Slightly OT: Longer MiniDV tapes??

Hey, I've got a 2 hour video that I need to export from my computer to my camera. I just realized all the miniDV tapes I can find are 60 minutes SP/90 minutes LP. I really don't want to split it up into two different tapes. Is there an alternative? Like a longer miniDV tape?

Edit: I have found 80 minute tapes but that still doesn't cut it...I really don't wanna use LP mode either.

 

Why don't you want it over two tapes? Are you filming a continuous scene for over 60 minutes?

Usually if you are trying to make a 2 hour long movie you are going to need a lot more footage that will eventually be edited out (Actually I'm working on a project at the moment that would have about 5 hours worth of footage for a half hour video), so you aren't going to fit it all on one tape anyway.

 

I've seen 80 minutes MiniDV tapes once in a shop in France... So if you add half of this time, making it long play, you get 120 minutes. Two hours...

Now, I think it was MiniDV... Not sure, but it was in the MiniDV aisle so...

 

I said it will be from exporting from my computer to camera. It's done being edited. Yes there were over 5 hours of footage on multiple tapes. The camera is my bridge between the computer and my VCR because eventually it will end up on a 2 hour VHS cassette.

Edit: Yes I have found 80 minute tapes (120 LP) but I don't want to lose the quality in LP mode.

 

I think the only way to do it would be to use a fullsize dv camera that accepted standard sized dv tapes. A standard size dv tape holds 124 minutes in sp mode. If you don't know anywhere that you could borrow a fullsize dv camera, then maybe you could just rent one for a day.

Not too helpful huh?

 

put it on two DV tapes, then when you're taping it on the VCR, just press pause on the VCR, remove the first tape, put in the second tape, press play, and unpause the VCR.

If you made the DV tape switch at a break in the movie (maybe a black transition scene), then there shouldn't be a problem.

-Kol.

 

If you made the DV tape switch at a break in the movie (maybe a black transition scene), then there shouldn't be a problem.

See, that's the problem. It's for a wedding video and there is constant action and no black screen/fade to black transitions during the movie. I guess I'll just have to improvise. I was hoping one of you would know where to get a longer tape but it appears they don't exist beyond 80 minutes SP.

 

I don't want to lose the quality in LP mode

You are not thinking digitally.

Digital is ones ans zeroes. LP mode just packs the ones and zeroes tighter on the tape.

The only "quality loss" you get is larger possibility of a dropout. Picture quality in LP and SP mode is identical... its the same bytes being stored.

If you can write to the tape, and it plays back without a glitch, the quality of that play is *bit identical* to playing an SP tape. LP just gives you more "possibility for grief". So, get a HIGH QUALITY 80 minute tape, and enjoy IF your camera likes it.

I know my camera HATES tapes over 60 minutes. Even 61 minutes and it mangles the first minute of footage for some reason!!!

/Z

 

One of the basic rules of editing is to plan for reel breaks. No one is going to sit through a two hour wedding video at a stretch - you need to plan in your bathroom breaks, either with title cards or black transitions or the like. A good rule of thumb is to plan a reel break every 20 minutes, and then just put 3 reels per tape. Filmmakers have been doing this for many many years, and in television the reel lengths are much shorter in most cases.

As far as export, find a local dup house and take them your project burned to DVD-R or similar media, have them transfer out a master to digibeta or longform DVCAM or DVCPRO, and dub miniDV and VHS copies off of those. Shouldn't cost you too awfully much.
-Lokmer

 

Thanks for the tip about LP mode! I knew digital wasn't too bad in LP but I didn't know you don't lose quality.

lokmer-there are breakups and transitions but the transitions involve a CG scene (it's difficult to describe). The movie is broken up into several segments and paced quite well it's just that none of the transitions involve fading to black or dead space.

What I will probably do is go with the 80 minute tape and use LP mode like was suggested. I was planning on mastering it to a MiniDV tape then using that for transfer to VHS and if need be, a DVD later on (my friend might let me borrow his DVD burner). To transfer to DVD I'll just recapture the footage to my computer from the MiniDV master.

 

I have a friend who taped a wedding on 80 minute mini-DV in LP mode on a Canon GL-1. Everything is great unless you try to play the tape from the GL-1, then you get all sorts of digital artifacts. Played on a stand-alone mini-DV deck, all is well, but for some reason the play heads on th GL-1 can't handle it. Anyone else heard of this? I hope you don't have this problem.

 

That is something I will look out for. I don't have a miniDV tape deck so if the tape had artifacts, it'd be useless to me.

 

Point of slight interest:

I found this out the hard way, but a lot SONY cameras/decks tend to record in DVCAM format, not miniDV format. Although this doesn't actually cause any compatability issues, it does diminish the length of your tape (i.e. a 60 minute miniDV tape only last 45 minutes)

I've found this "feature" with their cameras from the PD100-AP upwards.

anyway,

Nick "Shorty" Long

 

I think you will have to do what Yoda says you shouldn't..... try!

I.e. record the tape in LP, play it back, did it work w/o dropouts? Then it worked. Voila. Smile. Tapdance. Yodel.

/Z

/Z

 

Don't master to MiniDV. The tapes aren't durable enough. They won't stand up to the heavy wear indefinately. If you do master to miniDV, make some duplicate masters to digiBeta or DVD-R.
Always make an offsite backup.
-Lokmer