On Mon, 27 Jan 2003 17:19:27 -0330, "Chris Fewer" <chrisfewer@yahoo.com.nospam> wrote:

>"Paul Tauger" <ptaugerspamtrap@cox.net> wrote in message

>news:b14572$v6sci$1@ID-101118.news.dfncis.de...

>> "Chris Fewer" <chrisfewer@yahoo.com.nospam> wrote in message

>> news:b143ev$28l$1@nntp-stjh-01-01.rogers.nf.net...

>> > "Neuman - Ruether" <d_ruether@hotmail.com> wrote in message

>> > news:3e355a2f.3880738@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu...

>

>> > > Sony "PR" (Premium), around $5.00... BTW, it is often

>> > > strongly advised that tape brands NEVER be mixed, to avoid

>> > > head-clogging and dropouts...

>> > I seem to recall the reason behind that was prooven some time ago, and

>> only

>> > applied to one line of Panasonic tapes being mixed with any other sort

>of

>> > tape.

>> I heard it was restricted only to certain Panasonic tapes -- those with a

>> white and blue case -- because those specific tapes used a wet lubricant

>> which combined with the dry lube used by others to make nasty clogs.

>Which is what I heard as well.

>Though it's created all sorts of urban myths... many of them extremely

>bizzare (One person claimed that the video heads became "mated" to a certain

>brand of tape... WTF?)

I guess you weren't around when mixing of tapes was a common

thread in "my camera plays back tape with blocks, etc."

posts...? ;-) Since then, some report that truly mixing

tapes often (hard to know, unless you know which of the

very few manufacturers make what brands...) prevents the

head-clogging problems; others say that the only tape not

to be mixed with others is the Panasonic with the white

case and blue door (with liquid lubricant, while all others

use dry-type - true???); while still others say that the

one reliable method of avoiding problems is to use only one

brand of tape, EVER (I am with this group, since necessary

or not, it works - and I experienced tape-mixing problems

early-on with my first camera...). It is up to you the

path you take, but if you do mix brands made by Panasonic

and Sony (avoiding the white-blue Pan. type), and have no

problems (especially if there are no problems after using

one for a while and then switching to the other without

first cleaning the camera), please do report this here.

If enough people do report this (without notable

exceptions), THEN mebbe we can believe that mixing these

tapes, even occasionally, is OK. Until then, I will not

risk my DV heads by mixing tape brands...