Questions Concerning DVCPro Tapes...

[Scott Reppert]

1. Where's the most effective place to purchase them?

2. Is there a brand that is superior in quality than another?

3. Can they be used again with minimal loss of video quality? If so, how many times can they be re-used?

Any help any of you may be able to provide would be appreciated. Maybe even rewarded. I got some pre-1959 cranberries...

[Big Media]

1. A good place that I use regularly for all tape formats is RM&E. http://www.rmeinc.com/media.aspx
They have quantity discounts for 50+ tapes but it isn't a big discount and really doesn't even cover the cost of shipping.

2. Everyone has their favorites but I see more Fuji and Panasonic than anything else. This is what the big dub houses buy so I guess either they are most cost effective or they are superior to Maxell and other brands. I say buy what is cheapest, if it works, great. If it doesn't, step up to the name brand tapes.

3. I have DVC Pro and DVCam tapes with over 10 to 20 passes on them but I would carefully consider fouling up a $8,000 machine or a $6,000 camera because of a $20 tape. When in doubt, throw it out.
There should not be any signal degradation at all. Digital is digital. However, if you see pixilation on an older tape, that's when it is time to trash it.

Bear in mind that there are only a few high-end editing things you can do with a DVC Pro that you can not do with MiniDV. The end user can not tell a difference between formats but there is a substantial price difference in media and gear. Still, a few television station do not accept MiniDV for whatever reason.

[Scott Reppert]

Thanks for the info, Big.

All we need to do is get the final edit of our TV show out of the editing computer and on to a DVCPro tape. We're looking at getting on three stations where airtime is CHEAP but the format would HAVE TO BE DVCPro (all the other stations we are on or looking to get on will accept DVD or Beta).

In other words, I just spent four grand for us yesterday so that we can get this done...

[Clay JD Walker]

That sucks, Scott...I shoot on MiniDV here at the radio station for our projects and DVD releases. I had to get a revision of a spot to Time Warner back in the Spring for a quick schedule change, and I uploaded the AVI to my web server...the only thing that sucked, is that :15 of AVI is like 150 Megs...I'd like to find a DVC Pro deck with a Mini adaptor for some of the projects I'm working on...you got a good lead?

[Scott Reppert]

All I know is this: our deck comes with the adapter!

In all seriousness, I haven't been able to figure out the adapter. All I can come up with, in my limited knowledge, is that the "mini adapter" is needed so that the "smaller" DVCPro tapes...the ones that you would use in a camera itself...will fit into the actual DVCPro deck. Am I close to being right on that? Following it through, these stations that we are going to be supplying the show to are going to want the "larger" size DVCPro tape. That seems to be the way that I figure it...

[Big Media]

Following it through, these stations that we are going to be supplying the show to are going to want the "larger" size DVCPro tape. That seems to be the way that I figure it...

I don't get the popularity of the larger format DVCPro reels.

Most agencies are still sending stuff on Beta anyway.