Review on MiniDV Cassette Rewinder with AC Adapter - Enhanced Digital Concepts for Efficient Rewinding by Corey Krull

Since this is the only "new" DV Rewinder on the market, I ordered it thinking I could somehow get it working. I found out that he ate my victim DV tape right out of the blister pack. It seemed to work better with AC, although it still occasionally stopped mid-spool and left a short piece of tape hanging from the cartridge when I removed the tape. So I took it apart (fairly easy, four screws), plugged in the base of the mechanism and was able to watch the motor, pulleys and belts and toggle the device between on and off and FF and Rew. I found that there are two straps and they slip easily, when I used my finger to create a little resistance. So I took a small brush and a bar of soap, made a thin paste out of the soap and applied it to the belts with the engine running. Now the device works MUCH better, on batteries OR on mains! It still occasionally stops before the end of the reel, but only with the tension switch. The tape is still taut and the cassette comes out with no problem. I can put the tape back in, run it again, and the winding process usually completes on the first try. At least he's reliable enough now that I can trust him with my notes. Recommendation: Only use the take-up reel to rewind from the end of the tape and start recording at least a full minute after the beginning of the tape. It will still stop before the end of the drum from time to time, but only with the voltage switch. The tape is still taut and the cassette comes out with no problem. I can put the tape back in, run it again, and the winding process usually completes on the first try. At least he's reliable enough now that I can trust him with my notes. Recommendation: Only use the take-up reel to rewind from the end of the tape and start recording at least a full minute after the beginning of the tape. It still occasionally stops before the end of the reel, but only with the tension switch. The tape is still taut and the cassette comes out with no problem. I can put the tape back in, run it again and the winding process is usually completed on the first try. At least he's reliable enough now that I can trust him with my notes. Sentence: