How many times to re-use DV-Tapes?

KYS · Post by **KYS** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:57 pm

Hi,

Just wanted to know how many times one can re-use DV tapes before it start to loose quality?

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:09 pm

It's like asking how many people can read a paper before it disintegrates. Too many factors play into that. As far as I'm concerned, I don't reuse them, I keep them with the original footage on there as an archive. I do have some that I have reused because it taped analog footage on there when my camcorder didn't support pass through but had an AV In port. I did not keep track as to how many times I retaped over but I did not notice any deterioration.

jchunter · Post by **jchunter** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 12:46 am

KYS,
Keep your DV tapes as an archive of "last resort", just in case you lose the edited versions of your videos. DV tapes are not expensive enough to make it worthwhile to reuse them.

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 1:13 pm

Corporate professionals usually discard tapes after ten passes, a pass could be writing or reading.
Independant professionals use them more often because they pay directly for them, most I know do about ten recordings (that can be with twenty or thirty reads)..

I still use my first tape that I got with my first camera, to copy TV shows, so it has well over a hundred of writes and about twice as many reads.
I consider it a sort of test case, I can't see anything wrong with it yet, compared to new tapes, although I would not take it with me to shoot on location (it has a wide orange label on it :-) ).

Remember this is digital media, meaning correction codes for read errors.
When it will be visibly bad, it means it's really about useless because the number of errors has become tremendous. You take the risk, your data.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:05 pm

It also depends on what format your camera is. If it is Mini DV than it may benefit you to hold onto the tapes, as those types of cameras will be around for a while. I, on the other hand, have a Digital 8 camera. It doesn't make much sense for me to keep the tapes for archival purposes, since when that camera craps out I will (probably) make the move to Mini DV because Digital 8 soon will end up with the dinosaurs.
When I produce my masterpieces I make 2 DVD copies. One for viewing, the other for archiving.

KYS · Post by **KYS** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:18 pm

Okay guys thanks for replies.

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:16 pm

daniel wrote:Corporate professionals usually discard tapes after ten passes, a pass could be writing or reading.
Independant professionals use them more often because they pay directly for them, most I know do about ten recordings (that can be with twenty or thirty reads)..

I've counted the corporate professionals I know, 7. Not one of them re-uses a single tape.
I've done the same with the independant professional, 18. Not one of them re-uses a single tape.
I've done the same with the semi-profesional, hobbyist, 14. Not one of these re-uses a single tape when working. Some use tapes a couple of times for testing etc, but again never for home use.

I really don't know where you get these figures of 10 from. And not one of my friends/colleagues ever discards a tape, here in the UK. They are all kept.

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:32 pm

skier-hughes wrote:
I really don't know where you get these figures of 10 from. And not one of my freinds/colleagues ever discards a tape. They are all kept.

I answer you privately.

Caveat: I was strictly speaking about DV/miniDV tapes for ENG, like we hobbyists do. This is the VideoStudio forum...
Corporate production tapes (like studio recording, fiction etc) are of course kept as originals. DVCPro and Betacam are typically not reused.

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:19 pm

I also answered in the minidv tape format.

Many of my friends/colleagues use minidv or hdv to record on to.

It obviously differs from region to region.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:55 pm

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:31 pm

Because I don't archive my tapes, I always re-use my tapes and, frankly, see no difference from the first time I use it to the fifth time I use it. I do replace my tapes, but have no firm timetable. As for mixing brands, I have done that in the past, before I heard of such "problems". I have never had a problem with different brands and have never had my Sony Digital 8 in for service in the 5 years or so that I've had it. (Just jinxed myself

)

MD's signature says it best: It's not what's best, it's what works best for you.

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:24 am

maddrummer3301 wrote:I've re-used some dv tapes and had some drop-outs in the video. I would think it completely depends on the quality of the tape. Many people Strip their tapes first to put a continuous time_code on the tape. ......

.I've read articles to use one brand and don't mix brands. Maybe that was the case a few years back and they have solved the problem.
.

Regarding first phrase, I heard cameramen say that do that on an old machine before going on location. The rationale is that the first time a tape is played, manufacturing residues are left on the drum and on the heads in a greater amount and clogs the heads. So they spool it once as you said to have a continuous time code and also to clean them on a mchine that is no more used. No opinion on veracity or relevance on this.

Regarding second, if I remember correctly the problem is only with Sony VS others, not among any other brands. So you can switch to any brand you like except if you use or don't use Sony. Something with Sony using a fluid protection while all other use dry coat. Mix the two, and you clog or even wear out the heads. Stick to one or the other. Both are OK alone.
As maddrummer wrote, this is an old story and it may not be valid with current tapes.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 4:30 pm

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:11 pm

Maddrummer -- in the spirit of some of your recent posts, I think what you are proposing sounds a bit hit or myth!

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:55 pm

maddrummer3301 wrote: Next cam I buy will have self-cleaning heads. Like my oven, and burn the residue off the heads :)
.

Pyrolyse cam? Two bits of advice than.

1. remove the tape before cleaning
2. buy the largest sized battery you can find, or buy a cam that is also mains-powered.

Seriously, on a side note, for such small head drums, you would be surprised how many hours you can use a miniDV camcorder before they need servicing.
In a normally dry, salt- and dust-free environment of course. Tapes have really improved. Just as they are about to be put on the side, as always...