Standard Tapes for HD

Ive never had to use a head cleaner on my HVRA1U for 3 years, and I use my camera as a vcr, I rewind all the time, record over stuff.... whatever. I don't own a tape deck. I use 20 dollar tapes, HDV master tapes. Not to mention I actually screw around with the internal mechanisms of the camera (dangerous if you dont know what you're doing.)

I can't see how the occasional run over with a head cleaner tape would cause any damage. And it wouldn't hurt to annually take it into a camera repair shop and have them give the heads and transport rollers a proper clean.

Mark

If you don't mind cleaning it thats fine, I was told the head cleaners damage. Maybe they don't... Ive never used one.

But because I don't switch brands Ive never had to use one.

You've never had dirty heads iron, even with going through that many tapes?

Nope! I use expensive tapes though, 20 dollars for each master tapes. I only have 6 but I reuse them. I also record to HD sometimes using a firewire and an old laptop. Its easy to do with the free program capdvhs.

One benefit of not recording over the tapes is for archival purposes... I don't only use the tapes for stock, and sometimes get a few clips in there of the family and such. So I want to keep those for the future.

I can see doing that, but Im not sure how long tapes last anyway. I know they expire at some point..... These are the tapes I use BTW : http://www.filmtools.com/sohdvdimata.html

It absolutely not necessary to use a head cleaning tape when changes from one manufacture tape to another. Head cleaning tapes will not damage the drum nor the heads when use to remove contaminates from the heads. Cleaning tapes should only be used when your camcorder indicates with a warning message that the heads are dirty. A another thing to have on hand is a CO2 air blaster to remove dust or foreign matter from the drive assembly.

Are you saying you do not fundamentally agree that changing tape types matters? Ive heard and read that the chemicals on the tapes differ and its not good to mix tape types.

If you have an article or something please post it. :)

Look Mark I'm not5 new to this have video taping for 15 years and have used many different manufacture tapes in my cameras. In the camera I'm using now I have used sony, panasonic, tdk, jvc and maxswell tapes without any real problems. Yes in all that time I have use a head cleaning tape about four times. The Sony PD170 was purchased in 05. I also have 20 years in the electronics field.