Overview Tapes we are talking about can be video tapes or audio tapes....they are all basically the same type of construction. Tapes can absorb moisture over time and the surface can become sticky. This sticky tape syndrome will prevent the tape form being transferred as the tape will gum up the heads on the reading machine.

What Causes This To Happen

Storing the tapes in a very humid environment....like the tropics
Some audio tapes have been known to be more likely to break down over time

Solution

Tape baking is a common practice to remove the moisture. We have a Excalibur Dehydrator that we use to bake the tape.

Bake the tape at 120 degrees F for 4 to 8 hours. TESTED.

Test

Tape: BC Lib tape 2008-058 tape #1 on May 2, 2015

Came across a reel-to-reel tape that squeaked a lot in the middle of the tape and also left reside/dust below the machine and in the path. The tape's digital file was good at the start and end but muffled and screechy in the middle. The tape physically appeared different looking at it from the side of the reel....the first 1/4 inch of tape looked different (lighter in colour) than the rest of the tape.

Baked the tape at 130 F in the dehydrator for about 5 hours. Let the tape acclimatize hanging on the reel-to-reel deck for about 20-30 minutes. Ran the tape...no squealing and the digital file was perfect!!

U-Matic (20 minute tape) tape on May 20, 2015

Ran the tape and captured the audio and some of the video later on in the tape. The tape had 2 musical numbers on it and only the second number sort of captured....the first one only the audio and the video was major snow! Ran a test tape with bars and found the same snow and okay audio capture. Cleaned the heads (several times...until no dirt appeared) and re-ran test tape...bars and audio good!

Baked the tape at 125 F in the dehydrator for 8-9 hours (in at 8am out at 5pm?).

Sample of Before and After

Before:

[audio mp3="http://www.lifetimeheritagefilms.com/knowledgebase/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/sticky-shed-sample-bad.mp3"][/audio]

After - (fixed via baking):

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky-shed_syndrome

The link below describes baking U-Matic tapes:

https://blogs.library.duke.edu/bitstreams/2014/04/09/digitization-details-bringing-duke-living-history-into-your-future/

John Romein

January 9, 2012

Processes & Proced...

Old Media - Where To Send

John Romein

January 9, 2012

Processes & Proced...

Overview Here's a list of old media that we cannot do and resources of places that can help.

History

Here's a neat website that list all the video tape formats:

http://www.ultimatewebdesigning.com/articles/formats.html

3/4" U-matic Tape

(Commercial Electronics - Don)

We now handle 3/4" U-matic (Mar 2012).

Range: 1971 - early 1990's

History (highlight summary):

3/4" U-Matic 1970
3/4" U-Matic SP 1986

Formats: low-band, high-band, SP

Resources:

timecoding

http://graphics.stanford.edu/lab/video/Equipment/umatrecdeck.html

This format was introduced by Sony in 1971. Although introduced as a consumer tape, it actually caught on more as a Pro tape. By the mid '70's TV stations started using it. There was also a U-Matic S format (max 20 mins) like the VHS-C tapes....designed for the portable units. Many of the newer frontloading machines can accept the S format tapes without an adaptor (earlier top loading ones required an adaptor). By the early 90's Betacam SP had more-or-less replaced U-matic.

Improvements made:

TBC circuitry....drop out compensation.
Dolby noise reduction
SP (superior performance) technology...improves video picture

1/2" Sony CV Video Tape

One of the first video tapes that was cheap enough for home use. Introduced around the mid 1960's to early 1970's.

www.videointerchange.com starts at $175 (baking will be required and is included) for 0 to 30 minutes
www.dcvideo.com

1/2" Sony EIAJ Video Tape

One of the first video tapes that was cheap enough for home use. Introduced around 1969 and caught on in the early 1970's. EIAJ-1 for B&W, and then later EIAJ-2 for color. EIAJ-1 machines were the Sony AV-3600 and 3650 (editor), whereas the color machines were Sony AV-8600 and 8650 (editor).

www.videointerchange.com starts at $95 ($135 if baking required) for 0 to 30 minutes
www.dcvideo.com
www.vivomediaarts.com VIVO Media Arts, Vancouver 604-872-8337 ext 2 (Alex Muir) $50 per hour
Western Front, Vancouver. Both machines are now working(Jan 2017). Send referrals to (Kristy Waller): Archivist Western Front303 East 8th Avenue Vancouver BC V5T 1S1 Canada

T. +1.604.876.9343 F. +1.604.876.4099 E. archivist@front.bc.ca W. www.front.bc.ca

1" Video Tape

From 1963 to 1988 there were some 15 different 1" video tape formats and at least that many machines to handle this tape. We do not handle 1" tape and those that do charge around $250 per hour. When they handle this tape, they need to first try several machines to find out which format the tape was recorded in. The tape will also be sticky so they need to bake the tape to remove moisture before processing the tape. Some places that handle these:

www.videointerchange.com
www.dcvideo.com
Finale Editworks, Vancouver
1. Rob Robinson (VTR guy) 604-876-7678 ext 321
2. charged special rate of $140 per hour of video....transferred to Betacam SP (then I'd transfer to whatever?)

References:

http://www.smecc.org/sony_cv_series_video.htm

PAL miniDV

We Now provide this as we have a Sony DSR11

Vince Vindetti (Daystar Productions) has a DSR11 that can read PAL miniDV's and can dump them to DVD or whatever....don't forget the miniDV will hold 13.5GB.

604-944-0785

daystarpro@shaw.ca

Other References:

Also check out .... "Services That Others Provide (and we don't)"