DV tapes - preferences?

[marcin 0]

Hi everybody
I was wondering if any of you experienced any difference in quality of images between various types and brands of DV tapes. I curently use Sony Premium and Excellence and started experimenting with TDK DVM tapes, but there are many others and prices differ significantly (not using tapes with memory chips which are even more expensive and I am not sure are worth the extra $).
So do you think there would be visible image quality difference and which are your preferred brands?
Thanks
m.

[quade 3]

Sony makes the finest and most durable video tape media available.
Of the two types of Sony miniDV tapes, the Excellence tapes are the better of the two. I experience fewer drop outs and head clogs with the Excellence tapes. If you're shooting anything of value, like a competition or some work for hire, then you'll want to make sure it's actually recorded.
BTW, in miniDV tape, you're not really paying for (or getting) better -quality- of video by using any brand of tape over another. If it's recorded properly, then it -should- be the same on any brand. That said, you ARE paying to make sure it gets recorded properly to begin with. and that's where drop outs and durability comes into play.
Again, my recommendation is the Sony Excellence for anything of high value or importance.
If you do some shooping on-line, you -should- be able to fine the Sony Excellence tapes for about $8 each.
Paul
futurecam.com/skydive.html

[michael 9]

If you have a Sony camera, use Sony tapes. After working alongside some guys who experimented with other brands (Panasonic noteably) in their camera, and seeing the rediculous amount of dropouts, Ive stuck with Sony.
Nothings worse than having to re-dub a video when youre busy.

[marcin 0]

Thanks for feedback, guys. I do not shoot for living but have the camera on the most of my jumps. I do some digital editing and was wondering if tape choice affects quality of colors etc. I am not so concerned with durability as I normally do not reuse tapes (maybe will reconsider if they pile up too much on me:) ).
I use Sony PC, after a short period of using JVC (bad choice). I find it superior to other brands. Pity they do not make the 3 CCD model in a compact version yet (TRV is too big for my taste). Never had dropouts on any tapes, except when kicked in the head. I thought it was rather a camera problem,then tape related (?).
Also, I have recently started to record in LP (yeah, too many tapes..). Was told that this does not reduce the picture quality and so far have not noticed any difference. Do you record in SP or LP?
thanks
m.

[quade 3]

MiniDV signals are not like VHS signals.
Think of a miniDV signal like that of a digital audio CD and VHS like that of an analog cassette tape.
On a VHS tape, the quality of the tape itself has a direct effect on the quality of the recorded signal. A VHS tape will have a higher amount of noise in the reproduced picture. Thought of in another way, it's like making a Xerox copy and if you make a copy of -that- copy, it'll continue to degrade until it's almost unreadable.
The beauty of DV is that if the signal is recorded correctly, that is - without any dropouts, then it will playback -exactly- as it was recorded. This would be more along the lines of making a copy of a computer floppy disk. As long as nothing goes wrong, you could continue making copies of copies indefinately and there is NO degradation of the data.
So, back to your original questions;
NO miniDV tape should affect the colors, resolution or anything else with the exception of dropouts. Those really annoying little digital blocks that seem to pop up over your million dollar, never to be reproduced, shots.
Again, I find the Sony Excellence tape to be the best performers in this regard.
As for the SP v. LP thing;
If you decide to shoot LP, then you're going to have a higher dropout rate regardless of what type of tape you use.
It's a gamble.
If you do a cost/benefit analysis of all the things you might bring on a skydive, I think you'll find that video tape is -probably- one of the least expensive things you're taking up. In my line of business we have a saying -- tape's cheap. On a per jump basis, it's maybe $0.30, but AFTER you've shot that tape, it can be worth a hell of a lot more.
Is it worth it to get maybe 50 percent more shooting time only to find out that your -money shot- was useless? I don't think so.
Paul
http://futurecam.com/skydive.html

[skymedic 0]

Hey quade....how did you get so edumacated?...thanks for the info.
by the way weren't you bitching a month ago or so about not being published and then this month in skydiving are two pictures from you!!!!
Marc
Because I fly, I envy no man on earth

[czechbase 0]

Hi Quade,

I was just wondering how many times you can reuse a DV tape in a camera before you need to discard the tape?

I wouldn't want the tape to disintegrate inside my camera!

Thanks for the advice in advance.

Matthew

www.motavi.com

[Deuce 1]

Quote

Hi Quade,

I was just wondering how many times you can reuse a DV tape in a camera before you need to discard the tape?

I wouldn't want the tape to disintegrate inside my camera!

Thanks for the advice in advance.

Matthew

I know you asked Q, but I can tell you don't want to use them more than once. Yesterday one of my fellow video fliers had frame drop-out on the exit because he was reusing his tapes. Very not good. Very sucking. You run the risk of drop out on the first re-use, and it just gets worse. I use mine once, then push the save tab over and keep 'em.

JP

[quade 3]

Yep. They aren't very rugged and shouldn't be used more than you can help it. I pretty much use them once and that's it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[czechbase 0]

Thanks JP and Quade for that piece of information.

I have been re-using my DV tapes for quite awhile now with no problems, although recently I have seen dropped frames or the other video I shot coming up on the newest video!

My guess would be 2-3 times?

www.motavi.com