First DV camcorder - stupid question

[clothesburner626]

Can you record over footage recorded onto a DV tape?

Can you use a DV tape more than once?

thanks

[edDV]

Yes, many times.

Others may say to use it once. For important occasions I use fresh tapes. Other times I reuse.

DV is much less subject to visible dropouts due to dropout compensation built into the chipset.

[clothesburner626]

Yes, many times.

Others may say to use it once. For important occasions I use fresh tapes. Other times I reuse.

DV is much less subject to visible dropouts due to dropout compensation built into the chipset.

Cool cool!!!!

Is it true you have to record completely through the tape once before using it to write the tape to zero? I know, stupid, but that's what I heard.

Thanks!

[edDV]

I like to "black" a tape before using it for alot of start stop field recording. This keeps the timecode continuous.
Avoid discontiuous time code if you can.

Not needed for long dubs.

[ZAPPER]

Yes you can record over your old tapes, but I say why? (I know that money is an issue) I figure that if it was worth shooting, it is worth keeping. You never know when you might want that one moment of footage or that tidbit of sound for a special project. Other than the lens cap shot (which may still even contain a bit of sound that may someday come in handy) and shots of your feet or the camera left running in the bag, most stuff is nice to keep just to have on hand for any possible future use. Of coarse you will want to get rid of any embarassing fotage of yourself

As far as shooting a blank to keep time code, it could dpend on your needs or your editing program. When I first started playing with video several books said that timecode was the biggest concern that you will face in editing. While I agree that a good straight clean time code is nice it is not the end of the world if it is broken. Good shooting practices like useing end search to get you back to the last frame or not rewinding or shutteling the tape in the cam should help keep your timecode unbroken. I do not shoot blank tapes to format them with a time code because I figure that the cams heads only have so much life on them anyhow and I don't want to waste half of the life of the cam because I am not clever enough to keep track of the tape in the cam.

[lacywest]

I use Scenalyzer Live to control my Mini DV Tape transfers to my computer ... as for Time Code ... it's never been a issue. Scenalyzer Live can even transfer a video from my computer back to my JVC camcorder ... but the video has to be rendered with a compatible codec ... I have done it.

And after I've made a successful transfer to my computer ... yes ... I do reuse my Mini-DV tapes ... not very often ... but I do.

A few months ago ... The Walmart in my town ... was selling a 3-Pack of Panasonic Mini-DV tapes for $11.88 a pack. I bought several of them.

[proxyx99]

Is it true you have to record completely through the tape once before using it to write the tape to zero? I know, stupid, but that's what I heard.

Thanks!

The reason for that is simple. Timecode may be visible from the last recording and will screw your DV data transfer.

To avoid it:
rewrite the tape (push record with a lens covered in a quiet room or use VCR mode if equipped - still keeps the timecode but you have visual reference, black image). I never practice that...

record over the old stuff and always start new recording few sec. before the ending of the last shot to completely cover the old timecode (if you have a habit to check your last clip right away),
better yet, push pause to stop rec. and do not view the tape, start new shot from last paused spot (do not play, rewind etc.).

To see how old timecode interferes with capture record few short clips over the old ones and make gaps between them. Then transfer with your favorite program.

OOPS, Zapper covered that already... anyway, I don't like screwed up timecode but as pointed out this is not the end of the world.