v1u what tapes are you using?
 

for my v1u i mostley have been using the Panasonic AY-DVM63PQ 63 Minute Mini DV dv tapes. ive never had any problems with them, as far as dropouts etc.

ive also use the Sony PHDVM-63DM DVCAM Master Digital Cassette a couple times. them tapes are about 16 compared to the panasonic at 3.5 each

anyone think the sony tapes would be that much better?

been using off the shelf sony 'premium' for years without any problems. more recently for hdv as well.

however, i never reuse them - at $2 a tape why bother.

leslie

As far as HDV goes, since I'm among the small crowd that has actually witnessed the dreaded HDV drop-outs several times, I use the Digital Master tapes for my precious documentaries and critical client work, and the Sony Premium tapes for everything else.

For example, for a music video with lots of coverage, I don't mind the higher risk of drop-outs from the Premium Tape. On the other hand, for a one-chance interview, I stick to the Digital Master tapes, not worth the risk of saving $14 on tape when you can't afford to risk a drop-out. It all boils down to probabilities.

Last week I shot a music video using two of the Premium tapes and lucky me, I saw two minor drop-outs. I never see them in the interviews I shoot with the Digital Master tapes. And yet so many people swear by the Premium tape.

Another issue is some people don't like the idea of mixing Panasonic Tape and Sony Tape and suggest running the head cleaner between tape type changes. There are several threads on that. In the end, there is no clear, crisp answer.

most definitely agree. there used to be a whole thing about dry / wet lubricant used in various tapes - apparently that has been sorted out, so i read. but what the hell, i stick to one brand (sony), and so take another (mal)factor out of the equation...

leslie

ps. david, how often do you get the drop-outs with premium shooting hdv? i've only shot about 25+ hours or so (all on new tapes), and have yet to see one. i ask not cause i doubt your word, but you now have me worried!

Oh, doubt is a good thing, fanatical adherence to any idea is what gets us in trouble all too often. I've never experienced a major drop-out using the "Digital Master" tape, and only rarely with the "Premium" tape. By rare I mean, I might have seen a drop-outs on 1 out of every 5 tapes, but that's a very rough guess. I don't keep a count. Most of the time it does not matter, cause what's the chance of a drop-out happening right on the most critical footage? I let the profile of the project dictate the tape choice. Where you might see a bigger difference is in multiple uses of the tape. But with the "Premium" tape so affordable, you can treat it as a write once, read once medium. And you have a backup on the shelf if you ever need to go back to the footage. Reuse is what scares me more than the "Premium" vs. "Digital Master" debate.

The only tapes I've run through my V1 and FX1 have been Sony DVM63's. Certainly not cheap, but the cost gets absorbed in my project budgets. For mastering to tape in HDV I use PHDVM-63DM's. I'd rather stay with one brand/level of tape. Better safe than sorry when I'm dealing with clients who pay good money for my services. My 2 cents.

Forrest

Same as me stay with one brand/level of tape. Using Sony DVM63 for SD 4:3 and 16:9 or HDV 16:9

you are lucky i get 1 or 2 drop outs per tape using premiums on average[fx-7]i am not a pro so hdv pro tapes are just too expensive for me,on another note i find they come at the end and start of clips[camera pauses]never in the centre of a long clip say a minutes continual recording.i have a found useing my hc 1 gives similar results.

I use the Sony PDVM-40 DVCAM tapes instead of the Digital Master. It's a few dollars cheaper with a similar formulation. So far I haven't seen any dropouts.

Wow, I am amazed at the amount of dropouts you guys experience. I use maxell tapes and I never have dropouts. I can’t remember the last time I had a dropout. I shoot events with two cameras so if I did have a dropout I would roll to the other cam. The maxells cost about three dollars a tape and I also reuse a tape about three times. So I am really getting my moneys worth. When I shoot a high dollar event I always use new tape.