Tape Storage Racks
 

I shoot Sony PDVM-40N, mini-DVCAM tapes. These come packaged in a large blue, plastic case, which while it provides excellent protection, the storage racks made for consumer mini-DV tape will not work with them. I can find a rack for full size DV tape, but I believe mini case size is different.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

Does anyone know of good modular racks for these tapes?

Tape Storage Position - Horizontal or Vertical?
 

Hi all -
Fellow DVinfo'er, Marco Leavitt and I were chatting the other night and the question of how to store DV tapes came up. One of us advocated standing the tape horizontally, the other thought that standing the tape on the long edge was the way to go.

A search of the Long Black Line had only one mention that applied to this question... http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...t=tape+storage and that person felt that on edge was the best way to store a DV tape.

Any thoughts? (Besides the fact that we need to get a life!)

I have always heard standing up tape vertically was best at least in theory. However, in practice I am not sure how much it really matters.

You're supposed to stand them up vertically. Having them horizontal for long periods of time could distort the edge of the tape as the weight of the tape presses it down. I also read that you should fast-forward and rewind tapes periodically.

The winding out and rewinding of a tape prior to its 1st use is a good thing to do. Sometimes, tape can stick to itself, and that can be problematic when recording.

OK Marco - I owe you a beer

A clarification...
 

Just to make it clear, "on it's side" or "horizontally" means the cassette is resting on its face (where the label goes) or on its back (the drive side), whereas "on edge" or "vertically" means the tape reels are suspended like toilet paper: ready to go!

This is also why in most cases you do not want to transport a tape from one location to another while in the camera. Since it is untensioned and unlocked, the tape pack on each reel can shift, causing ripples in the media. Not good, though digital recording has masked this to a marked degree.

I've always stored them "vertically", on the short edge, like a book in a book case. But it's weird that I just realized I store new tapes in the boxes, vertical on the long edge. But once they are used, I store them in a rack vertical on the short edge. Hmm, I should work on my consistency.

I don't know for sure, but you could check www.tapeonline.com and see what they carry.

Pretty sure this is the one you want for Mini DVCAM tapes:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

Searcing on the model #DV8-36 lists the smaller DVCAM tapes as compatable. I have this on order and will post yes or no when I receive it.

Just to follow up, the tape rack in the above post is what you need for Mini DVCAM tapes. I just received it and the tapes fit perfectly.

He needs a rack to hold the large DV cases:

http://www.taperesources-store.com/s...RDCLG&dept=241

He's asking for storage for DVCAM MiniDV tapes. The link in his post is to one just like you posted (large DVCAM). He wants something for the Sony PDVM-40N Mini DVCAM tapes.

Anyway, hope this helps Jeff.

I'm a fan of GemTrac
 

I like GemTrac

http://www.russbassett.com/products/gemtrac.cfm

They are very strong in the Corporate World, I don't know about home studio however.

Oh, I see it now. I had to re-read it a couple of times. I wonder if anybody ever made racks for pro Hi8 album cases. You sure couldn't buy replacements or even labels for love or money. Well, that's moot, now.