Storing Tapes

Robert Morane · May 7th, 2008, 06:11 PM

I need to store for long term more than 300 tapes (DV, VHS, DVCAM, etc).
I was thinking of sealed and vacuum plastic bag (bunch of 20 tapes) then put in Rubbermaid cases. Any potential problems?

Doug Okamoto · May 7th, 2008, 08:22 PM

The only issue that I can think of is humidity. You might want to throw in a desiccant product in the bag to make sure the tapes stay dry.

Keep the tapes in a cool but dry environment and you probably don't need to seal them in a bag, the Rubbermaid cases should be enough but if you wanted the extra security then by all means go ahead.

I have the same issue, I have about 500 to 800 various VHS, miniDV, and DVCAM tapes that I have in storage cases with no known problems.

Robert Morane · May 8th, 2008, 12:06 PM

Thanks the desiccant is a good idea.

Greg Laves · May 11th, 2008, 07:48 PM

One other storage notion. I know that with larger tapes like VHS and Betacam, it is important to store the tapes vertically. If the tapes are stored on their side, the tape distorts from its own weight over time. this may not ever be an issue with smaller tapes but it couldn't hurt to store them vertically, also.

David Beisner · July 14th, 2008, 08:10 AM

Don't bother. Hire someone (like your teenage kid, if you have one) to copy the tapes over to your NLE and archive by hard drive or blu-ray. Chances are you won't be able to find a player for your tapes in 15-20 years.

Shaun Roemich · July 14th, 2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Beisner

Don't bother. Hire someone (like your teenage kid, if you have one) to copy the tapes over to your NLE and archive by hard drive or blu-ray. Chances are you won't be able to find a player for your tapes in 15-20 years.

Which of course would lead to the discussion of whether one could mount current issue hard drives or Blu-Ray media in 15 - 20 years...

Jim Andrada · July 19th, 2008, 06:31 PM

Which would then naturally lead to the discussion of what you'd be able to mount them on.

Of course, you can still buy 3.5 inch floppy drives today. The Japanese company I consult for still manufactures them in volume.

And about two years ago we were asked by a major Japanese customer to build a couple of open reel 9 track tape drives so they could continue to read media from the 1970's. We built them. But I hate to think what we charged for them!

I know that the petroleum exploation companies have tapes in the archive that are over 40 years old and they keep old hardware around just to read them.

Bill Pryor · July 19th, 2008, 08:08 PM

The old rule for storing larger tapes, like 3/4 and Betacam, was to always rewind them all the way to the very head, store them in their boxes, store them upright like books, and do it in a place with fairly constant temperature, ie., home, office, etc., that's heated and air conditioned.

Back in the 3/4" tape days, edge curl was a notorious problem. Actually, with 3/4, everything was a problem. If a tape was stored laying down for a few months it could develop edge curl and the result would be audio dropouts because audio tracks ran down the edge. That's also why the good audio went to channel 2, the inside track a little farther from the edge. I don't know if any of that, including storage, did any good, but that's what everybody recommended. Couldn't hurt anything for DV either.

Robert Morane · July 20th, 2008, 01:33 PM

Thank you. We are indeed converting everything in Digital files (QTime) so the point was to find the best way to store away the tapes, hoping never to have to play them back again.

May 7th, 2008, 06:11 PM	#1
Robert Morane Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Diego, Ca Posts: 139	Storing Tapes I need to store for long term more than 300 tapes (DV, VHS, DVCAM, etc). I was thinking of sealed and vacuum plastic bag (bunch of 20 tapes) then put in Rubbermaid cases. Any potential problems? __________________ Measure twice, cut once!

May 8th, 2008, 12:06 PM	#3
Robert Morane Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Diego, Ca Posts: 139	Thanks the desiccant is a good idea. __________________ Measure twice, cut once!

July 14th, 2008, 08:10 AM	#5
David Beisner Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dayton, TN (USA) Posts: 153	Don't bother. Hire someone (like your teenage kid, if you have one) to copy the tapes over to your NLE and archive by hard drive or blu-ray. Chances are you won't be able to find a player for your tapes in 15-20 years. __________________ David Beisner SDG Productions, Dayton, TN, USA

July 20th, 2008, 01:33 PM	#9
Robert Morane Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Diego, Ca Posts: 139	Thank you. We are indeed converting everything in Digital files (QTime) so the point was to find the best way to store away the tapes, hoping never to have to play them back again. __________________ Measure twice, cut once!

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

May 7th, 2008, 08:22 PM	#2
Doug Okamoto Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bellevue, Washington Posts: 142	The only issue that I can think of is humidity. You might want to throw in a desiccant product in the bag to make sure the tapes stay dry. Keep the tapes in a cool but dry environment and you probably don't need to seal them in a bag, the Rubbermaid cases should be enough but if you wanted the extra security then by all means go ahead. I have the same issue, I have about 500 to 800 various VHS, miniDV, and DVCAM tapes that I have in storage cases with no known problems.

May 11th, 2008, 07:48 PM	#4
Greg Laves Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 262	One other storage notion. I know that with larger tapes like VHS and Betacam, it is important to store the tapes vertically. If the tapes are stored on their side, the tape distorts from its own weight over time. this may not ever be an issue with smaller tapes but it couldn't hurt to store them vertically, also.

July 19th, 2008, 06:31 PM	#7
Jim Andrada Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 760	Which would then naturally lead to the discussion of what you'd be able to mount them on. Of course, you can still buy 3.5 inch floppy drives today. The Japanese company I consult for still manufactures them in volume. And about two years ago we were asked by a major Japanese customer to build a couple of open reel 9 track tape drives so they could continue to read media from the 1970's. We built them. But I hate to think what we charged for them! I know that the petroleum exploation companies have tapes in the archive that are over 40 years old and they keep old hardware around just to read them.

July 19th, 2008, 08:08 PM	#8
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 3,307	The old rule for storing larger tapes, like 3/4 and Betacam, was to always rewind them all the way to the very head, store them in their boxes, store them upright like books, and do it in a place with fairly constant temperature, ie., home, office, etc., that's heated and air conditioned. Back in the 3/4" tape days, edge curl was a notorious problem. Actually, with 3/4, everything was a problem. If a tape was stored laying down for a few months it could develop edge curl and the result would be audio dropouts because audio tracks ran down the edge. That's also why the good audio went to channel 2, the inside track a little farther from the edge. I don't know if any of that, including storage, did any good, but that's what everybody recommended. Couldn't hurt anything for DV either.