Degaussers for DV tapes, getting conflicting information
scontinued from PM...
Remember to ask all tech questions in the forum, so others can benefit from the information. To get the advice of lordsmurf, always post first at the digitalFAQ forums! I'll see your post and come give an answer. Thanks! Quote:
I'll have to agree with one of the first responses you received: Quote:
Same for this tip: Quote:
After about a dozen posts, however, the conversation gets rather complex, and then a peanut gallery gets involved. Just read what edDV has written, and ignore everything else. But I also want to add this... Degaussing is a fancy way of saying "erase" as far as I'm concerned. DV tape is, quite honestly, crap grade tape even compared to VHS. It's flimsy and there are issues. The format is already pretty well dead, and this was one of the primary reasons -- nobody likes tape. Now shooting with it was fine. Playing it for "capture" (transfer) to computer was fine. But when you want to treat a DV tape like a VHS tape, and play it over and over, you run into issues where the tape starts to break down like any other. Only due to the nature of DV tape, it's more easily worn down. Degaussing/erasing the tape is probably one of the most abusive things you could do to it. Although the information being stored is digital, you'll get digital dropouts instead of the magnetic streaks we'd see on analog formats. Let's keep this simple...
I think the problem you had in your other post was people were getting these mixed up:
If there are more questions, ask away, reply to this post. Thanks. :) |
Now I see how pathetic DV is. Well, I do have a degausser, although it was intended for use on VHS. Does it matter if it was made for Metal Oxide tape rather than the ME/MP type used for DV?
What if I made a recording on a DigitalMaster tape, edited it in a non-linear fashion, degaussed the DigitalMaster, and then saved the edited tape on it. Would there be a significant decease in quality, despite having another magnetic layer? If I tried to black the tape instead (or in addition), would that be more effective? I am hesitant to black the tape since it would put excessive wear on the tape heads of my camera. Or do you think I should record HD on cheap tapes and save the final on a DigitalMaster? Wait a minute! :eek: If VHS tapes are any indication, perhaps I would be better off keeping a final copy on a DVD? I believe it was this site that said a well-stored DVD can be safely kept for about 30 years. Thanks again. |
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The idea is to move data (or audio/video) to new media every 10 or so years -- even if it's a new blank from the same tech (i.e., burn another DVD copy in 2020, copy it a new hard drive, etc). There's also something to be said for the "non-mechanical" state of discs/drives, rather than tapes. And then reliance on hardware that may be gone -- whereas software to access discs/drives is far more likely. Keep tapes for one backup, sure, but not the ONLY archived version. |
Thank you for the help.
I meant cheap(er) tapes, as in comparison to the more expensive DigitalMasters. Have you used both DVCAM for HDV and DigitalMaster and have seen the latter to be worth the extra bucks? Would you also happen to know a reputable wholesale dealer for either of them? In addition, since most of the advantages of DigitalMasters occur in the recording stages, is there any significant difference in storing a less expensive DV tape as the archive? |
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From what I've read, those DigitalMaster tapes are made from better materials, so yes -- it's likely better for truly important archival quality. However that's not to say other tapes won't be "good enough". Unlike analog formats, there's not as big a gap between good and best signal quality on digital format tapes. Unlike analog grain/noise, you're mostly left worrying about dropouts and the "eatability" of the tape. Overlooking issues of digital tape in general, of course, as discussed earlier. (i.e., more flimsy than analog tapes) Quote:
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http://www.taperesources.com/VIDEO_F...AL_MASTER.html http://www.tapeonline.com/digital-master http://www.thetapecompany.com/Items....F+HDV+%2FDVCam I've used each of them since the 1990s, back when I bulk bought S-VHS and VHS tapes. I recommend each of them quite highly. Amazon and B&H are two other options, for smaller purchases. |
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