DV tapes, obsolete by 2011

Yes, it is sad. Tears almost come in my eyes (almost) when I think about my first digital Hi-8 camera, and Stephen, my DVX.

The word is that some companies will stop making DV tapes next year. And as for all the rest, they will stop producing them in 2011.

So whether we like it or not, we are stuck with film and HD. But it really isn't as much of a downer as I'm making it sound like. I think I'll just have a bittersweet farewell (meanwhile, stocking up on MiniDV tapes at Costco).

The good thing, HD is much better to work with (recording onto hard-drives or cards). It keeps your clips organized, great resolution, and is much much friendlier for film transfer for theatrical than DV and HDV.

In the past year, I've worked a lot with the Sony EX, Panasonic HVX, and the RED ONE. Of course, I started in film so I do prefer film like every other film student snob. But in this world, film students need to be well-rounded and be ready for whatever camera is thrown at them. Thank goodness that film is still around and advancing year after year. And as for HD? No sweat. No piles of DV tapes to sort through, digitizing one by one, logging clip after clip through long mpeg files....

Anyways, so just something to think about if you're shopping for a digital camcorder.
 
Makes no sense. They still make VHS so why would they stop making Mini-DV?

You got some bad info.
 
Makes no sense. They still make VHS so why would they stop making Mini-DV?

You got some bad info.


I read an article over 10 months ago about how there are no companies producing blank VHS tapes anywhere on the planet...

I can't imagine with the number of miniDV cameras still in production they would stop making tapes as soon as next year. Habeus Corpus!

I agree. Since there are cameras being manufactured TODAY with Mini DV tapes, not all companies will stop producing cassettes for these as early as next year. That's a ludicrous statement.
 
I really hope this is not true.

DV is really acessible. It's not expenisve to use. If it stopped being made it would put a lot of people is a bad position. I don't think I could afford to work on expensive HD formats given that I'm just a student.

There are so many people using it, how could they stop producing it? What about formats like super 8 and 16mm, these have refused to die. People will still want to use DV taope for years to come.

I've used cameras that use cards, HDD and DVDs. Quite frankly I don't think you get better results.
 
I'm sure they'll keep making them for quite some time, but if I was going out to buy a camera today, no way I'd buy one that recorded to tape. The Workflow for a P2 or SD card just blows tape away.

But the archival and reliability of tape is unbeatable. If you delete footage without a backup, how are you going to get it back?

Tape still has it's uses, even though the convenience and benefits of tapeless are not being contested.
 
But the archival and reliability of tape is unbeatable. If you delete footage without a backup, how are you going to get it back?

Tape still has it's uses, even though the convenience and benefits of tapeless are not being contested.

Editor (or assistant) has TWO harddrives on set. They dump the card to the primary, confirm it was a good dump before erasing the P2 card, then immediately backs that up to a second hard drive.
 
if you delete footage without a backup, how are you going to get it back?

Footage is dumped into 6 external HDDs on set, every HDD is taken to a different location (You know, just incase you crash on the way home [you think i'm kidding]). Usually at least one is kept at a bank safe, and others are not used and kept only as back ups.

Every Digital shoot i've been on using media takes extreme caution and care, and if some how down the line you loose/crash all 6 HDDs, you shoot take a different job :P
 
Footage is dumped into 6 external HDDs on set, every HDD is taken to a different location (You know, just incase you crash on the way home [you think i'm kidding]). Usually at least one is kept at a bank safe, and others are not used and kept only as back ups.

Every Digital shoot i've been on using media takes extreme caution and care, and if some how down the line you loose/crash all 6 HDDs, you shoot take a different job :P


I'd be careful with those drives in the bank safe.... If a drive is not spun up at least 1-2 times a month, it stops working.

Just an FYI
 
I'd be careful with those drives in the bank safe.... If a drive is not spun up at least 1-2 times a month, it stops working.

Just an FYI

Reference please.

I have 4 years of corporate IT technical and admin experience as well as a lifetime of experience fiddling with computers as a technician and have never heard that statement, especially regarding modern drives. In general it is the other way around. A properly stored HDD is likely to outlive the interface used to connect it to a computer.

Not trying to be argumentative, just seeking out the best information. Always willing to learn something new. Cheers.
 
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Reference please.

I have 4 years of corporate IT technical and admin experience as well as a lifetime of experience fiddling with computers as a technician and have never heard that statement, especially regarding modern drives. In general it is the other way around. A properly stored HDD is likely to outlive the interface used to connect it to a computer.

Not trying to be argumentative, just seeking out the best information. Always willing to learn something new. Cheers.


I respect Sonny, and agree with most of what he says... but...

I would like a refrence also, as I was gone for 3 months and started up my external HDD fine.
 
If this is true, then so many people (myself included) are in for a really hard hit. I doubt Sony will drop the manufacturing of MiniDV tapes anytime, especially considering the new camcorders they just just put out recently. I can definitely see companies saying they will stop making MiniDV cameras, but to stop making tapes would be a huge mistake. The only hdd camcorders that even offer high quality video are in the prosumer market - at least $2k, and even those are questionable.
 
I'm about to purchase a Hard Disk Drive camera in the future, potentially losing DV tapes shouldn't affect me.

I agree with everyone on here who states it would be a ludicrous idea for all companies to halt production on DV tapes, as most companies still manufacture and sell MiniDV camcorders. The market for them is still going pretty strong, and I still buy tapes occasionally and probably will continue to do so until my MiniDV camcorder bites the dust.

I also agree that HDD cameras are great, though. No horrendous transfer times, easy to back up (if you have spare drives and DVDs) and easy to work with. I can't wait to start using AVCHD footage with Final Cut Express in the future. :)
 
No disrespect meant at all - though in retrospect listing the experience came off as a bit rude. :D

I disagree.

I listed that experience to refrence that his statement may not be ebtirely accurate or that my experience could have been a fluke.

There needs to be an example for me to disagree, or I would have agreed with him :)
 
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