SP Vs LP Recording

[markovwgti 0]

DSE Can you explain...looked it up around the web but most people werent explaining it right! Searched on here also and nothing

[dragon2 2]

Quote

DSE Can you explain...looked it up around the web but most people werent explaining it right! Searched on here also and nothing

Why would you run the risk of more errors (dropouts, glitches, not-readable tapes) when shooting vid costs 4 bucks for an hour tape? Same thing goes for reusing tape. If someone is paying you to shoot vid, ie tandemvids etc, or the video is important like you're in a competition, don't use LP. For FS4 training etc, might work, but you're safer staying with one speed for the entire tape, and if you want to keep the tapes for archival purposes shoot regular SP.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[markovwgti 0]

I understand that but whats the reason for that?

[dragon2 2]

Quote

I understand that but whats the reason for that?

LP (for miniDV) squeezes more data (of the same quality) in the same space because it uses thinner tracks. Camcorders/playback decks can correct for small dropouts/errors but these thinner tracks run a higher risk of being totally unreadable, which cannot be corrected.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[DSE 5]

SP moves the tape at 18.812mm/sec.LP moves it a 12.56mm/sec.
This means that the error window in SP is smaller. LP gives more time span for an error to occur.
The tracks actually aren't "thinner," they're the same size. Error correction tracks are identical too.

There are some of the opinion that slower tape speed causes LESS dropout because the tape is moving more slowly. This simply isn't so. Higher speeds are virtually always better. Tape stretch is a bigger issue with LP as well.

Easiest method to avoid dropout however, is to avoid tape altogether.