Introduction

DVCPRO is a professional-quality variation of the DV video recording specification introduced by Panasonic in 1995. DVCPRO also refers to video tape recorders and videocassettes that are designed to support these video recording specifications.

DVCPRO was used for professional and broadcast purposes such as electronic news gathering and producing cable television. This format uses the same compression scheme as DV but improves on colour rendition and robustness, employs “locked audio” tracks, and is better suited for linear editing environments. DVCPRO bit streams can also be carried in the MPEG-2 transport stream.

In 1997, an enhanced version of DVCPRO was brought to market. DVCPRO50 used two parallel DV codecs and featured a bitrate of 50 Mbps and a colour-sampling resolution of 4:2:2. This increased data rate reduced the recording time of DVCPRO50 by half, compared to standard DVCPRO. Panasonic also marketed a high definition DV format, which was made available in 2000. DVCPRO HD combined four parallel DV codecs, which increased the bitrate to 100 Mbps. A progressive scan version (DVCPRO P) was also developed to respond to the need for 525p images. Panasonic stopped selling videotape equipment in 2013.

Image source

Image source: https://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/sales_o/02products/tapes/tapes.html

Physical Characteristics

Tape width	1/4 inch
Tape composition	Metal particulate
Cassette dimensions	Large cassettes: 4 7/8" x 3" x 9/16" Medium cassettes: 3 13/16" x 2 1/2" x 9/16"
Container dimensions	Large cases: 5 1/4" x 3 5/16" x 3/4" Medium cases: 4 1/8" x 2 3/4" x 3/4"
Identifying features	Yellow anti-static cover: DVCPRO tapes Blue anti-static cover: DVCPRO50 tapes Red anti-static cover: DVCPRO HD tapes DVCPRO logo: upper right hand corner Tape length: left hand corner
Common manufacturers/brands	Panasonic, Maxell, Fuji
Playback	DVCPRO tapes can be played using DVCPRO and DVCAM VTRs DVCPRO VTRs can play DV, DVCAM and DVCPRO tapes

Technical Characteristics

Version	DVCPRO	DVCPRO50	DVCPRO HD
Record time	Large cassettes: up to 126 minutes Medium cassettes: up to 66 minutes	Large cassettes: up to 63 minutes Medium cassettes: up to 33 minutes	Large cassettes: up to 31 minutes Medium Cassettes: up to 16 minutes
Track pitch	18 microns	18 microns	Long play: 18 microns Short play: 9 microns
Track width	18 microns	18 microns	18 microns
Record/playback speed	33.82 mm/sec (1x)	67.63 mm/sec (2x)	135.28 mm/sec (4x)
Bitrate	25 Mbit/s	50 Mbit/s	100 Mbit/s
Bit depth	8 bit	8 bit	8 bit
Colour sampling	4:1:1	4:2:2	4:2:2
Resolution	NTSC: 720x480 PAL: 720x576	NTSC: 720x480 PAL: 720x576	Uses downsampling: 1280x720 becomes 960x720 1920x1080 becomes 1280x1080 (59.94i) 1920x1080 becomes 1440x1080 (50i)
Compression	5:1 DCT compression	3.3:1 DCT compression	6.7:1 DCT compression

Panasonic DVCPRO Tape	DVCPRO	DVCPRO50	DVCPROHD	DVCPROHD-LP	Tape Length
Model	Recording and playback times				(metres)
AJ0P12M (Medium Cassette)	12 minutes	6 minutes	3 minutes	6 minutes	27 m
AJ-P24M (Medium Cassette)	24 minutes	12 minutes	6 minutes	12 minutes	51 m
AJ-P33M (Medium Cassette)	33 minutes	16.5 minutes	8 minutes	16.5 minutes	70 m
AJ-P46M (Medium Cassette)	46 minutes	23 minutes	11.5 minutes	23 minutes	96 m
AJ-P66M (Medium Cassette)	66 minutes	33 minutes	16.5 minutes	33 minutes	137 m
AJ-P34L (Large Cassette)	32 minutes	17 minutes	8.5 minutes	17 minutes	72 m
AJ-P66L (Large Cassette)	66 minutes	33 minutes	16.5 minutes	33 minutes	137 m
AJ-P94L (Large Cassette)	94 minutes	47 minutes	23.5 minutes	47 minutes	194 m
AJ-P126L (Large Cassette)	126 minutes	63 minutes	31.5 minutes	63 minutes	259 m

Table source

Panasonic DVCPro Compatibility & Interchangeability Recording & Playback Times/Application

Technical standards

Format	Standards
DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50	Society for Motion Picture Technical Engineers (SMPTE) standard for television 314M Data structure for DV-based audio, data and compressed video – 25 and 50 MB/s. The differences between IEC 61834-5 and SMPTE 314M are shown in Annex A of SMPTE 314M.
DVCPRO HD	Society for Motion Picture Technical Engineers (SMPTE) standard for television 370M:2006 Data structure for DV-based audio, data and compressed video at 100 Mb/s 1080/60i, 1080/50i, 720/60p, 720/50p.

Storage

Storage environment: temperature	Ideal: 40–54°F (4.5–12°C) Acceptable: 55–60°F (13–15.5°C)
Storage environment: humidity	30–50% RH
Container	DVCPRO containers should pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT) as specified ISO Standard 18916:2007 Plastic: Polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester (a.k.a. Mylar D or Melinex 516). No PVC or acetate Paper/Paperboard: If paper containers are necessary, they should be constructed from lignin-free, neutral pH paper/paperboard Containers are acceptable if they: Are clean and free of mould Protect the media from dust and other contaminants Are not introducing contaminants through degradation Unacceptable containers must be replaced with clean, inert containers.
Orientation of tape in storage	Vertical on its end (like books)

Risk assessment

Digital video material stored on magnetic videotape is considered to be at high-risk of loss or degradation.
1. Polyester base film used in videotape is considered very stable.
2. Other components of the videotape, including the binder, are considerably less stable and are more likely to be the cause of degradation.
3. Format obsolesce, including lack of well-functioning playback equipment poses an equal or even greater risk than degradation, even with higher quality formats such as Digital Betacam
Digital video material stored on magnetic tape should be appraised or re-appraised to determine the nature and signficance of video elements contained on the tape and whether the video elements have sufficient archival value to justify reformatting and long-term preservation as digital video files.

Types of damage and deterioration

Binder deterioration
Description	Commonly known as "sticky shed syndrome." Affected records will have a visible gummy or powdery residue on the surface of the tape. This can damage both the recorded material and playback equipment. Back-coated tapes are most affected by this type of deterioration.
Cause	Polyester urethane is prone to moisture absorption which can cause the molecular structure of the binder to break down. This process is accelerated by high temperature and high humidity.
Remedy	Environmental conditioning: Moving the tape to a controlled storage environment (40°C / 20 to 25% Relative Humidity) may reverse the affects of hydrolysis over time. Baking: Holding the tape at an elevated temperature (45°C to 55°C) for a brief period of time (up to 36 hours) can temporarily remove moisture and allow normal playback for a period of one to two weeks. Tapes should not be rewound before baking.
Drop-out
Description	A brief signal loss caused by a tape head clog, missing magnetic oxide particles, tape defect, or debris on the tape or machine. These factors can reduce head-to-tape spacing and result in the appearance of white spots or streaks on playback. Multiple drop-outs per frame will result in a snowy appearance.
Cause	Tapes kept in dusty conditions will accumulate particulate matter, increasing the risk of drop-out.
Remedy	Flaking/missing magnetic oxide particles are an indication of tape deterioration. This type of drop-out cannot be corrected physically.
Mould
Description	Active mould is generally moist while dormant mould is dry and dusty. Mould growths may be white, black, brown or mustard-coloured and usually have a pattered, fuzzy, or thread-like appearance. Mould can cause permanent damage to tapes over time if not removed. Fungus and mould is also a significant health hazard and affected materials should be handled using gloves and masks.
Cause	Storing tapes at high temperature and relative humidity levels can facilitate the growth of mould.
Remedy	Mouldy tapes should be isolated from unaffected materials to prevent cross contamination. Store tapes at a temperature of 24°C in an environment with effective air circulation and less than 50% Relative Humidity. Loose mold can be vacuumed from the tape pack and then the tape should be treated with an appropriate fungicide.
Stretching and breaking
Description	The elongation of parts of the tape, across the full width of the tape or -most likely- on one or the other side of the tape The separation of tape into two or more pieces.
Cause	usually results from either improper wind or from faulty equipment. May cause long-edge or curvature problems, and distort the signal, but the data can generally be retrieved from an analog tape, usually with a decrease in signal quality." Improper handling or use of playback equipment.
Remedy
Accidental recording
Description	Camera operators can accidentally record over pre-existing footage
Cause	Tape is set to "record mode" when it is inserted into camera or deck
Remedy	Ensure tape is set to "safe mode" before inserting into camera or deck

References

Casey, Mike. "FACET: Format characteristics and preservation problems." Bloomington, IN: Indiana University, 2007.

DigiMad. "Digital Video DV." Accessed February 2, 2021.

Gibson, Gerald. D. "Magnetic tape deterioration: recognition, recovery and prevention." Paper presented at the IASA Conference, Perugia, August 26, 1996.

MediaCollege.com. "The DVCPRO Video format." Accessed January 10, 2021.

MediaCollege.com. "The DVCPRO50 format." Accessed January 10, 2021.

MediaCollege.com. "The DVCPRO HD format." Accessed January 10, 2021.

Museum of Obsolete Media. "DVCPRO (1995 – early 2010s)." Accessed January 10, 2021.

Museum of Obsolete Media. "DVCPRO HD (2000 – early 2010s)." Accessed January 10, 2021.

Museum of Obsolete Media. "DVCPRO50 (1997 – early 2010s)." Accessed January 10, 2021.

Panasonic Canada Inc. "AJHD150 DVCPRO HD Studio VTR." Accessed January 10, 2021.

TapeOnline. "DVCPRO FAQ." January 10, 2021.

Jimenez, Mona and Liss Platt. "Videotape Identification and Assessment Guide." Texas Commission on the Arts. 2004.

Wheeler, Jim. "Videotape preservation handbook." 2002.

Wilt, Adam J. "The DV, DVCAM & DVCPRO Formats: The DV formats tabulated." August 28, 2005.