Mini DV Tapes

[Roz]

Simple question

What brand of Mini DV tape is the best or are they all much the same?

Opinions please

[mikesbytes]

Having used DV tapes for years, I have no difference what so ever between the brands.

I hear that there are only 2 manufacturers and all of the brands are simply rebranding of the same tapes.

[harmsway1976]

i don't think there's a huge difference in brands. they are all basically the same. it's best to stick to one brand though. different manufacturers use different chemicals and if you switch brands it can leave residue behind on the recording heads.

[tWoSour]

i don't think there's a huge difference in brands. they are all basically the same. it's best to stick to one brand though. different manufacturers use different chemicals and if you switch brands it can leave residue behind on the recording heads.

I do think it mattes what brand you use, but you are right now the second point.

I have been using the Panasonic DVM-AY63PQ tapes for 5 years, and haven't had a problem.

I goto school for video production, and they reccomend that we get Panasonic tapes. We are told to stay away from Sony tapes.....

[mikesbytes]

I goto school for video production, and they reccomend that we get Panasonic tapes. We are told to stay away from Sony tapes.....

I have used both Panasonic and Sony tapes and have not had any problem with any of them, nore have I had a problem with mixing tapes. I have never cleaned my heads not once.

All I can say is that the differences between brands must be insignificant.

[sitlet]

i always use panasonic or fuji tapes.

i will never buy the black and red sony tapes ever again. when i first got my minidv camera back in christmas of 2002, i bought a bunch of the sony tapes. now, about 2 years later all of the sony tapes are starting to degrade. most are just random spots on the tape that will skip for a couple seconds. but on one tape, the first 5 mins or so are completely unwatchable, and everytime i watch it, it gets worse. luckily i already transferred it.

[Roz]

Strange that the only negative comments appear to be directed at Sony as they tend to be the dearest brand.

Maybe the most expensive does'nt necessarily mean the best!!!

Many thanks guys for your input.

[edDV]

Brands don't differ significantly but there are several grades of MiniDV tape that fit in these rough categories.

Consumer tape -
low price, designed for single camera use, somewhat delecate

Professional tape -
better materials, designed for rough handling and interchange between recorders and players.

Archive tape -
designed for longest storage life.