Video cassette longevity

[peggig]

I buy my video cassettes at Costco because they have the best price. They sell Sony video cassettes for $23 for a 10-pack. Right now, they have a $6 manufacturer's rebate (through December), bringing the price down to $17.

Costco no longer sells any video cameras that use video cassettes. All the camcorders they're selling now are AVCHD. This makes me wonder how long they'll continue to stock video cassettes.

I bought enough to last me at least a year, but I'm wondering if I should buy more, in case they stop stocking them. However, the package says there's a 2-year limited warranty. If I stock up on a multi-year supply, will they deteriorate over time? If Costco stops stocking them, what's the best place to get them online?

[Steve Grisetti]

You'll be fine, Peggig.

1) Your videotapes, particularly if you keep them in a cool, dry place (a closet) will last years. I still have videocassettes from 1989 that play as well as the day they were shot. So they're not going to suddenly fall apart when the warranty runs out.

2) Even if they stop making tape-based camcorders, you'll likely be able to buy tape for many years to come. After all, it's still possible to buy VHS-C tapes (for compact camcorders) and how long has been since you've seen anyone selling one of them?

[peggig]

Is it true that you should always use the same brand of cassette in your camera? I've heard that, and I'm not sure I understand why. I think it has something to do with the chemicals they use to coat the tape building up on the heads, but I'm still not sure why it's best to only use one brand.

If Costco does stop stocking these (and I know they will, sooner or later), will I have to find another source for the same tapes I'm using now, or would it hurt to switch to a different brand?

[jackfalbey]

Is it true that you should always use the same brand of cassette in your camera? I've heard that, and I'm not sure I understand why. I think it has something to do with the chemicals they use to coat the tape building up on the heads

Exactly. Different manufacturers (and sometimes the same manufacturer across different product lines) use various chemicals to lubricate the tape, and mixing them can (and usually does) gum up your camcorder's heads. You should try to stick to the same brand and model of tape if possible. If your current tape of choice becomes permanently unavailable, I would run a head cleaner from that manufacturer and then switch to a more readily available new brand and product.

[peggig]

Thanks, Jack. Will any Sony head cleaner work for any Sony Mini-DV product line, or are there special head cleaners for each product line? I looked online and found a Mini-DV cleaning cassette from Sony, but didn't see any information on what specific product lines it works for. (Maybe Sony only has one line of mini-DV cassettes?)

Do you just run it once, or do you need to run it more than once to make sure the heads are completely clean? I once read that someone said they did permanent damage to their camcorder by using a head cleaner on it, but they didn't say how they used it or how it damaged it.

[Bobby]

I use the same Sony cassettes with no problem. I did notice the sale at Costco and bought another pack last week. But I see now by looking at the receipt that I didn't get the discount - very strange. It shows the $22.90 base price and somewhere below shows the "coupons tendered" of $6, but never takes it off the bill. Need to get my calculator out and check.

I share the concern about tape availability, but not too worried about getting more as being able to read my tapes in the future if my current camcorder goes south and my next one is not tape. I am working on getting everything into the PC as quick as I can.

[Doreen L.]

I bought the Sony cassettes at Costco the other day. My receipt has the $22.95 price (still a great deal) and then the next line has $6 deducted as coupon 277674. An even better deal!!! Doing quick addition, it looks like it actually was deducted from the total.

As Steve said, I'm not concerned about DVCs not being available anytime soon.

[Bobby]

Yes, you're right Doreen. I added it up and it does look like it was deducted magically. I would have preferred to see the $6 deduction inline with the items rather than at the end or the amount for that line item the price after the coupon. Generally when you see a column of numbers with a total, you assume the total is the sum of each of the entries. I guess not at Costco!