Video Asylum

Posted by Frank2001 (i) on May 17, 2001 at 23:03:05

Tapes made and recorded, say, prior to 1990, are now at extreme risk for normal playback unless they've been properly cared for.

"Properly Cared For" -- means {1} storing tapes in a temperature-controlled enviroment; {2} kept relatively dust-free; and {3} wound and fully rewound every six to twelve months.

Tapes made by TDK, Maxell, Fuji, Sony and JVC seem to last the longest {even some that haven't been rewound within the last 5 years!}.

Tapes by BASF, Scotch-3M and Memorex also last about as long, but each tape needs to be checked periodically.

Ampex Tapes {the 189's in the ALL-GRAY carton, and older ones in a black carton with a rainbow logo) are the Critically Endangered Species List.

If you have such Ampex tapes, especially any that were made and recorded more than 10 years ago--then they have probably begun to deteriorate. Playback of such tapes is not recommended, as they can clog tape heads and may also cause warping and/or breakage of the VCR's tape transport.

Such Ampex tapes will also put a devestating strain on your VCR's Fast-Foward and Rewind functions. This is especially true of the "Fast-Wind" generation of VCR's that have been made within the last six years.

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