Pre-striping time code
 

Can anyone tell me definitively if pre-striping a tape with time code is really usefull, or is it simply overwritten when you go to record on a pre-striped tape?

It is over-written when you record. But pre-striping is one way to re-set the tension of the tape so that it moves easier over the camera's recording heads, and it prevents time-code breaks if you should take the tape out and re-insert it during your shoot. Pre-striping: some people do it, some don't.

That second part about preventing time code breaks is what I'm interested in. What a nightmare!! I was also told ( by whom I can't remember ) to NEVER leave a tape in the camera, especially if not fully re-wound or at the end. Of course, I had to test it out, and sure enough, a fully digested tape was the result. Luckily, it was in my JVC consumer camera, and no reel harm done ( forgive the pun ). Thanks for the feedback.

Eric,
Avoiding time-code breaks in miniDV are often the bogie for pre-striping a tape. On the Mac, iMovie used to be the most forgiving when capturing a broken tape. Final Cut Pro used to balk and stop capturing cold. But FCP3 can now be told to ignore breaks. I don't know how forgiving some of the PC NLE's are for such breaks.

Bottom line: Your NLE's ability to forgive breaks might be the key determinant for striping or not striping.