What is threading? at DVinfo.net

BJ Elliott · December 19th, 2004, 05:31 PM

I'm watching an ebay auction for a PDX10. The listing reads "OPERATION: 8x10, DRUM RUN: 5x10, TAPE RUN: 3x10, THREADING: 16x10." What are the differences between these numbers (i.e. what is threading)? Is there any significance in dividing up the operation time into drum run and tape run? And would this camcorder be considered heavily, moderately, or lightly used?

Thanks.

Chris Long · December 20th, 2004, 08:38 AM

Sorry someone wasn't able to answer you questions before the end of the auction, I see that it didn't get up over the reserve price. Probably a good thing--the seller had no feedback and it's a big purchase to trust to an unknown quantity, plus, for another 300 dollars or so you can get a brand new PDX10, with the warranty, etc. and won't have to worry about the quality of the merchandise.

The camera has an Hours Meter that keeps track of how much it's been used, essentially. Here's what the manual says:

Operation: The cumulative total hours of operation is displayed in 10-operation increments. (The increments being 10-hour blocks)

Drum Run: The cumulative total hours of drum rotation with tape threaded is deisplayed in 10-operation increments.

Tape run: The cumulative total hours of tape running is displayed in 10-operation increments.

Threading: The cumulative number of tape unthreading operation(s) is displayed in 10-operation increments.

Clear as mud, huh?

It's easy for these numbers to be all over the place, since you can have the power on and not have a tape in it, etc. I'm not sure about the threading numbers--does that mean that a tape has been remeved from the camera (unthreaded) 160 times (16X10)? Someone else will have to clear that up.

My Unsolicited Testimonial: I know the lure of eBay, I buy and sell there all the time, and I like it very much. And I know about not having the funds needed to get what you want--I almost bought a TRV-900 used before I broke down and bought my PDX10. And I am so happy that I bought a new camera--it was the right thing for me. I've been where you are, or very near it. And I would tell you to get a new camera at B and H for $1799.95 before buying a used camera at $1500 or $1600, or whatever. The price on the PDX10 dropped not too long ago. Take advantage of it.

Best of luck, whatever your decision!
Chris

BJ Elliott · December 20th, 2004, 10:35 PM

Thanks Chris,

I appreciate the explanation. I didn't know about the time counter on the PDX10. I just thought those were his estimates and industry standard terms.

Even with the manual's definitions, I'm still lost on those numbers. If it has 8 x 10 hours of total operation, then how does it have 16 x 10 hours of threading? In any case, 160 hours is about 100 more hours than I put on my old camcorder in 4 years. He did all this in 6 months...seems like a lot of use to me.

After the auction, he proposed $1430. I'm thinking about it.

Boyd Ostroff · December 21st, 2004, 08:32 AM

BJ, sorry I missed this one. Chris has given some excellent advice - for that price difference I would definitely go with the new camera if it's at all possible. Here are a couple links to more info on the hour meter, from the PD-150 forum (The 150/170 use the same system). We have just crossed the threshold of 250,000 posts online here at DVinfo. If you take a few minutes to search you can often get immediate answers to your questions.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=28263
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...&threadid=9254

Chris Long · December 22nd, 2004, 09:56 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by BJ Elliott :
Even with the manual's definitions, I'm still lost on those numbers. If it has 8 x 10 hours of total operation, then how does it have 16 x 10 hours of threading? In any case, 160 hours is about 100 more hours than I put on my old camcorder in 4 years. -->>>

8X10=80 hours of the power being turned on. Threading (16X10=160) is not measured in hours--it's a cumulative number of individual times a tape has been loaded. Which is pretty easy to do--you shoot for an hour, and you might change tapes a few times, plus there are times you are reviewing tapes that might cause you to insert a tape, then do it again and again--a number of times. So the threading numbers should be higher than the Operation hours. Or at least it's not surprising if they are. Mine are the same way.

So when you say "160 hours is about 100 more hours than I put on my old camcorder in 4 years." I think you may be misconstruing the numbers. It's not 160 hours, it's 80 hours.
And if the camera is used as the deck for capturing, and for showing tape on TV, then it's pretty easy to rack up "Power-on" hours.

Hope that helps.

December 19th, 2004, 05:31 PM	#1
BJ Elliott Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 31	What is threading? I'm watching an ebay auction for a PDX10. The listing reads "OPERATION: 8x10, DRUM RUN: 5x10, TAPE RUN: 3x10, THREADING: 16x10." What are the differences between these numbers (i.e. what is threading)? Is there any significance in dividing up the operation time into drum run and tape run? And would this camcorder be considered heavily, moderately, or lightly used? Thanks.

December 20th, 2004, 08:38 AM	#2
Chris Long Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Middletown, Maryland USA Posts: 177	Sorry someone wasn't able to answer you questions before the end of the auction, I see that it didn't get up over the reserve price. Probably a good thing--the seller had no feedback and it's a big purchase to trust to an unknown quantity, plus, for another 300 dollars or so you can get a brand new PDX10, with the warranty, etc. and won't have to worry about the quality of the merchandise. The camera has an Hours Meter that keeps track of how much it's been used, essentially. Here's what the manual says: Operation: The cumulative total hours of operation is displayed in 10-operation increments. (The increments being 10-hour blocks) Drum Run: The cumulative total hours of drum rotation with tape threaded is deisplayed in 10-operation increments. Tape run: The cumulative total hours of tape running is displayed in 10-operation increments. Threading: The cumulative number of tape unthreading operation(s) is displayed in 10-operation increments. Clear as mud, huh? It's easy for these numbers to be all over the place, since you can have the power on and not have a tape in it, etc. I'm not sure about the threading numbers--does that mean that a tape has been remeved from the camera (unthreaded) 160 times (16X10)? Someone else will have to clear that up. My Unsolicited Testimonial: I know the lure of eBay, I buy and sell there all the time, and I like it very much. And I know about not having the funds needed to get what you want--I almost bought a TRV-900 used before I broke down and bought my PDX10. And I am so happy that I bought a new camera--it was the right thing for me. I've been where you are, or very near it. And I would tell you to get a new camera at B and H for $1799.95 before buying a used camera at $1500 or $1600, or whatever. The price on the PDX10 dropped not too long ago. Take advantage of it. Best of luck, whatever your decision! Chris

December 20th, 2004, 10:35 PM	#3
BJ Elliott Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 31	Thanks Chris, I appreciate the explanation. I didn't know about the time counter on the PDX10. I just thought those were his estimates and industry standard terms. Even with the manual's definitions, I'm still lost on those numbers. If it has 8 x 10 hours of total operation, then how does it have 16 x 10 hours of threading? In any case, 160 hours is about 100 more hours than I put on my old camcorder in 4 years. He did all this in 6 months...seems like a lot of use to me. After the auction, he proposed $1430. I'm thinking about it.

December 21st, 2004, 08:32 AM	#4
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	BJ, sorry I missed this one. Chris has given some excellent advice - for that price difference I would definitely go with the new camera if it's at all possible. Here are a couple links to more info on the hour meter, from the PD-150 forum (The 150/170 use the same system). We have just crossed the threshold of 250,000 posts online here at DVinfo. If you take a few minutes to search you can often get immediate answers to your questions. http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=28263 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...&threadid=9254

December 22nd, 2004, 09:56 AM	#5
Chris Long Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Middletown, Maryland USA Posts: 177	<<<-- Originally posted by BJ Elliott : Even with the manual's definitions, I'm still lost on those numbers. If it has 8 x 10 hours of total operation, then how does it have 16 x 10 hours of threading? In any case, 160 hours is about 100 more hours than I put on my old camcorder in 4 years. -->>> 8X10=80 hours of the power being turned on. Threading (16X10=160) is not measured in hours--it's a cumulative number of individual times a tape has been loaded. Which is pretty easy to do--you shoot for an hour, and you might change tapes a few times, plus there are times you are reviewing tapes that might cause you to insert a tape, then do it again and again--a number of times. So the threading numbers should be higher than the Operation hours. Or at least it's not surprising if they are. Mine are the same way. So when you say "160 hours is about 100 more hours than I put on my old camcorder in 4 years." I think you may be misconstruing the numbers. It's not 160 hours, it's 80 hours. And if the camera is used as the deck for capturing, and for showing tape on TV, then it's pretty easy to rack up "Power-on" hours. Hope that helps.