Is Reusing Mini DV Tapes Advisable?

[George Tyndall]

I've got some relatively-expensive ($22-25, depending on source) HDV 63-minute tapes that are marketed by Canon, called DigitalMaster For Professional Use (HDVM-E63PR).

I've never done this before, so I need to ask: Once they have been captured to my HDDs with HDVSplit, is there any reason not to reuse Mini DV tapes? One advisor said, "You can reuse them a number of times, until you see problems with a recording, then it's time to toss them."

The problem with that advice, of course, is that if I wait until I see problem while playing back a recording, only then will I know that the recording session needs to be rescheduled and reshot.

[Briantho]

I use the ordinary Sony 'premium' tapes (DVM60PR3) at least two times (and many of them three times) and so far I've never had a problem. I also only ever use the LP setting. But I use them in a relatively unusual way: I record lots of shows/concerts etc and when I press record they run all the way to the end without stopping. I have a 'pool' of them, maybe two hundred, approximately. Anyway, perhaps using them in this way (and not pressing rec/pause a hundred times in their 90 minute length) helps extend their useful life, I don't know, but that's my contribution. It'll be interesting to know what others do.

[tiny]

Every thread I've ever read on this comes down to a few things:

Professionally paid projects - Always use fresh tapes

For everything else, it depends on how much money you have. I reused my tapes many times and only saw a single dropped frame in the two years I reused my tapes. My tapes were very inexpensive, but still at $3 or so, I didn't think it was economical for me to only get a single use out of them.

But for some, even on less important projects, the risk out weighs the cost of the tapes and so they will always use fresh tapes. Some will just re-use a tape once or twice.

Ultimately only you can decide for yourself, everyone will tell you what they do, but they can't place a money to risk value on what you are filming.

[Chuck Engels]

I don't like to record over anything but know people who do. It isn't a problem reusing them, I just don't like to record over anything

The price of tapes is pretty reasonable anyway, you can get tapes as low as $2 each now. I think it is worth $2 to keep those recordings just in case I need them again someday, or maybe my kids will.

[sidd finch]

I think I am on the Chuck side of the fence. The cost is so small versus my percieved value of the recording that it is cheaper for me to keep. I have started to do almost all my editing in HD so now all the videos I made in SD I can go back and pull the clips from the tape in HD (they were recorded in HD). From a quality point of view tapes can be used again and again. But you can only create a memory once. I guess it comes down to choice. I am hoping that my kids will be the ones who are happy (or sad) I saved all the tapes.

You could also do a cost value analysis. How many tapes do you record a year then compare that cost in dollars to something like dinner and a movie....etc

Sidd

[hpharley90]

I just bought my new camera not to long ago.HV40
I wanted to play around with camera and get familiar with it so I was just shooting everything in my back yard with the kids.
One Sony tape ($2.75) I recorded over it four times already (I saved some stuff but not much) and nothing resembling a problem.
Any thing I want to save I won't use this tape.
But for playing around I will use it a few more times.

[Woodruff]

I only use my tapes once but I have never heard of any problem with reusing them.

I wonder if these 2 dollar Chinese tapes will last as long my old 20 dollar tapes?

[Chuck Engels]

Tapes are fairly inexpensive, I usually pay about $12 for 3 or 4 tapes.
I never reuse tapes and have had problems with customers that reuse tapes.
It can really screw up the timecode over time if they are reused over, and over again.
Not sure how many times is too many but I'm not taking the chance

[Peru]

If you compare the price of tapes to the cost of your investment in cameras, computers, and external hard drives, isn't it silly to reuse a $2.00 tape except for experimental stuff that won't be saved?