Help please. Is there a easyer way to fully erase a mini dv tape than running it through the camera on rec. with the lens blacked out and a dummy plug in the mic. socket. Camera NV-DX100.
Rog.

[Mr.D]

You'd probably be better of with a fresh tape.

[redsox_mark]

I don’t think there is any other way to blank it out, and the question is why you want to do that. If you want to reuse the tape, simply tape over it in normal use. (or chuck it out and use a new tape).

[mistergoof]

If you have something to hide then rit the tape from the cartridge and burn it.

why do you want to do this. I only use a tape once and keep it, it's my master incase my HD dies.

[Crocodile]

A very strong magnetic field will do the job. You can buy electro-magnets specifically for bulk erasing but they're not cheap.

Try leaving the tape next to a large speaker magnet.

[senu]

Possibly not.
However you achieve it , you would be recording on the tape at least a 3rd time .
It may not help if you wish to put something crictical on such a tape.

Thanks everyone I will just carry on in the normal way.
Thanks for your help.
Rog

[807]

Boxkite ! - If you need to re-use a tape , and there's something private previously recorded on it ( but no so private that it's 'top-hush' ) - simply rewind the tape , record whatever you will (on top of the private stuff), then , if there's any tape left ( with the 'private' content ) , do your standard erasing ( lens cap on , mic plug in ) from there on. - That way you only re-record the whole tape once ,instead of twice.

Bulk tape erasers were very common (in the 1960s/70s) for reel to reel tapes and worked very well. However, miniDV tapes in (shielded?) cassettes might not respond as well. ( I don't know )

I rarely do an erase, just a rewind and "record-on-top-of-" ( you do know you can do this, do you ? )

For important content I'd only use a new tape.

Hope this makes sense ! ?

NEVER PUT A TAPE ANYWHERE NEAR A STRONG MAGNET - UNLESS YOU WANT TO DESTROY THE RECORDABILITY OF THE TAPE.

807

[Crocodile]

Originally Posted by 807

Bulk tape erasers were very common (in the 1960s/70s) for reel to reel tapes and worked very well. However, miniDV tapes in (shielded?) cassettes might not respond as well. ( I don't know )

Commercial bulk erasers are widely available for just about all kinds of magnetic media, including mini DV.

Originally Posted by 807

NEVER PUT A TAPE ANYWHERE NEAR A STRONG MAGNET - UNLESS YOU WANT TO DESTROY THE RECORDABILITY OF THE TAPE.

That's exactly what a bulk eraser is. Why would it render a tape unrecordable?

[senu]

Originally Posted by crocodile

Commercial bulk erasers are widely available for just about all kinds of magnetic media, including mini DV.

That's exactly what a bulk eraser is. Why would it render a tape unrecordable?

Crocodile,
My understanding is that in its most simplistic form, magnetic tape is composed of arrangable magnetic material within a plastic "sandwhich". laid out as tracks
The magnetic "powder" is then arranged by the recording head in an orderly fashion which makes the data ( audio. video. PC data,) readable as such when played back later
Any further magnetising the of the tape results in rearranging and altering the data so that reading it now results in different outcome.
If a strong magent thus disrupts and "erases" the data: , running it thru a recording process just rearranges them again in the previously described orderly way..

So, tapes near a magnet are undesirable if the data is precious and OK if one intends to deliberately lose the data.
As such , unless damaged by chemicals, or extremes of temp ( or damaged mechanism,) even tape erased by a strong magnet should still be reusable.

Is this a sort of simple "flesh on the bones" explanation of "tapes and magnets?? or is there more to it?

[Crocodile]

I wasn't asking for an explanation of how recording works because I understand that.

I was just questioning 807's suggestions that mini DV tapes are unsutable for erasure by a degausser & that exposure to a magnetic field could render the tape unusable. I believe neither to be the case.

[senu]

Far from explaining to you ( what you obviously know ) as such, I was just exposing my "limited understanding" ,in case I was missing something as I too was also puzzled as to why a magnetic field would destroy a tapes recordability

The tone of the post was meant to be inquiring starting from what my current understanding is

We are in essence actually saying the same thing though my post was laying bare why I dont think 807s sugestions were right