Do DVCPRO tapes ever degrade?

Has anyone ever had data on a DVCPRO (high def) tape degrade, causing a noticable video glych or distortion?

All tapes degrade with time. Since the basis for tape is metal particles, oxidization is a reality for tapes of all flavors. Genrally that takes years, of course.

...But you're much more likely to lose the binder or have the backing change shape with age.

I have played very, very old tapes where the oxide was peeling of the backing as I played them. You only get one chance with those.

A far worse problem is plastic backing dimention change. Plastic changes size with age and if it happens enough, the tape will no longer play.

Then, there's the obvious problem of standing there holding a tape and there are no longer any machines in the world to play it.

Here, I have your reference material on BetaMax. Panasonic MII?

Koz

DVCPro is metal evaporated, not metal particle though :-) They're meant to be very robust compared to DV or DVCAM. But yes, they're going to wear out eventualy.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

Everything degrades. I am living proof.

Koz reminds me of a recent reel to reel transfer of a rather good old Hollywood effects library put toegther by Colin Mouat, a fine Universal sound editor and digotal audio pioneer I knew, who passed a few years back. I had like 40 reel sof aging effects racks. I spent a lot of time custom-posiitoning a Que-tip over a Teac tape head, because some of those babies were so dished and cupped you couldn't get head contact any other way. And there's quit ea difference in signal when you do that!

- Loren
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