On Tue, 20 Aug 2002 16:51:02 GMT, Captn Brunch wrote:

>Is there any significant differences between different brands of miniDV
>tapes, such as $4.67 TDK tapes and $6.50 Premium Sony tapes (neither has
> a memory chip)?

Probably not, in the short run...
There is no info I know of that compares tapes for long-term
storage, though. There is a possible problem with tape-brand
switching, after using one type for a while (there have been
enough horror stories related to discourage one from
doing this...). Complicating that is the fact that only a few
makers produce all the brands of Mini-DV tape, so you don't
know when you are using the same tape, or not... As for
prices, the Sony PR is available for under $5/tape from
various sellers, including www.taperesources.com. The
more expensive EX claims a slightly higher s/n ratio, but
this is only relevant for dropout rate and storage
characteristics, not immediate picture/sound quality...