HDX990 tapes in the UK

[Ernie Santella]

They are standard DVCPro tapes. The 900 only uses the Medium size cassettes. Nothing special. I don’t think they are looking hard enough.

Here’s two links to UK sites I just Google’d

https://www.tapesuk.co.uk/acatalog/DVC_Pro.html

https://www.stanleysonline.co.uk/category-97.htm

Ernie Santella
Santella Film/Video Productions
http://www.santellaproductions.com

[Robin Probyn]

But these are only standard DVCPro tapes.The tapes I have here are DVC Pro HD AJ HP33EMG.
They are also different from Varicam tapes I believe being differnt microns or something along those lines.

These tapes seem to be not available in the UK? A bit hard to believe,is the HDX900 not very popular there?

Thanks

[Jeff Merritt]

All,

The confusion about tape is that there really is no such thing as a “DVCPRO HD” tape. Any DVCPRO tape will work in any DVCPRO machine provided the size of the cassette is correct for the devise. For example, the VariCam uses only a large cassette and the HDX900 uses only a medium size cassette. Both record a maximum or 33-minutes. I won’t go into how that is possible as this forum has talked about that many, many times. Strickly for convenience Panasonic color-coded the tape cassette lids to correspond with the format recorded on the tape. Red for HD, Blue for 50Meg, and yellow for 25Meg. However the color-coding is for reference only to the format recorded on the tape, not the tape formulation at all. Essentially, tape is tape and doesn’t care about HD or SD, 18-micron or 9-micron. Some countries sell different color-coded tape but in the U.S. the red lid cassette is only for the extra large 2-hour tape designed for the AJ-HD1700 VTR. Blue has been eliminated completely.

Speaking of VTRs, all DVCPRO HD machines will play back ANY DV cassette in its native format with the option to up-convert to HD in either 1080i or 720p. There is one exception and that is the VTRs will not play DV long play cassettes such is found in some consumer camcorders. Additionally, an adaptor is required to insert mini DV cassettes into DVCPRO HD machines. One other note, DVCPRO HD will NOT play any HDV casettes as the formats are totally incompatable.

Finally, The BBC has standardized on DVCPRO HD for acquisition so tape stock should be plentiful in the U.K. The program produced by The BBC and Discovery, Planet Earth, was mostly shot with DVCPRO HD using the VariCam. And yes, the VariCam and the HDX900 are quite popular in the U.K. and Europe.

This site has had many discussions about DVCRPO tape in the past and it might be a good idea to search the archives.

I hope this helps debunk the myth that only certain DVCPRO tapes can be used in cameras and VTRs.

Thanks,

Jeff Merritt
Product Line Business Manager
High Definition Products
Panasonic Broadcast
323-436-3676

[Gary Adcock]

[Redflag] “But these are only standard DVCPro tapes.The tapes I have here are DVC Pro HD AJ HP33EMG.”

there is NO difference between the tape, only the containers.

They were initially labeled that for visual cataloging, since in the beginning there were nothing other than full size cassettes for HD,

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

[Robin Probyn]

Hi Jeff

Yes I was confused as here in japan I have always used a red lid DVCPRO HD (AJ HP33EMG) tape in your great HDX900 camera.The dir was going to bring tapes from the UK for this leg of the shoot for Nat/geo and Discovery(Canada only) but his PA couldnt find these red lid tapes in the UK.But had been told about the yellow lid medium tapes.
I wasnt too sure and thought it best just to stick with the red lid ones that are easy to get here in Tokyo.
So yellow lid medium size can be used in the HDX900,the micron difference makes no difference,is that right.

Thanks

[Robin Probyn]

Ok thanks Gary.So what about Sony tapes,can you put a digibeta tape in a HDCAM camera?

But they just dont tell you????

[Gary Adcock]

[Redflag] “So what about Sony tapes,can you put a digibeta tape in a HDCAM camera?”

I have never seen one in a put in a camera,

however a deck would be very different story.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

[Robin Probyn]

I just wondered as it seems with DVC Pro.. a tape is a tape.. regardless.So does Sony tape work the same way.. would be a bit of a scandal 🙂

[Jeff Merritt]

Hi,

OK…this is getting to be fun. As I and others have said, it doesn’t matter what DVCPRO cassette is used in a DVCPRO devise as long as the cassette is the right size for the machine.

Several years ago I was shooting a documentary on Digi-Beta and we ran out of tape. Bright person that I am, I said let’s go to a local TV station and buy some tape as they surely have some Sony stock. Well, every station in town had BetaSP but no DigiBeta. So we got a box of SP tape, put it in the camcorder and hoped for the best. To be honest, when we got into post, there was no discernable difference in quality.

I don’t recommend this action as manufacturers have their tape formulated to best match the technology of the equipment that uses the tape. But in a pinch…………..

Thanks,

Jeff Merritt
Product Line Business Manager
High Definition Products
Panasonic Broadcast
323-436-3676

[Robin Probyn]

ha! thanks.

Yes they are all the same size,except DVCAM ofcourse,as far as I can see.Maybe the HDCAM tapes are somehow better quality than a digibeta,but then why would panasonic tape be the same for SD and HD??…

Is all video tape made by elf’s in a far away land,overseen by an evil witch(which could actually make it the UK in the 80,s)… I wonder