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Posted by Ty Ford on 10/04/16 11:35
So where does DVM60PRL sit on the spectrum?
Regards,
Ty Ford
On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 12:05:13 -0500, Mr. Tapeguy wrote
(in article <1135530313.737114.306770@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>):
>
> Richard Crowley wrote:
>> "Ty Ford" wrote ...
>>> I ran across a note on the internet recently that advised
>>> to stick with either wet (Sony) or dry (Panasonic)
>>> lubricated tapes but never to switch because combining
>>> the two types would result in a mixture of gunk inside the
>>> transport. Any thoughts on this?
>>>
>
>> " Yes. There are only 2 Tape OEMs: Sony & Panasonic
>> " TDK are TDK.
>> "
>> " miniDV tapes are made by either by Sony, Panasonic and TDK.
>> " Sony uses liquid lubricant
>> " Panasonic uses dry lubricant
>> "
>> " Panasonic makes tapes for: Fuji, Maxell, JVC, Canon
>> " Sony makes for the rest.
>> "
>> " TDK are on their own since they have their own ME
>> " (Metal Evaporate) Facilities.
>> "
>> " In other words, mixing these 3 brands will clog the heads.
>> " why the manufacturers hide this, I really don't know.
>> .
>>
>> IMHO, "best quality" in the digital world means the
>> most reliable storage and retrieval of the ones and
>> zeros. There are no "degrees of wonderfulness"
>> or "coloration" when it comes to digital tape, whether
>> we are talking about video or audio.
>>
>
>
> All,
>
> With respect to some of the analysis here there are some inaccuracies.
>
> Sony and TDK do indeed make their own tape. Panasonic does also do
> most of the OEM for other brands. JVC is not one of them although
> their formulation is chemically similar to Pansonic's so for all
> practical purposes, it can be considered like Panasonic but it is now
> less expensive because they make their own.
>
> First of all, there are quality differences in DV tape just as there
> are in any other tape. Density of oxide particles, strength of the
> binder, quality of cassette mechanism and specifications of the tape
> all figure into it. In the tape world, the most critical
> specifications are dropout, coercivity and retentivity. We all know
> what dropout is. Coercivity, oversimplified, is the ability to attract
> a magnetic signal and retentivity, also oversimplified, is the ability
> to retain it. All of these factors go into consideration of the
> quality of the tape.
>
> We carry the various consumer brands (cheaper than Costco by the way)
> but only professionals know about higher grade professional tapes.
> These tapes are made only by Sony and Panasonic.
>
> Sony has a two-tiered consumer line, the PR and the EX/EXM. These are
> the same formulation and differentiated only by the selection process
> (more explanation below). Recently added was a higher-grade tape
> designed for HD use, the Sony DVM63HD. They also have a professional
> line which is really considered DVCAM but is of course compatible with
> mini DV and this includes the PDVM-40N/ME and the Digital Master
> PDVM-40DM recently named PHDVM-63DM for marketing high-definition usage
> purposes. The DVCAM and HD tapes, are qualitatively, better tapes,
> offering significantly better specifications not the least of which is
> dramatically lower dropout.
>
> Panasonic, likewise, has both consumer and professional products but
> all under the "DV" monicker as they haven't paid a license to use the
> DVCAM logo although they tout their pro tapes as a DVCAM equivalent.
> The consumer line is EJ and XJ and unlike Sony, these are different
> formulations. In the professional line for some time we have had the
> PQ (Professional Quality) and the MQ (Master Quality), which is soon to
> be discontinued in favor of the more expensive AMQ (Advanced Master
> Quality). NOTE: Buy MQ's while you can, they will be gone soon we are
> told and the AMQ is much more. The formulations of the EJ-PQ and XJ-MQ
> are similar but not only is the selection process different but the
> shell, mechanism and quality control. THe AMQ is a new bird.
>
> JVC does make consumer, high grade and pro but their higher grade
> offerings are overpriced compared to Panasonic.
>
> Here's how tape is made: it is produced in large sheets which are then
> inspected and slit into the appropriate widths. In situations where
> ONLY the selection process determines what the product is (i.e. not a
> different formulation) the product on the ends and sides goes to
> consumer as it is less consistent. The product in the middle is more
> likely to exceed spec and be "the cream of the crop" and goes to either
> pro or high grade as the case may be.
>
> People often ask us which tape is best. Well, Sony mini DV tape is a
> consumer product. A consumer product does not generally perform well
> against the pro and coincidentally, repair facilities tell me they have
> more issues with Sony tape than any other. A quick cost comparison
> will reveal the cost of a Panasonic consumer tape is well below that of
> a Sony and for about the same price as Sony consumer you can get
> Panasonic Pro; furthermore for LESS than the cost of the Sony "high
> grade" EX you can get the Panasonic MQ. Better tape, lower price.
> Done deal.
>
> Now about wet vs. dry: No one is trying to cover this up. The real
> disaster happened early in the days of mini dv when Sony shipped a
> bunch of camcorders with one tape and then had no supply. Everyone had
> to buy Panasonic tape and then disaster occurred. Since that time the
> manufacturers have worked together to alleviate the problem -- after
> all, you can choose what you put in your camcorder but if you're making
> dubs for others, you don't get to choose what tape they use. So, the
> problem is much less of an issue than it ever was.
>
> Still, we always recommend that if you must switch tapes, run a head
> cleaner through first. If you have been using one brand for a long
> time, also try to run one pass of the new tape to acclimate your heads
> to the new version. I often recommend this process for switching from
> Sony EX to the Panasonic MQ. We did both Videomaker shows, DV Expos,
> Showbiz and WEVA for 10 years and I've had this conversation more times
> than I can count and never has anyone come back to me with a complaint
> despite a specific invitation to do so.
>
> You can buy any of the consumer varieties for less than $2.50 except
> for Fuji I think and the Sony is a little more too. If you want to
> step up for a buck more you can get the Pansaonic Pro and while they
> last, Panasonic Masters for your critical applications are under $5.
> If you are going HDV you may want to consider AMQ or Sony DVCAM or
> consumer HD tape.
>
> It is important to remember that dropouts in digital are not like
> dropouts in analog where part of your signal is still there. Much like
> the digital cell phone service we all have to endure now (Crystal clear
> when it's there but often NOT) digital signals, when lost enough to go
> beyond the ability of the machine's error correction, are very very bad
> - pixelated, blocky messes that can't go unnoticed. In HDV they are
> even worse. So if your project is one of importance, use a
> qualitatively better product...a bad piece of tape can ruin your shoot
> just as easily as a problem with the most expensive camcorder so don't
> skimp the couple of bucks on lower-grade products unless your use isn't
> critical.
>
> Hope that helps!
>
> cb
>
> www.pro-tape.com
>
-- Ty Ford's equipment reviews, audio samples, rates and other audiocentric
stuff are at www.tyford.com
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