Michael_Nice
Member
So what if any are some disadvantages of shooting on mini dv tape ? and is it the best tape format considering cost?
Disadvantages of mini DV?
- Thread starter Michael_Nice
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Barry_Green
Moderator
Re: Disadvantages of mini DV?
It is by far the best format considering cost. As a tape format it is on par with BetaSP. Little miniDV cameras are not on par with big 2/3" BetaSP cameras, but the tape formats are competitive.
The biggest disadvantage is the propensity for dropouts. Short of that, there really aren't too many disadvantages. Most post and transfer houses now have DV or DVCAM equipment in-house, so you can use the same format anywhere. It's become nearly ubiquitous. CNN and other news organizations are using DVCAM and miniDV cameras in the field nowadays, as a $3,000 camera is a lot less painful to lose in a dangerous situation than a $25,000 camera is!
It is by far the best format considering cost. As a tape format it is on par with BetaSP. Little miniDV cameras are not on par with big 2/3" BetaSP cameras, but the tape formats are competitive.
The biggest disadvantage is the propensity for dropouts. Short of that, there really aren't too many disadvantages. Most post and transfer houses now have DV or DVCAM equipment in-house, so you can use the same format anywhere. It's become nearly ubiquitous. CNN and other news organizations are using DVCAM and miniDV cameras in the field nowadays, as a $3,000 camera is a lot less painful to lose in a dangerous situation than a $25,000 camera is!
DVX100Shooter
Veteran
Re: Disadvantages of mini DV?
if your recording to a portable hard drive that you wear on your belt then you won't have to worry about drop outs at all.
if your recording to a portable hard drive that you wear on your belt then you won't have to worry about drop outs at all.
Z
Zoomforce
Guest
Re: Disadvantages of mini DV?
The technical compression disadvantages is the color space that miniDV shoots, DVCam as well, the space is 4:1:1, which means that color is sampled at 180 samples per scan line. DVXpro50, is 4:2:2, is doubled at 360 color samples.
DV and DVCam are the same signals (DVCam just uses better wider tape for less dropouts etc) and have a 5:1 compression. DVCpro50 is 3:1 compression, and is noticably a better compression.
Pal DV however uses 4:2:0 color space, the same as Mpeg2 (dvd's) but although there is a 2 in there you would think it would be better then NTSC dv's 4:1:1 color space but its not, as Pal DV skips every other line.
It doesnt mean much untill you start bluescreening or adding overlays etc, but with the Avid Mojo etc. You can convert DV into uncompressed to do that then go back to dv's 4:1:1
The technical compression disadvantages is the color space that miniDV shoots, DVCam as well, the space is 4:1:1, which means that color is sampled at 180 samples per scan line. DVXpro50, is 4:2:2, is doubled at 360 color samples.
DV and DVCam are the same signals (DVCam just uses better wider tape for less dropouts etc) and have a 5:1 compression. DVCpro50 is 3:1 compression, and is noticably a better compression.
Pal DV however uses 4:2:0 color space, the same as Mpeg2 (dvd's) but although there is a 2 in there you would think it would be better then NTSC dv's 4:1:1 color space but its not, as Pal DV skips every other line.
It doesnt mean much untill you start bluescreening or adding overlays etc, but with the Avid Mojo etc. You can convert DV into uncompressed to do that then go back to dv's 4:1:1
ullanta
Veteran
Re: Disadvantages of mini DV?
Just my momentary Digital-8 comment - I find Digital-8 to be a more reliable tape format than MiniDV, and sometimes cheaper. The recorded signal is exactly the same as MiniDV. So, I tend to use D8 for archiving, and sometimes on critical shoots use a D8 camcorder, hooked up to a MiniDV camcorder, as a secondary recording device (much as one might use a hard drive recorder). I am saddened by the frequency of MiniDV tape problems. Really. Such nice equipment recording on such a risky medium...
-Barry
Just my momentary Digital-8 comment - I find Digital-8 to be a more reliable tape format than MiniDV, and sometimes cheaper. The recorded signal is exactly the same as MiniDV. So, I tend to use D8 for archiving, and sometimes on critical shoots use a D8 camcorder, hooked up to a MiniDV camcorder, as a secondary recording device (much as one might use a hard drive recorder). I am saddened by the frequency of MiniDV tape problems. Really. Such nice equipment recording on such a risky medium...
-Barry
Z
Zoomforce
Guest
Re: Disadvantages of mini DV?
Yeah, DVcam is actually the best way to go for the 25 format. However, as much as this or that format is better, Give us 3 or 4 years and tapes will be gone the way of the cassette.. all the prosumer cameras will eventually be hard drive or optical disc based. Tape is Tape and Tape will always have problems, so I will be happy when its gone.
Yeah, DVcam is actually the best way to go for the 25 format. However, as much as this or that format is better, Give us 3 or 4 years and tapes will be gone the way of the cassette.. all the prosumer cameras will eventually be hard drive or optical disc based. Tape is Tape and Tape will always have problems, so I will be happy when its gone.
Re: Disadvantages of mini DV?
Hear that.
Hear that.