HDV tape

[jeffphilips]

Is it true that you can use regular minidv tapes when shooting with an HD camera? The reasoning I heard is that it is the camera that makes it hd, not the tape. This makes sense to me. The hd cams that record straight to cards use a regular card, so why would the tapes need to be different?

Still waiting to switch to HD,
Jeff

[SYLRENAUD]

Hi Jeff,
Every time I use my FX-1 I shoot HD with regular tapes and never had _any_ problems whatsoever.
I also used HD tape 6 times more expensive and saw no difference in the quality.
What I would not do though is use a tape twice !

Good luck

Syl

[jeffphilips]

Sounds good, thanks!

[BobFoster]

Here's an anomaly. A fellow shooter was having difficulties finding the large DV tapes to use in his Panasonic AG-DV2500 recording deck. (discontinued tapes) He bought HD DV 276 tapes and had significant pixelizing to the point that the video was not useable. Panasonic service center told him HD DV tapes would not work in Panasonic DV decks!! Soooo, not compatible both ways.

[TimKennelly]

Jeff,

Normal DV tapes work fine, HD tapes are not required to record HDV footage.

Allegedly, they are of a higher quality so are less likely to suffer drop outs which with the long GOP HDV recording compression can result in loss of video and/or audio for several seconds with a single drop out.

That said, after testing both HDV and DV tapes side by side I did not find any difference in drop outs (had none with either) during five weddings that I tested this.

So I switched to strictly using DV tapes for the last four years with great results, just a couple of drop out incidences.

I believe sticking with a single brand name tape (I use Sony Premium brand in Sony cams) is your best bet.