Yet another question about D8: tapes

[JerryH]

Is there any noticeable difference between regular 8mm, Hi-8 and hi-8 metal tapes when using them for Digital8?

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K62-300, 96MegRAM, FastTrack IDE RAID (14GIG), Marvel G200

[Grigory]

I tried Sony and TDK MP Hi-8 tapes,
BASF 8mm Hi-Fi tapes, and TDK EHG 8 mm tapes:

I could not find any corrupted frame on these tapes. As for the picture quality, as long as there are no reading errors, it should be the same.
I decided to use quality regular 8 tapes for recording and storage. 5 months did not show any advantage of using Hi-8 tapes.
Because I could not find difference between MP hi-8 and regular 8, I don't think ME is by any means better, except much higher cost, which is always better for Sony .

Grigory

[JerryH]

Thanks, Grigory, that's about what I thought.
Of course Sony would want to promote the "better" more expensive tapes.

Anyway, I've returned my TRV-103 and ordered a TRV-310 from another dealer for $12 less!!

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K62-300, 96MegRAM, FastTrack IDE RAID (14GIG), Marvel G200, TRV-310 (real soon now)

[wkulecz]

I strongly advise against using video8 tape for digital8 recording to save a few bucks over Hi8 tapes.

My Sony manual clearly states that they will work but might show "video mosiac" if played back in a different camcorder.

I too have tried video8 tapes for digital8 recording and have observed no errors, but I've never tried playing them back in a different camcorder!

I remember back in the old days when lots of people punched holes in 720K floppies so they could format and use the cheap diskettes in the then new 1.44M drives. This "worked". Until upon getting a new computer and then their bargin disks couldn't reliably be read in a different drive.

There is a difference in the magnetic properties that is required to maintain reliable playback across production tolerences in heads and tracking between video8 tapes and hi8 tapes.

Ignore it at your peril.

As far as I know, Sony doesn't manufacture tapes, but only remarks them, so they have little to gain by trying to get you to buy more expensive tapes since the real profits go to Fuji, Maxell, TDK etc. that make and sell the majority of tapes out there.

--wally.

[wkulecz]

Crap, forgot to mention. I've no opinion on the MP vs. ME Hi8 issue for use in Digital8 recording.

Since mine came with a cheaper MP tape and I don't recall seeing any mention of using more expensive ME for "better" results mentioned in the manual, I've never tried ME tapes.

--wally.

[JerryH]

>I strongly advise against using video8 tape >for digital8 recording to save a few bucks >over Hi8 tapes.

>My Sony manual clearly states that they will >work but might show "video mosiac" if played >back in a different camcorder.

I think you meant that if I play a tape recorder with my own D8 camcorder in someone else's D8 camcorder, that the mosaic will appear? I'm not to worried about that.

I'd agree that anyone using a camera like the D8 series for pro-sumer or professional work should go with the highest grade tapes available (especially if they make their living that way), but for me, the hobbyist/family producer(!) a dropped frame here or there won't be the end of the world.

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K62-300, 96MegRAM, FastTrack IDE RAID (14GIG), Marvel G200, TRV-310 (real soon now)