Stunning news, eff Panasonic

[Guest]

Hey, remember Panasonics admonition about not using 80 minutes tapes and recording in LP mode? Well, eff em. They had me scared to death as to what might happen with that combination. Everyone I spoke to at Panasonic fortold dire consequenses, horrible artifacts, not to mention a plague of locusts and a few boils too. I just shot 3 days worth of footage using 80 minute tapes in LP mode (depositions, in case you're wondering) and it all looks fantastic, no artifacts, no dropouts, no weirdness whatsoever.

Just thought I'd pass on that info in case some other hapless videographer is warned off of this combination by Panasonics lackeys. It can be done.

 

[scharky]

Re: Stunning news, eff Panasonic

I think the warning is more of a general warning with all dv, rather than just with the dvx. You have to remember that the dv cassett can only be so big, so how do they make extra room for a longer tape? The actual tape is thinner than that of the 60 min calibur. Sure it's possible to get perfect tape capture, however side by side, 80 min tapes will experience more dropouts/problems than 60 min tapes, it's just the nature of the beast.

 

[Barry_Green]

Re: Stunning news, eff Panasonic

You used the riskiest possible tape combination to tape DEPOSITIONS?

No thanks. I mean, I know you may need longer than an hour, but that's what an external deck is for. You are seriously risking your footage being thrown out of court -- if a judge was watching that and you did get a big nasty dropout, he/she may decide right there that the tape has been tampered with and throw it out. It could cost your side their case.

Legal video is one are where you have to cross your t's, dot your i's, dot the t's too, cross some x's, and just thoroughly, thoroughly cover yourself and make sure that everything comes off exactly right. I haven't walked a mile in your shoes so I can't judge whether what you were doing was right or wrong, but I would strongly advise making sure you have flawless continuous dropout-free video. Anything else is just being foolish, especially when dealing with lawyers!

 

[sound-dog]

Re: Stunning news, eff Panasonic

:

LAWYERS...they can kiss my a--!!! But courts are something we DO have to deal with, and the previous posts is absolutely right...a glitch in the tape and the judge says, "no way!" Seen it happen a couple of times.

And the 80 min. thing is very much a DV world admonition...when NBC news was using the PD150 for news shooting they asked us to shoot 80's for a meeting...we told them LOUDLY about the potential problems, but the bosses ruled. So we did, the tape was full of crap and at least this time we could just smile and tell them we told them so.

Man, get an external deck...it will save you in the future and your client...

 

[Guest]

Re: Stunning news, eff Panasonic

Uh, guys, I've been a legal videographer for 15 years, so......... Of course I'm making a backup, I'm running a Panasonic AG7400 (remember those?) SVHS portable, so in reality the minidv tape is really my backup, since the courts demand that the tape presented to them, be VHS. After 15 years of dotting my "I's" and crossing my "T's" I know my way around the legal industry. I happen to be one of the most careful, and well equipped (video, we're talking video) guys in my field, plenty of others don't run backup of any sort. As for saying you've seen a judge throw out a case due to a glitch in a tape? Hmm, in my 15 years, and numerous courtroom playbacks, I've never seen or heard of that happening. It's possible, and within the boundaries of the law, yet highly unlikely.