[MacDV] erasing miniDV tapes

[Brett Conlon]

Hi Rich,

If you're talking about the very beginning of recording over old footage 
and the end where it changes back over to the old footage... I've seen 
this on most of the VHS players I've ever had. Where the old picture 
flickers and statics (new word?) away until the new picture has completely 
taken over. Sometimes the new picture kicks in but the sound is still the 
old footage for a few seconds, can make for amusing viewing sometimes. But 
once the recording has fully kicked in, the new footage completely erases 
the old footage.

I can't answer exactly why this happens (perhaps as the rolling tape moves 
towards and away from recording heads) but I'd like to suggest that you 
try recording over an old tape with the lens cap on from beginning to end 
- recording just black. Then when you shoot with this tape give yourself a 
few seconds lead in.

Coj



rgb at ellerbach.com

On Wed, May 25, 2005 1:07 am, Brett Conlon said:
> Wow, that sounds very strange that your camera can't write over a
> previously used tape. That means if you were to use an old tape to 
record
> new footage you'd get bits of the old footage within it?
>

It writes over it (mostly) but every once and awhile there are parts
(usually near the beginning of the recording) where absolutely clean
recording doesn't happen.

The trouble is I never know when that will be :-(

> ... makes it more expensive for you, eh?

If I only ever use the tape once, yes, it does start to add up.

Rich