Is it OK to re-use mini dv tape?

Is it a bad idea to record over other material on mini dv tape? I am making a documentary in Final Cut Studio 2 with Sony Z1 camera. I realize this isn't strictly a Final Cut question, but you guys are going to have more meaningful opinions as you have expertise from recording to final output on DVD.

I'd only use a tape once. That's because re-using will increase the chance of dropouts, and dropouts are many times worse on HDV than DV due to the long GOP.

Graeme

[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

Never reuse a tape if it's for important footage. For family movies, maybe, but not work. The potential pitfalls greatly outpace the minuscule benefits; you could end up with glitches that are impossible to detect during the shoot, but irreversible in post-production.


www.derekmok.com

I agree. For those reasons and because if you add up the time and effort it cost you to shoot on the tape the first time, it far outweighs the few bucks to buy another tape. You really never know if you can use that footage you are destroying - even for mushed up composite backgrounds.

This is one area where people should not pinch pennies. Absolutely no way do you reuse tapes. New tapes only...and get good Sony HDV stock (excellent grade, IMHO):

[www.taperesources.com]

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Funnily enough I did a test on a few different makes of DV an DVCAM tapes about a few years ago re-recording over and over several times to see if there was any noticeable problems.

This was done on a SONY DSR-30 DVCAM deck and a SONY PC9 DV Camera via firewire and also shooting with the camera.

I managed to re-record over and over on a SONY PDV DVCAM tape about 20 times before problems.

However the SONY Premium (MiniDV) could have issues after 3 to 5 times.

The cheaper Maxel and Panasonic Tapes (MiniDV) (at least in the SONY deck) could problems even on the first record.

Whilst the more expensive DV tapes are designed to be re-recorded due to the fact that you may use them with linear suites or even insert edit from a NLE I would advise caution doing any re-recording over tapes using HDV.

I have found even using high quality tapes designed for HDV that there are often problems, problems which are compounded by re-recording.

In conclusion

For DVCAM use only SONY PDV tapes

For Panasonic DVCpro (including DVCproHD) use only Panasonic DVCpro tapes

For HDV use only HDV SONY tapes

For DV use either DVCAM PDV or SONY Premium and don't re-record critical material.


As the guys said - if you use re-cycled or re-record over tape you have less chance that it will record properly.

I would advise against it unless there is absolutely no other option.



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

we prerecord tapes first with blackburst and TC.
the actual shooting is the "first reusal" of the tape.
some people argue that its actually better this way.
but I am against actual reusal, shooting a second thing on top of the first.

cheers

I do not consider blacking a tape then inserting "reusing". That is not even close to recording video and re-recording over existing information. If you MUST "reuse" tapes, bulk erase them. I think this is a real cheapskate way to go - even for no-budget projects. You don't "re-use" film do you?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

A mini DV tape is cheaper than the price of half a chicken. And for the complications that can occur from reusing a tape, you might wanna go without lunch for a day. It's too much issues for something you can easily avoid. Use new tapes, as recently made as you can get them.