Sony DVM63PS vs. DVM60PRR DVC tapes?

September 25, 2014 12:35 PM

Can anyone tell me how these two (Sony DVM63PS vs. DVM60PRR) DVC tapes compare? Is this a trivial thing, here? Thanks!

I work in a research lab and we use DVC tapes to record our experiments. We have, for as long as I can tell, used Sony's Premium DVCs (DVM60PRR). I recently placed another order with Amazon and instead received Sony Professional Standard DVCs (DVM63PS). I can't find the tapes I received on the consumer or professional Sony website and I can't find a comparison of the two. There are also no reviews on Amazon for the DVM63PS tapes. Returning them is extra annoying, since I have to process everything through an administrator. Help!

posted by ancient star to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

The difference looks pretty trivial to me. The ones you were using (DVM60PRR) are the standard 60 minute mini-DV tapes I grew up with. The ones they sent you are 63 minute tapes I have been seeing more of lately. Apparently, Sony started putting 3 more minutes of tape on for "test material". The new tapes will definitely work with your camera, and if you are shooting SD footage, I don't think you will see any quality difference.
If you are shooting HD footage, neither of these tapes is really the best choice, but they would probably both technically work. Sony makes a much better choice for shooting HD called the DVM-63HD that is 4x the price.
posted by 2ghouls at 12:59 PM on September 25, 2014

Response by poster: There are a couple of specific concerns I have. The tapes need to be pretty close to fail-proof, and we need to be able to refer back to these tapes years afterward, if necessary. We've had good luck with the ones we've been using now (they are proven reliable to the millions who have used them). I haven't heard anything about these new ones, which is my concern.

Thanks!
posted by ancient star at 1:24 PM on September 25, 2014

Best answer: According to the B&H product pages for the tapes, the premium tapes have some sort of protective coating on them that the standard tapes do not. If longevity is a major concern, I wouldn't risk it. Return the tapes and get the right ones.
posted by strangecargo at 3:06 PM on September 25, 2014