Chewed up Videocam tape

Hmmmmm True easy:D 😉

Lol can’t say it was not legal 😉 used to do it with cassettes as well 😀

Cassettes are altogether a different thing mind ya !:D

Did you splice diagonally along the video tracks ?

Lol can’t say it was not legal 😉 used to do it with cassettes as well 😀

I did ! well sort of by splicing the tape:) but lost the chewed up stuff.:D

Did you splice diagonally along the video tracks ?

Hi Plane space
What did you do to “splice” the tape …..

Ta…….. ren frew
I just want to rescue the video’s on the tape , it sounds expensive when the term ‘specialist’ crops up …my latest Dv cam was bought for £8 on ebay though it wouldnt be a major financial loss it , It was bought just to transfer all the old DV tapes to my PC after my first one died …… with just 2 tapes that are cut /chewed left to transfer a dilemna of sorts ,
I’m not sure if the tapes are worth the expense , but would hate to loose the info on them , [can’t remember whats on them ]
Has anyone fiddled successfully with a tape ? and won !
apeback.j

I did ! well sort of by splicing the tape:) but lost the chewed up stuff.:D

Further reading…:D

http://www.sdinfo.com/the-primers/112-flying-erase-head-defined.html

Just remembered that on one tape that was chewed up but not snapped I rewound it on by a ‘ Bic’ pen but when it ran through it clogged the head up and it cost £14 for a head cleaning DV cassette to repair , that’s how delicate they are guys !

If you use mini-dv (or any tape based format) you should have a head cleaning tape in your kit, no matter what. Your play/record heads will let you down at some point eventually due to a ‘head clog’ and normally right in the middle of something important like a wedding/christening/intimate moment etc etc.

The video tracks tend to be recorded diagonally across the tape, therefore any attempt to stick a broken tape back together or play a chewed up cassette will result in a disturbed playback lasting several seconds. The damage that will do to your extremely sensitive camcorder’s VCR system is however much more significant. Go to Wikipedia and search for ‘flying erase head’ if you require further info…:eek:

Mini-dv equipment is especially prone to ‘clogs’ owing to the minute scale of the recording system. It’s been a great format since 1995, but it’s about to superceded by tapeless formats, AVCHD being the one ‘most likely’ to replace mini-dv on the consumer market.

I’ve been working in video tape formats for over twenty years, from VHS to the latest broadcast ‘HD’ varieties. Tape is still my preferred format, but you do have to have an understanding of it and it’s failings. Tapeless formats are nearly good to go, but it’s worth looking after your mini-dv equipment for a while yet. x 😉

Just remembered that on one tape that was chewed up but not snapped I rewound it on by a ‘ Bic’ pen but when it ran through it clogged the head up and it cost £14 for a head cleaning DV cassette to repair , that’s how delicate they are guys !

hi Ren Frew

On one its broke at the beginning of the tape or end [not sure how it runs] I thought it could be stuck together and wound on by hand [and pencil stuck in the spindle] , and providing I did’nt run that part through the head ,I might be able to save , But the other is right in the middle thats the awkward one hence the glue query ,

If they aren’t physically broken i.e ‘snapped’ you might be able to wind them back into the shell by opening up the front sheath and winding one of the spools either clockwise or anti as apporpriate. Try snapping the sheath back (gently). Any broken tapes will require the procedure mentioned in my initial reply. I don’t think we’re talking mega-bucks though…

Ta…….. ren frew
I just want to rescue the video’s on the tape , it sounds expensive when the term ‘specialist’ crops up …my latest Dv cam was bought for £8 on ebay though it wouldnt be a major financial loss it , It was bought just to transfer all the old DV tapes to my PC after my first one died …… with just 2 tapes that are cut /chewed left to transfer a dilemna of sorts ,
I’m not sure if the tapes are worth the expense , but would hate to loose the info on them , [can’t remember whats on them ]
Has anyone fiddled successfully with a tape ? and won !
apeback.j

Don’t even go near them with superglue, you’ll knacker the playback and record heads in the camcorder rendering it useless. Broken tapes can be repaired but generally speaking only to allow transfer of the contents onto new tapes. You’ll need to visit a specialised camcorder repair centre to have it done safely though. Most certainly not a job for the amateur.