Hdv dvcam tape question

[RonnieMartin]

Being new to the forum I am not sure where to post this question but I will try anyway.

Question: I have several hundred one pass large cassette 184 DVCAM tapes that were used in a project that lasted a couple of years. Is it possible to re use them in HDV projects or for archiving HDV projects without bulk erasing? They were all one pass tapes, recorded with a Sony DSR 500,ingested into my editor, rewound and stored properly. I guess what I am asking is when you re use these tapes that were use for SD DVCAM recording will all the information be erased when re recorded using the HDV format?

We have just about gone tapeless with the Sony EX series and the HVR 270.

Thanks
Ronnie Martin
www.dirtracingvideo.com

 

[MikeWilkinson]

If you have an HDV deck that records to a large cassette, then I would think so? Never tried anything like that. Seeing as how you can use regular miniDV tapes in HDV cameras, one might assume it's possible. Can you try it once as a test?

when you re use these tapes that were use for SD DVCAM recording will all the information be erased when re recorded using the HDV format?

Whenever you record over your original footage with anything, it will be gone forever.

 

[FrankC]

Yeah... Like Mike said, if you have a deck that will take the large cassette, you should be OK. Decks are much more robust than camcorders. One is taking a chance by putting "one pass" tapes into a camcorder with it's much more delicate mechanisms.