DVX 100B - last owner used a mix of DV tapes

Philip Leech

Philip Leech

Active member
Hi Everyone,

Just got a used DVX100B (PAL). The last owner used different tapes, never sticking to one brand. I'm not sure if Sony was included in his choice.


Should I be worried about the mix of tapes he used in it? (It has 76 hours, by the way)

I have read in this forum that letting a tape play the full hour in VTR mode and then tossing it out is a good way to clean. Can anyone back that up?

Any advice is really appreciated. And is there a preferred brand/tape to stick to?


Thanks

Philip
 
I can't say for sure, but just letting a tape play - in any mode - doesn't sound particularly effective.

If you're not seeing any problems, I'd say just go ahead as normal. If you are seeing glitches and dropouts, do a good head cleaning (NOT a head cleaning cassette!) and that will bring you close to a new condition in regards to tape contamination...
 
Thanks for that. The 'letting the tape play' thing I have seen twice now. I think it's supposed to pick up the 'dirt'. Perhaps it's related to it being a self cleaning camera.

I'm just worried about it's varied history with tapes. But your right, if there isn't an apparent problem, why worry? I shall just keep it strictly to one brand from here on in.
 
ullanta said:
I can't say for sure, but just letting a tape play - in any mode - doesn't sound particularly effective.
Click to expand...

If you can't say for sure, why pass judgment?

The blank tape method is effective, and recommended. Letting it run uninterrupted for the full hour will pull most contamination from the heads, and an our of tape in PLAY mode is still less abrasive on the heads than 5 seconds of cleaning cassette. I have used this method, and it has cleaned the heads when a cleaning cassette didn't do the job. Cleaning cassettes should be an absolute last resort, and used no more than once or twice a year (if that).

To the OP: if you're really all that concerned about Sony being in the mix, take the camera in for a professional cleaning. That way, you're starting from scratch.

If you aren't noticing any problems, chances are that you're fine. If you start noticing dropouts or the flashing X, it's time for a cleaning. Try the blank tape first.
 
I wouldn't really call that judgement! But if the whole issue is a lack of knowledge of what tape lubricants may be gunking up the works, then adding in more random lubricants to the mix seems like an iffy prospect. Second, if the record head is not engaged, it doesn't seem likely it will be cleaned... and I'm certainly more worried about recorded glitches than playback glitches.

But heck, I don't know. I've been using only Panasonic MQ or PQ tapes since 2003, and haven't seen a dropout since.
 
philipleech@mac.com said:
Hi Everyone,

Any advice is really appreciated. And is there a preferred brand/tape to stick to?


Philip
Click to expand...

When I got my DVX used at the camera store, the previous owner always used professional Panasonic MiniDV tapes and he told me to stick to the Panasonic AY-DVM63PQ cassettes. They're pretty good and relatively cheap!
 
Philip,

When I had my DVX100A, around 50 hrs. or so I got the "dreaded" red X
indicating my heads were in need of cleaning. I was in the middle of a production
so I used the Panasonic Cleaning tape to get through the remainder of the film.

Shortly afterward, I sent my camera off to L.A. for a professional cleaning and general check up.
It was back within a week with a "clean bill of health"...

I only used Panasonic MQ63 tapes so mixing wasn't an issue. In your case,
I'd suggest sending you camera off to a certified Panasonic dealer and have the
heads cleaned thoroughly. Then pick a brand of tape and use it exclusively.

Best.

Mark Dalzell / Las Vegas, NV
 
Thank you to all you guys for your advice. I really appreciate it.

I do fully intend to choose a good quality Panasonic tape and stick to it and I wondered if there was anything I could do prior to commencing my use of the camera. I'm not doing any important work at the moment, and I can't really afford to get it professionally serviced. I'm interested in the technique of allowing a tape to play through the whole way as a means of cleaning. Though Ullanta made the point that playing wasn't the same head use as recording. I hadn't realised that, I thought it was the same head....?
 
There are instructions around here on how to properly clean the heads yourself... not too difficult... I don't have time to search it down at the moment, bit maybe you can or someone could refer to it.

We DO know that Panasonic uses dry lube while almost all other brands use wet lube... so running a panasonic tape for a long time doesn;t seem like a good idea if there's wet lube in there, and running a non panny tape doesn't sound like a good idea if you'll be switching to dry panny tapes.

See if you can "apprentice" your way through a cleaning at a pro place?
 
I have seen that thread and perhaps thats not too bad of an idea. I'm no pro but I am pretty geeky/techie at a low level. I'm not in a rush, maybe if I feel confident after reading it a couple of times, perhaps I will.

Thanks
 
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