I think that you are safe since you have used only one. To be in the safe side, you may run a cleanning tape as recommended by the instructions before switching to the new brand.

Luis

What I've hear many times is you can switch as long as you use a cleaning tape between types as Luis said. Obviously you don't want to wear the heads out either so avoid switching all the time...

I use the cheapest tapes I can get, TDK brand at $2.50 each.

If you search well the web you will find the Panasonic MQ at about $4.50 - 5.00/ea and you are getting a 100% reliable, professional tape that you know will not damage/clog your camera heads.

Luis

Ask the guys from JVC what about their ProHD special tape

I need to buy tapes today for our new GY-HD100, in bulk. Any good places to buy on-line that you all have used? Considering the Camera, if I wanted to keep the media cost fair whats a good tape/brand? I'm not getting a solid feeling after reading the other postings in this thread. Is EVERYONE using something different? lol

For reference...
We use only the Sony Premium tapes on our Cannon XL1s, no brand switching. The new JVC camera will use a different deck BR-HD50U so I could start using a different tape brand without risk of "infecting" our other camera/decks heads. I almost like the idea of using a different brand than the Sony tapes so that I know what was shot HD over SD at a glance.

So where's the value?
 

If this is so, why is important to pay $19-22 for the Sony PHDVM-63DM?

'cause they are better...?! eh? No really, you get what you pay for.

I have run Sony video tapes over the last few decades without ever one failure. I have had other brands of DV tape with noisy cassette mechanisms as well as other thigs, such as drop-ots or evidence of digital artifacting that appears to be tape-related. I would have no fear or hesitation whatsoever in running Sony tapes in a JVC machine.

I also think it is stretching it a bit for a manufacturer to suggest that their cam is designed only for use with their tape. They'd never be able to enforce that warranty-wise.

What would make the biggest difference is not whether Sony tapes are used in Sony cams, or JVC tape in JVC cams--that should not be a factor at all--but rather, in sticking to a brand that you like and not switching back and forth constantly. Choose your brand, base that call on your past experience, and stick with it to the greatest extent possible, and you should do well.

If all the info on using the same brand vidio tape as the camera is true,then what about Canon XL2 ? I have never seen Canon brand tapes available in any of the countries i've travelled .The only Canon tape i've seen was in the add for the camera.Also what about the head cleaners? I have been using Sony tapes in my XL2 because they are available at just about any vidio store.

Source for JVC tapes
 

Anyone have a good internet source for JVC ProHD tapes in the eastern US? My regular sources do not carry them.

Just a suggestion--your interests may be best served selecting a brand of tape that is more readily available. There are several to choose from that equal the JVC tape and that are more commonly available. That way you reduce tyhe risk of not being able to get ahold of the tape stock you want when you want it.

Interesting thread.....
I just put 30 jvc prohd tapes through my camera and one of them (the 3rd one) was absolutely stuffed. When trying to log it into fcp5 using 'capture now' i am given hundreds of clips, each a break in time code. (One interview a half hour long has 320 clips!!! Frustrating to say the least) I put this down to either dirty heads or 1 bad egg.
Then due to unavailability i was forced to use 3 of the expensive sony hdv tapes. I ran a head cleaner first (Panasonic- jvc unavailable. again) and have had no problems.....yet. Touch wood.
Does anyone know what sort of life expectancy the jvc tapes have on the shelf compared to others. Archiving is fairly important for my client and they wanted to know just what was so special about the jvc 'prohd' tape..... ? Are they superior to regular mini dv tapes?

Craig