miniDV tapes

[Jorge Espinosa]

Hey guys,

 

For the first time, I got 3 miniDV tapes magnetized. One was used for the first time, the other one was it's second time. We shot 3 tapes at a university. When reviewing the footage we can see the time code running on all 3, but one has a black screen with a small colored square in the middle and the other 2 just show a blue screen. On location I reviewed the first 15 minutes of one tape on camera and everything looked fine, so I'm guessing something happened after leaving the location.

 

I'm shocked about this, please help me figure this out. None of us carry out magnets of course.

 

Thanks guys.

 

PD: My other question is: How many times can I record on a miniDV tape without any noticeable quality loss? I have been told that until 10 you're allright, so I was thinking about using them twice only. Any info on this, please?

[Daniel Sheehy]

If your tapes really got magnetised, I'm not sure you'd still see the time code running. This points to it being some other problem.

 

Have you tried reviewing the tapes again in camera?

[Matt Butler]

Hey guys,

 

For the first time, I got 3 miniDV tapes magnetized. One was used for the first time, the other one was it's second time. We shot 3 tapes at a university. When reviewing the footage we can see the time code running on all 3, but one has a black screen with a small colored square in the middle and the other 2 just show a blue screen. On location I reviewed the first 15 minutes of one tape on camera and everything looked fine, so I'm guessing something happened after leaving the location.

 

I'm shocked about this, please help me figure this out. None of us carry out magnets of course.

 

Thanks guys.

 

PD: My other question is: How many times can I record on a miniDV tape without any noticeable quality loss? I have been told that until 10 you're allright, so I was thinking about using them twice only. Any info on this, please?

[Matt Butler]

Your playback deck may have 'dirty' heads. Try a proper mini-DV head cleaning kit.

 

As a last resort load a blank tape, ie. obviously with nothing recorded on it - and in playback mode with the tape engaged over the heads, fast forward it for about 10 seconds in actual time.

 

Do this procedure about 5 times. It sometimes works!

 

Usual disclaimers apply.

[Walter Graff]

It takes an awful lot of magnetism to damage a tape. You could lay a kitchen refrigerator magnet on a tape for a month and not affect it. Your problem sounds like dirty heads, or a record problem, but it does not sound like magnets or some magnetic field have effected it.

[zhangchengdong]

Try a proper mini-DV head cleaning kit.

 

or use a new tape ,just play it for 4 or 5 sec,try again.a tape i use it 5or6 times.it's ok

[Jorge Espinosa]

Thanks guys. It ended up being a postproduction problem, my tapes were fine.

 

Still, how many times can I re-use a miniDV tape without any noticeable quality loss?

 

Cheers.

[Guest Evan Pierre]

Thanks guys. It ended up being a postproduction problem, my tapes were fine.

 

Still, how many times can I re-use a miniDV tape without any noticeable quality loss?

 

Cheers.

 

I would also be interested with an answer to this question. I was taught that it was good practice to always use new tape and to never record over an old one.

 

Is this really neccesary?

[Walter Graff]

I would say it is absolutely necessary if your work is for broadcast. Every format has error correction. The error correction window with DV is rather small. Add to that the physical size of tape, slow tape speed, and cohesion specs for DC tape and you've got the potential for problems. Since tape is often the cheapest equation in a production it only makes sense.

[Jorge Espinosa]

I would say it is absolutely necessary if your work is for broadcast. Every format has error correction. The error correction window with DV is rather small. Add to that the physical size of tape, slow tape speed, and cohesion specs for DC tape and you've got the potential for problems. Since tape is often the cheapest equation in a production it only makes sense.

 

WOW! Thank you very much, Walter!

[Tim O'Connor]

I would say it is absolutely necessary if your work is for broadcast. Every format has error correction. The error correction window with DV is rather small. Add to that the physical size of tape, slow tape speed, and cohesion specs for DC tape and you've got the potential for problems. Since tape is often the cheapest equation in a production it only makes sense.

 

I strongly agree. Say you fill five Mini-DV tapes for your ten minute short on which you spend 3-4 four days

production, not to mention all the extra time in pre and post production. For your next production, is it really

worth saving 25 or 30 bucks and reusuing the tapes? Heck, for 30 bucks, just store them. You may never

reedit but they might come in handy somehow and they won't take up a lot of space. Maybe when you have two

hundred Mini-DV tapes they will but at that point put them somewhere in your living room, on a special

shelf or something and it'll look impressive if you bring a date home.

 

I've short several short "films" intended for festivals by filmmakers who had budgets of 3-5 thousand dollars

and out of that, once again, less than forty bucks was spent on Mini-DV tapes. For that, I say brand new tapes!