Thread: Blacking a videotape

I am familiar with the process of 'blacking' a Video tape to burn a time code into it before using it in a camcorder. But do all camcorders produce the same time code, whether I am using a Canon HV20 or a JVC digital camcorder? I am trying to avoid using the Canon HV20 for blacking, to avoid wearing it out, and I wonder whether I can use the older JVC camcorder to get the same result? Is the time code fixed on the tape after blacking or does it need to be re-burnt when re-recording?

Blacking is a practice that dates back to the days of analogue video tape, when time codes synchronised tapes between cameras on large-scale video shoots. Because analogue tape didn't keep an accurate track of the time on the tape, it was difficult to figure out where the correct points were to edit footage. The time code allowed video editors to synchronise their tapes, and blacking - running the tape through the camera with the lens cap on - created the time code on the tape before it was used for the first time.

With digital tape, it's not as big an issue because miniDV tapes, the most common kind, have the time code automatically stored on them when they're made. Most authorities on miniDV tapes recommend against blacking for this reason. You can find more information at the DV Show webside, which does include a good piece of advice: you can get better performance out of your tapes by running through them
completely on rewind.

This is called 'packing' the tape, and it can loosen the tape inside the cassette and even out the tension, making it easier for the camcorder to maintain a constant recording speed. This does put strain on the camcorder, but you can do this part in the older JVC camera, then use the tapes in the Canon without a problem.