Hello marshallkarp,
I'd suggest the following:
• always stick with one tape manufacturer, as different brands use different lubricants (dry vs. wet) and mixing brands can wreak havoc. My personal favorite is Panasonic, but other are good as well - just don't buy no-name stuff to save a couple of bucks.
• never leave tapes in the camcorder when it's not in use and always rewind your tapes.
• you'll need to use a cleaning tape every now and then, but do so sparingly. Cleaning tapes are abrasive and using them too often does the playhead no good.
• always store your camcorder as dry as possible - as an example: coming into a warm room with a camera that is cold (outside use) will cause condensation.
