I have heard many arguments over this, so just wanted to run this by some of you.
Is it wise to record over footage to create a Digibeta master of an edit (i.e. use an old tape)
Thanks!
Some people would never reuse a tape for fear of needing the content (camera or edit tape)
some people would always swear by a new tape.
others say that if it was ok once it'll be ok again (so long as it isn't hammered.)
If the "edit master" is from an NLE then I'd use it . not if it's an old linear job
Hi
As well as the digital video stream a DigiBeta recorder sets various metadata flags within the frame blanking signal to appropriate values - parameters such as the anamorphic flag.
Make sure your NLE correctly overwrites such prior settings if you are reusing tape.
If you are recording on the DigiBeta deck via analogue component inputs make sure the deck is configured to over-write the original values.
The message is that you can use the tapes so long as you always do an "assemble" recording, i.e. totally wipe everything else on the tape. Don't ever be tempted to do an "insert" edit, where you drop frames into an existing recording. The way to be 100% safe in this is to bulk erase the tapes first, then you should have no problem, provided the tape is in good condition.
Down at The Bill we have a wonderful machine that runs the used tape through and gives a printout of its condition.
Tapes in general rotation are used several times but master's and guard copies are always created in the on-line room on brand new stock.
Is it wise to record over footage to create a Digibeta master of an edit (i.e. use an old tape)
While reusing the tape isn't technically a problem (happens all the time in the industry as others have said), the question still remains about whether you want to lose the footage on the tape already...
Certainly, I'd never reuse a source tape for a project I was outputting as the master tape (what happens if the hard drives fail while recording and you lose everything -- you've wiped the original footage). As for whether to reuse it at a later date on your next project, well that depends on what the footage is and whether you might need to reuse it again later.
To give an example, I've just finished a project that used unused interview footage shot for a completely different documentary released on VHS in 1998. If that tape had been wiped, then I wouldn't have had that footage (there was no budget to go and refilm the interview)...
Steven
While reusing the tape isn't technically a problem (happens all the time in the industry as others have said), the question still remains about whether you want to lose the footage on the tape already...Certainly, I'd never reuse a source tape for a project I was outputting as the master tape (what happens if the hard drives fail while recording and you lose everything -- you've wiped the original footage). As for whether to reuse it at a later date on your next project, well that depends on what the footage is and whether you might need to reuse it again later.
To give an example, I've just finished a project that used unused interview footage shot for a completely different documentary released on VHS in 1998. If that tape had been wiped, then I wouldn't have had that footage (there was no budget to go and refilm the interview)...
Steven
I totally agree and feel that a tape based recording will always offer more comfort than something that can be re-formatted or its data corrupted. I still have all my photo negatives and even all my Dads slides from 1960 onwards but I lost two years worth of photos recently due to a disk corruption and yes I backed them up to a western digital drive but this died before I could get them back.
Thanks for the advise guys, went for the new tape option!
: )
Hmm, a documentary from 1998. I wonder what that might have been...? :)