Quick Note for Beginners
Have you ever bought a new pack of MiniDV tapes, popped one in the camera and hit the record button a few seconds before that special moment you wanted to capture? Then, when going to show your friends and family your priceless footage comes out all distorted and ruined? I've got a few simple steps you should take with each new tape you put into your camcorder to ensure the that you capture every second of footage with very few headaches.
First, as a general rule always remember to start recording at least 5 seconds before the action you wish to capture takes place. Camcorders typically do not start the instant you hit the record button. Record heads and the rest of the internalized parts need to engage and this takes at least a second or two. So play it safe and start recording well ahead of the event. Dropout or banding on tapes is a defect on the tape which causes a loss of signal. This results in bars, or sqare patterns distorting the image on the tape.
Unfortunately, as tapes get smaller dropout becomes more of a problem. You see, dropout is typically caused by dust, small obstructions, or part of the tape itself falling off and creating a small section of tape that the heads were unable to record on. This is part of the reason larger tape formats have survived so long, they can take the abuses of editing and field shoots because dust and debris cover much less surface area on a large tape than on a MiniDV. So, ALWAYS record over the first 30 seconds of your tape with black, colorbars, or meaningless footage. You should do this because the first 30 seconds (and the last 30 as well) are the parts of the tape that are exposed to dust, light and physical contact during the tape stocking and manufacturing process.
Your chance for dropouts decreases dramatically after the first minute or so has passed. Also, you should stop recording within a minute or two of the end of each tape. Additionally, tapes are becoming less and less expensive so if you are concerned about dropouts or banding, only use a DV tape once. After you use a tape once you have already exposed it to additional dust, dirt, heat and light. The more you use it, the more likely you will have some sort of issue that will impede your recording in the future. Finally, be gentle with your tapes. The smaller tapes become the more fragile you should expect them to be. Each damaging drop or bump is magnified because the actual tape inside the cassette is so small. A tiny abrasion can do plenty of damage to your tape.
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