[MacDV] Re: Sony DV Tape Stocks (HELP!)

[Richard Brown]

The Sony Professional DVCAM tapes are vastly preferred for real 
production work than the consumer grade tapes. One of our reasons for 
using the Sony PDVM-40N stock is merely the excellent case quality 
which is simply lacking in the consumer tapes. MiniDV format is 
FRAGILE, and suffers damage far more easily than the Beta and other pro 
stocks of the world. The Sony pro packaging for MiniDV levels the field 
at least a little. Furthermore, when shooting, the pro case allows real 
labeling to occur, just like the other pro formats, something 
impossible with the consumer tapes.  Shooting in DVCAM mode on the 
PD150 is also vastly preferable, for reasons of quality as well as that 
the tapes can still be read by ordinary Mini DV equipment if required. 
If you are shooting a TV pilot in DVCAM, editing in FCP, then dubbing 
back to DVCAM, the next step should be to up-convert to Beta Digital or 
SP for submission to non-DVCAM facilities. Lightning Dubs in L.A. do 
this conversion all the time. In that DVCAM is becoming the archive 
media of choice for some of the studios (including converting Beta SP 
to DVCAM) due to the huge savings in storage costs and long 184 minute 
DVCAM tape availability, there is continued expansion and commonality 
of the format.

Also, if your program length runs over 40 minutes, and you need to get 
it laid back to DVCAM, I can do this for you at my facility from your 
hard drive (if you are posting in FCP.)

Richard Brown