expensive transport and head replacement in my Canon XL series units I've not experienced that situation to that degree.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-tapes#post-72789 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:13:41 +0000 jackwolcott 72789@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>It is important that you stick with the same brand of tape, irrespective of the camera and brand. Start with Sony, stick with Sony.</p> <p>It is my understanding that there are two different methods of lubricating the surface of video tape: "wet" and "dry." To the touch there is no discernible difference but either deposits material on the record and playback heads of your camera and tape playback device. Mix the two types together and you get a thin coating of "gunk" that eventually causes a head-jam or similar transport problem.</p> <p>Since we have clients bringing in a variety of tapes to our business we have to use head-cleaner on our playback decks nearly every week. However, in our cameras we have used the same brand of tapes -- Panasonic tapes in Sony cameras -- for more than eight years, with only annual cleaning.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-tapes#post-72787 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:30:03 +0000 MProductions 72787@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I have a canon GL1. I hear that if you use different brands of miniDV tapes, that it messes w/the playback heads, which can cause problems on the tapes, i.e., blocks, large pixels, skipping, etc...</p> <p>I recently filmed a wedding and used a different brand of tape. On the 3rd tape, the blockiness appears and the footage is unusable. I tried to play the tape back on 3 other cameras.</p> <p>If I purchased a miniDV playback system, would I have the same issues? Not sure if they even make those anymore.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/12-panasonic-mini-dv-tapes-ay-dvm63mq-used-once#post-65537 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:48:30 +0000 ohshowproductions 65537@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>(12) PANASONIC MINI DV TAPES FOR SALE, PRO MASTER AY-DVM63MQ USED ONCE, HAVE NOT BEEN RECORDED OVER OR BULK ERASED, STORED SAFELY.</p> <p>PLEASE SEE OUR EBAY AUCTION.  <strong><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;item=170603494736&amp;ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT">CLICK HERE</a></strong></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/panasonic-mini-dv-tapes-aydvm63pq-used-once#post-65016 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:59:48 +0000 XTR-91 65016@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I'd buy them, if they'd fit and work in my Sony HDR-HC1</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/panasonic-mini-dv-tapes-aydvm63pq-used-once#post-65012 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:16:57 +0000 grinner 65012@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> lol</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/panasonic-mini-dv-tapes-aydvm63pq-used-once#post-65008 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:46:02 +0000 ohshowproductions 65008@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p><strong>&lt;strong id="mainContent"&gt;<br /> &lt;h1 class="vi-is1-titleH1"&gt;Panasonic Mini-DV Tapes AY-DVM63PQ (10)&lt;/h1&gt;<br /> </strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;item=170592314699&amp;ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT">EBAY LISTING</a></strong></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/panasonic-mini-dv-tapes-for-sale-used-once#post-64776 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:21:07 +0000 ohshowproductions 64776@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>PANASONIC MINI-DV TAPES FOR SALE.  TAPES USED ONLY ONCE THEN STORED, NOT RECORDED OVER, OR BULK ERASED OR DE-MAGNETIZED.</p> <p><strong>EBAY LISTINGS:</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;item=170589350076&amp;ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT">PANASONIC AY-DVM63MQ</a>-10</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;item=170589729778&amp;ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT">PANASONIC ME DVM60</a>-25</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><br /></strong></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/problem-with-sony-dvcam-tape#post-52979 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:47:47 +0000 blindeye 52979@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Do you leave a tape in the cam when it's not in use?  I lost a Sony dvcam once because leaving a tape causes the camcorder to go out of alignment internally.  </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/problem-with-sony-dvcam-tape#post-52120 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:36:58 +0000 jerryd 52120@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Im having issues with a tape that looks like it had a head clog but no indication that that was taking place while recording. The tape recorded fine for a couple min. I stopped the tape and checked it then recorded again. During Playback my tape check was okay but the tape didn't engage for about three min while my viewfinder indicated that it was recording. The tape has black bars that runs horizontally across the screen. Then the video frags out for a few seconds and clears itself in another couple seconds. If I stop the tape and rewind and play the section back i get pink bars that also runs horizontally across the screen. Is this a tape issue or a camera problem? Thanks</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-capture#post-41325 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:33:20 +0000 RockstarRider 41325@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>yup ive noticed that...miniDV is the path into professional editing.....very good...yeah i will certainly get a miniDV camcorder for christmas...and some tapes and UV filter and maybe extra battery...oh yeah and firewire cable..i almost forgot..ha...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-capture#post-41323 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:29:57 +0000 robGRAUERT 41323@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <blockquote><p>"i would never ever recommend miniDVD camcorder for people that want to get into serious editing..a bunch of problems come up"</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p> </blockquote> MiniDV is actually quite reliable. Ever since I got into video I've been using miniDV and I still use it to this day, and many others do too. It's cost effective and is capable of recording a decent image. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-capture#post-41321 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:26:00 +0000 RockstarRider 41321@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>yeah!...thats good...i would never ever recommend miniDVD camcorder for people that want to get into serious editing..a bunch of problems come up...i should of researched more about them..hopefull i will have better editing experiences with miniDV...sometime when i COULD import the DVD it didnt take long like maybe 5 min for 20 min of footage..i will have to get used to like waiting the entire minidv to get capture..but like i could go do something else while its is capturing...go to the bathroom or something..ha..minidv is good...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-capture#post-41316 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:18:43 +0000 robGRAUERT 41316@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Yes, your computer can definitely handle DV editing. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-capture#post-41314 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:16:56 +0000 RockstarRider 41314@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Well i have a hp computer and has an 80GB hard drive but i bought a 640GB external drive  so imma capture the video to it..also it has a 2.7GHZ Intel Celeron Processor  with 1GB of RAM...and i have a firewire port..is this good enough..??</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-capture#post-41312 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:13:11 +0000 robGRAUERT 41312@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Capture to an external hard drive or a second internal hard drive. Never capture to your primary hard drive. Also, I've been told the hard drive speed should be no slower than 7200rpm.</p> <p> One hour of video is 12-13GB, although, I've also been told you don't want to fill your hard drive more than half way because then it's only working half as good. So for example, I wouldn't fill a 500GB hard drive more than 250GB.</p> <p> I believe dropped frames has to do with the speed of your drive. If you're talking about drop out, which is when some pixels are like, not there and look like the color of rainbows kinda, then that has to do with having dirty heads in your camcorder or deck.</p> <p> You need firewire as well.  </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-capture#post-41310 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:08:23 +0000 RockstarRider 41310@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>if i get a miniDV camcorder and capture the video in vegas pro 8, What are the requirements for my PC to capture the entire 1-hour video smoothly without dropping lots of frames...and be able to preview it..</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-39623 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:53:53 +0000 BarefootMedia 39623@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Weird, I got my last chamois tipped cleaner from Radio Shack.  But since I could use another package, I checked out my favorite stores and found swabs here.</p> <p><a href="http://www.markertek.com/Product.asp?baseItem=CC50&amp;cat=CLEANING&amp;subcat=&amp;prodClass=SWABS&amp;mfg=&amp;search=0&amp;off=" rel="nofollow">http://www.markertek.com/Product.asp?baseItem=CC50&amp;cat=CLEANING&amp;subcat=&amp;prodClass=SWABS&amp;mfg=&amp;search=0&amp;off=</a></p> <p>But while doing some research, it seems that most folks are now using a high quality foam swab.  So I kinda doubt they may cause microscopic head damage.  But I know the chamois swabs are safe.  And I'm starting to think I may be a fuddy-duddy in this matter.</p> <p>So good luck and keep on making TV.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-39599 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:33:51 +0000 howeater 39599@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Any ideas on where to get a good cleaner and chamois, have checked Radio Shack, They replyed chamois who.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-36971 Thu, 29 May 2008 08:32:51 +0000 Johnboy 36971@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>while i understand that lubricants <strong><em>did</em></strong> cause a lot of grief between manfacturers in the 90's, the problem is <em><strong>almost</strong></em> irrelevant today.  that's why my post explicitly said "<strong><em>may</em></strong>" cause problems.  The best advice is to stick with quality media and learn how to maintain your equipment and clean when necessary.  The OP wanted advice on whether on not to buy a dedicated deck to avoid the problems he was having and my point was that he would still run into the problems he was having regardless.</p> <p>John</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-36969 Thu, 29 May 2008 08:17:39 +0000 TheDVshow 36969@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Whether it's the mysterious Sony lubricant conspiracy theory or a spec of dust, it simply boils down to a nasty head clog. DVCAM and DV tape users suffer most as the tape being used is Metal Evaporated tape. Metal Particle tape (DVCPRO/Betacam/etc.) do not suffer from this "lubricant" issue. Lubricants do exist for various reasons including reduction of friction over drums, guides and heads and for storage purposes so the tapes doesn't stick during storage. Variables on each manufacturer's lubricant are different so one point of view wouldn't be complete or concise.</p> <p>You can't run away from a clog- it's going to happen.</p> <p><strong>Taking care of your equipment so you can run your business effectively.</strong></p> <p>Here is what I suggest:</p> <p>1. Use the best camcorder or deck you have and dedicate it for playback only. Never use it to fast forward, preview or rewind tapes. Run a tape through for duplicating purposes only. If you need to rewind, preview or fast forward, purchase a cheaper new or second hand camera (B&amp;H sells the Canon ZR800 new for under $200) and dedicate it as the "searcher" with the sole job of doing just that; fast forwarding, playback and rewinding tapes to find footage with. (You could even purchase a mini-dv rewinder to do this job.) Once you find the spots you want to duplicate on your cheap deck stick it back in your dedicated playback cam or deck and make it work.</p> <p>After periods of use rotate the cams or decks out. For example, when the dedicated playback deck seems like it's going to crap the bed- demote it to a dedicated rewinder.</p> <p>2. On your playback only cam or deck run a tape cleaner before switching tapes AND before switching brands.</p> <p>3. Never use an alcohol swab on your heads</p> <p>4. When you run a tape cleaner, do not run it for more than 5 seconds at a time, and certainly do not run it more than twice consecutively. Tape cleaners are abrasive and any use longer than 10-15 seconds will surely lead to premature head wear. Besides, if it takes longer than that to clean the heads, you probably have bigger problems than a clogged tape head.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-36961 Thu, 29 May 2008 01:16:52 +0000 FallingStarFilms 36961@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>But…I wanna be superstitious and believe in the mixed lubricant tape Demons!  This shatters my whole belief system. L </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-36955 Wed, 28 May 2008 18:40:41 +0000 chrisColorado 36955@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Wow! BarefootMedia is like the all wise guru in the Himalayas. Lucky we have him to answer our questions.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-36944 Wed, 28 May 2008 16:13:36 +0000 BarefootMedia 36944@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>The idea that the lubricants on different tape brands will cause problems for your camcorder is, at best, a theoretical problem.  If the lubricant is a problem, it is due to that tape damaging your tape path.  There is not a lubricant that comes off or adheres to something other than the tape.  (Come on, think about it.  If there was required lubrication that wears off, tapes would have a maximum number of safe passes.)  The lubricants are bonded to the tape itself &amp; you're screwed if any of it comes off, EVER.</p> <p>Next to the black striping.  Why?  When using an analog editing system, most folks would black stripe the tape so they could insert edit and not encounter the editing problems associated with a broken control track.  Now most of you have no idea what I'm talking about since none of this has the least thing to do with non-linear editing.  Black striping your tape before recording does nothing except add wear to the tape and your recording unit.  The entire concept of insert editing doesn't exist with NLE's.</p> <p>However it is an excellent idea to retension any tape before you use it.  Retensioning the tape consists of fast-forwarding to the end &amp; rewinding it back.  You do this make sure the is evenly tensioned on the take-up and rewind spools.  During shipping &amp; such, the tapes are bounced around and tighten unevenly on the spool.  You could actually see the uneven tension areas on long VHS tapes.  It looked like darker &amp; lighter bands of the tape on the reels.  Retensioning them eliminates the banding and insures the tape will spool out easily and evenly from the start till the end.  To some extent, I also believe this might be a theoretical issue.  But I have encountered times when a new untensioned tape stops without any apparent reason.  And that has never happened to a tape I knew was retensioned.</p> <p>And folks, these tapes are not "dirty" or coated with anything.  What is causing problems is the fact that your video head is magnetic and you are physically rubbing oxide particles on the tape across it to read &amp; write data.  So there is no way to stop a certain amount of build-up of oxide on &amp; around the tape heads.  Now a lot of folks don't seem to realize just how big a video head is.  The heads on our camcorders are just over half the size of the italic I in the reply box.  The are far smaller than even the point of a number 2 pencil you've written with.  The heads are embedded in the large silver drum that spins rapidly.  If you could touch them (DON'T TOUCH THEM) they are the tiniest bit higher than the surface of that silver drum.  The notches cut into the drum are better than four times the size of the head.  That provides a bit of space for loose oxide escape instead of getting jammed onto the actual head.  Back in the days of VHS, when the heads were a bit larger, I worked out the math of video tape recording.  It looks like nothing has changed except for the size, so the heads are being spun at 3,600 RPM or 600 revolutions per second.  VHS tape (in SP) runs at 1.5" per second.  So the video head is putting 600 lines on the tape in every 1.5" and there are two heads, each writing or reading lines, making 1,200 lines in that 1.5"  Or roughly 800 lines per inch of magnetic data on an oxide coated plastic tape.   So the focus of those video heads is to an area far smaller than we can hope to see.</p> <p>Knowing this helps to understand what is happening at the interface between the video head &amp; the tape.  At this level, the video heads are stumps with a metal oxide sandpaper screaming across them.  Sandpaper with bigger particles are easier/cheaper to make, but big particles make rough sandpaper.  Rough sandpaper breaks off chunks from the tape.  Fine sandpaper will polish the heads, but it is still rubbing off bits off bits of its coating.  So cheap, off-brand tapes are going to leave more oxide behind, than higher quality tapes from a reliable source.  There is a rapid diminishing of differences between moderately priced tapes &amp; expensive tapes as far as the qualities effecting the physical wear &amp; tear of the tapes.  Top line tapes are a bit more sturdy and have more exotic oxides on them.  But the bonding of the oxide to the plastic backing doesn't really improve in a practical sense.  But that still means that some oxide will wear off the tape and stick to what wore it off, the video heads.</p> <p>If the oxide that is rubbing off hasn't built up too much around the edges of the head, you can use a dry cleaning tape to sand off the oxide and bring playback back to snuff.  The wet tape would be needed if there was a bigger build up and you needed a solvent to loosen the oxide on the video head while scrubbing with a scratchy scrubber.  And to be honest, both methods are wearing down the heads with the rough tape surfaces and they only clean in the same directions as the tapes that put the oxide there to begin with.  So for an amateur video shooter, they should work just fine.</p> <p>But for the kind of hours even a semi-pro runs tapes through their machines, cleaning tapes are far too abrasive.  You need to be cleaning the heads properly.  And it ain't happenin' if you're standing there with a q-tip and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.  You may as well use a cleaning tape.  To actually clean the heads without damage, go down to Radio Shack and purchase a chamois swab with tape head cleaner.  Be very careful with head cleaner, it will evaporate away if you don't keep the lid on it.  Basic head cleaning is fairly straightforward.  You open up the door and you will see the silver drum with lines cut into it.  There are generally four heads on the bottom edge of the drum, which is tilted slightly.  If you can't reach in and stabilize the drum from the top (and who can?) you can use a brand new soft pencil eraser to press down on the top of the drum to hold it in place once you rotate one of the heads into place.  Dampen your chamois swab in the tape head cleaner, press it against the video head &amp; rock it lightly, pull it back and press it against the head again.  If the head was really built up, you might be able to see a black spot on the clean chamois.  Do the same on all the heads and you're good to go.</p> <p>Now that you know what's going onto the heads, we can discuss how it happens.  We need to consider the conditions that degrade the binding of the oxide to the plastic backing.  Cheap materials are pretty obvious candidates.  But age, especially in poor conditions, is a double whammy on tape.  Most plastics lose flexibility as they age.  As do the binding agents, so when the tape is threaded through all the loops &amp; whorls of the system, all that flexing "cracks" the tape and oxide flakes off.  Another factor I've heard about but haven't encountered is tape from another continent.  But there is certainly the factor of aging in less than ideal conditions during the shipping.  Aging is the factor that really improves with higher quality.  Kept in their specified conditions, the best tapes can last nearly a decade.  But the sort of tapes readily available to most of us are going to age more rapidly.  And the net effect of aging is that microscopic cracking that happens as the tape does the M thing into the deck.  Oxide flakes off more easily by the direct pressure of the video head and so they build up a coating quite rapidly.  That is what causes the dreaded "blue screen."  The video heads can't read the signal on the tape because they are covered in oxide and can't detect a signal anymore.</p> <p>So your problem sounds like you're getting the tapes folks have had around for a while and want to get on something convenient.  Tapes only two or three years old from unknown sources could already be in an aged, microscopically brittle.  Doing a retensioning would help, but the more flex you can get before running it over your heads would help a bit.  And these oxide flakes from aging build a layer over the head.  You have to use the proper solvent to "melt" the flakes off.  You have to use the highly volatile tape head cleaner and, at least, the artificial chamois.  You can clean your own heads properly and be able to transfer off another three or four tapes before you clean them again.  At least that's how my engineer taught me.</p> <p>Good luck, you'll never regret learning to clean your video heads.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-36215 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:21:23 +0000 Johnboy 36215@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>you can run into all sorts of problems, primarily the different brands of mini-dv tape.  As you may be aware, each manufacturer uses different types of lubricants on their tapes, thus playing one tape and then switching to another brand may cause problems.  older tapes can shred small pieces off and cause problems in the tape mechanisms.  If you have a dedicated deck, you will still run into the problems you are having now.  You will have to clean your heads frequently and possibly send the unit in to be professionally cleaned and maintained.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/recurring-dirty-heads-old-tapes-do-they-ruin-your-camera#post-36189 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:46:35 +0000 portena 36189@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Hello.</p> <p>I have just started a small business converting mini-dv to DVD.  I was on to my third job, having successfully imported some 10 or so tapes, when my Sony TRV22E (5yrs old) Camcorder gave up the ghost (I'm fairly certain from my digging around in forums that its dirty heads - I'm getting the horizontal lines during playback). After the Sony Head cleaning tape run through 3 times didn't work (and the screen now simply remains blue) I sent it off for a full service. In order to continue working, I borrowed a friend's near-new Canon MD120 - transferred some 4 or so tapes - only to turn up the same, horizontal lines problem.  Given that its not my camera I panicked but was fortunate that a Panasonic Head cleaning tape sorted it out (note that the Sony Head cleaning tape run through twice beforehand DIDN'T work). </p> <p> While the Sony is in for service and given that I clearly CAN'T rely on the use someone else's hardware (!) I have had to buy another Camcorder in order to keep working (those dedicated miniDV decks being out of my budget yet).  I've got a nice new Panasonic NV230 which is sufficient for our own home video but will also be put to use as a tape-transfer deck.</p> <p> </p> <p>However in order to preclude similar dirty-heads problems in the future, I started to read around in this and other forums.  I note the advice I've gathered, including:</p> <p>- not mixing wet and dry head cleaning tapes,</p> <p>- not using the head cleaning tape too much (or at all - some recommend self-cleaning with alcohol swabs which I'm not game to do)  </p> <p>And, particularly as it relates to me (these things being things I cannot unfortunately avoid in my line of business. In fact you can guarantee I'll commit all of the below!)</p> <p>- not mixing different TYPES of tapes in your camcorder</p> <p>-avoid certain poorer quality tapes and use the same brand tapes as your camcorder as a preference</p> <p>-running through blank once to stripe</p> <p>-avoid playing back old tapes that are likely to be dirty</p> <p> </p> <p>I'm in a bit of quandry now with all of this.  Is there some way to ensure I can still effectively run my business and not ruin my camera heads (what would you recommend given that it will be impossible to avoid those last points) - I was surprised at how quickly the Canon's heads became dirty(after only about 5 tapes).  And even if I did save up to purchase a dedicated deck, will this be any less vulnerable to the dirty-heads problem?</p> <p> </p> <p>Advice gratefully accepted! </p> <p>  </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/panasonic-minidv-tapes-can-re-record-500-times#post-35431 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:00:07 +0000 tes 35431@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thankyou Ken, I guess I should record the most two or three times. 500 times sounds a bit too much.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/panasonic-minidv-tapes-can-re-record-500-times#post-35427 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:57:01 +0000 Ken 35427@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> tes,</p> <p>I have read several posts from video pros saying that the Panasonic Professional tapes are among the most reliable.  But I sure wouldn't re-record over them for hundreds of times.  As you run a tape over the record heads, it does wear on the tape; and, after a while, particles will come loose from the tape. Some of these tiny particles will find their way into the gap in the record head. Eventually you'll have a clogged head, which causes glitches in the recording. Also, the worn-out tape can have drop outs where the particles have flaked off.  This is more evident in HDV, but even with standard def it can be a problem. My policy is to never (well, ALMOST never) re-record.</p> <p>Ken Hull</p>