Blacking not a camera option in DV...

[Richard Brown]

There is a more fundamental problem with the idea of blacking a tape. 
Blacking was used for INSERT EDITING, where the time code and control 
track of the blacked tape was to be the master time code of the edited 
piece. This only was possible with duly synchronized professional 
analog equipment. Until you are looking at cameras above the $3500 
mark, there will always be time code inaccuracies, PARTICULARLY if a 
tape is ever removed and reinserted.  On cameras like the Sony PD150, 
time code gaps are non-existent until the end of the recording(s.) This 
is done without blacking a tape, because the OTHER mode of editing with 
tape based machines is ASSEMBLE EDITING which only requires continuous 
preceding time code, wherein each new camera shot  is assembled, 
continuing with the prior time code, as a series of takes, while 
maintaining a solid control track and time code. Higher end DV cameras 
do this, but most, if not all, consumer cameras simply cannot do a 
proper assembly. The other problems associated with reinserting a tape 
into a machine is that the control track may be noncontiguous, which 
causes the playback head to swim a bit in readjusting to the new 
control track. It is something akin to watching a VHS tape with EP 
material butting up to SP material.  Without contiguous control track, 
you are asking for more hassles.  For this reason, programs like Final 
Cut Pro have "uncontrollable device" modes where even broken time 
code/control track can be handled without too much hassle.