> Hi all,
> Do playback and record heads of DV decks use the same head? I would
> like to know if playing back tapes will wear out the record head.
> I use Sony's DVM12CL to clean my VX1000 head. Will just playing
> back the tape clean the record head too?
> Can someone please clean up this confusion for me? Thanx. -Al
Al:
Whether the same heads are used for record & playback depends on the format
and the machine, but in any case, all the heads are on the same drum
together, so they all contact the tape whenever recording or playback takes
place. One would think that they would all wear at the same rate, but the
heads designed for a wider track pitch have more surface area and will
likely wear more slowly.
Conventional wisdom says that metal particle tape wears out heads faster
than metal evaporated, but metal particle formats such as DVCPRO use much
wider track pitch. The correspondingly wider head height will mitigate
against the wear problem. Time will tell the relative merits of these
approaches.
BTW, lots of list members are excited about the prospect of 90 minute mini
DV tapes. This is accomplished by using thinner tape. Part of the technique
of making thinner tape is making thinner metal evaporated magnetic coating.
The 90 minute tapes will undoubtedly be more fragile and prone to damage
from editing and reuse.
--
Norm Kern, President Kern Video Productions Inc.
kvp@erinet.com Production/Editing/Distribution
Check our website: Entertainment/Broadcast/Corporate
http://www.erinet.com/kvp Special Interest/Personal/Duplication
Betacam SP/ Hi-8/ S-VHS /DVCPRO /DVCAM