Logging tapes on Panasonic 1200A
by joni church
on
Aug 17, 2006 at 9:51:21 pm
Hi there,
I'm wondering, is there any concern about tape damage when logging footage using the 1200A- or rather, is there any more concern than there would normally be with a standard definition deck? When I say logging, I mean a camera assistant making paper shotlists of all the footage on each tape, which involves a lot of starting and stopping. It was suggested that since the tape moves across the heads faster than with standard DVCAM or Beta decks, it's ill-advised to log that way using the 1200A.
Re: Logging tapes on Panasonic 1200A by Chris Bell on Aug 17, 2006 at 11:23:46 pm
I seem to recall DVCPRO tape is engineered to be recorded over 200 times on a single cassette. I would not worry. In my 2.5 years with my 1200a and Varicam, I have never had an issue with tape integrity.
Re: Logging tapes on Panasonic 1200A by Dale West on Aug 18, 2006 at 5:02:10 pm
just so happens I'm doing a Discovery show and face the same issues. I am making a window burned dvd and at the same
time I'm doing an audio tape with timecode on one track and audio on the other. I've always had a bad feeling
about searching the pausing then searching etc. I've never had a problem but in the end who wants to risk it.
Any problem probably will result in a damaged master.
Re: Logging tapes on Panasonic 1200A by Jeff Merritt on Aug 19, 2006 at 3:30:42 pm
All,
Given the fact the AJ-HD1200A and the new AJ-HD1400 are HD, the guts are virtually the same as with all other DVCPRO VTR equipment. That is the head drum, tape tension, guide paths and all other internal mechanical parts are nearly identical from machine model to machine mode.
The DVCPRO format has been around for many years now and has been engineered for the most rugged standards for editing. Of course before the large proliferation of NLE systems, tape-to-tape was the only way to go. Therefore, that put a lot of stress on the mechanical portion of the machines, and the DVCPRO has always held up well.
In short, the DVCPRO HD decks are designed for viewing, logging, ingesting and tape-to-tape editing. One of the reasons for this design is that the tape itself is smaller (1/4 inch), has less mass, and thus the tension/pressure on the heads is far less than any other full production quality format.
So--No Worries.
Jeff Merritt
Product Line Business Manager
High Definition Products
Panasonic Broadcast
323-436-3676
Re: Logging tapes on Panasonic 1200A by joni church on Aug 21, 2006 at 2:14:41 pm
Thanks again to all 3 of you. I'll show your comments to bossman-big to ease his mind about all the logging that's done around here. A bit of a worrier, he is.
