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View Full Version : Reusing DV Tapes - Quality Degrade?

State of Mind
6th January 2005, 09:57
I'm just wondering. Once I tape over a DV tape even once, I don't get exactly the same high quality as I got during the first usage, do I?
bb
6th January 2005, 18:31
There's no reason to believe that. I've used my tapes over and over again without any loss in quality.

bb
niggenz
7th January 2005, 01:42
DV by its nature is digital. Meaning the footage is stored using some mathematical algorithm as a series of 1'a and 0's (bits) and when decoded will then be reconstituted into your video. In addition to that, there is a measure of error correction built into DV in that if some of the bits are missing, there is built in error correction code in the DV format to sort of fill in the blanks. This works to some extent. Of course, you are not going to be able to retrieve DV video from a destroyed mangled tape. But the error correction is enough to compensate for normal wear and tear over the course of a DV tapes lifetime. Even audio CDs have error correction on them to account for small scratches and dust particles. Of course the medium will degrade over time and with increased usage, but if the data is in tact on the medium, than the video quality will not degrade. This is unlike analog in which the video stored will become progressively worse as the storage medium (tapes) degrade over time. Just remember, DV equals Digital Video.
theReal
7th January 2005, 03:01
The video will be 100% the same quality until the tape really wears out - then you'll get dropouts (missing frames, bad frames, audio glitches).
To keep your tapes good as long as possible there are some rules you should follow: Don't leave tapes in the camcorder if they're not used (the tape sticks to the video head as long as it's in there) and don't rewind and fast forward a lot (also avoid magnets and cellphones, tapes don't like that kind of energy too much, especially magnets...)
bb
7th January 2005, 20:27
Originally posted by theReal
[...](also avoid [...] cellphones, tapes don't like that kind of energy too much, [...]
I guess that one is a fairy tale...

bb
State of Mind
7th January 2005, 21:00
1. I don't keep my tapes in the camcorder anymore if they're not in use.
2. I don't rewind/fast forward a lot, hardly ever. I upload as soon as I record.
3. But I should get a video head cleaner.

Thanks for your replies.
theReal
7th January 2005, 23:52
I guess that one is a fairy tale...

I'm not sure - I have had bad floppy disks in the past that had been near a cell phone for several hours. I don't know if it had anything to do with the cell phone, but I still avoid storing my cell phone directly besides my master tapes, fairy tale or not.

Well, magnets do work, that's for sure :D