Is it true that using different brands of DV tapes causes your heads to get dirty? If your heads are dirty is it bad to clean them to often? Is it any different to have your heads professionally cleaned than to use a tape cleaning cassette?

Yes it is true if you mix diffrent brands of tapes it can cause problems dirtying up your heads. Cleaning tapes are not nearly as good as having them professionally cleaned and can actually harm your heads if you overuse them, they tend to be very abrasive. I would reccomend finding one brand of tape that you like and stick with it. If you have been using many diffrent kinds of tapes and are noticing problems you should probably get a professional cleaning and then try to stick with one brand of tape after that.

Do a simple search on this site to find more than you ever want to know about tapes and cleaning.