lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (12/06/83)
A recent message from someone pointing out that they left their VTR set at BETA III since they "saw no noticeable difference in picture quality" jars me into posting two cautions regarding taping at slow speeds on either BETA or VHS units: 1) Except with the new Beta Hi-Fi system, it is of course the case that slower taping results in degraded audio as well as video. Often, the audio degradation is far more serious than the accompanying video degradation. 2) This is the BIG problem. While you may not see any immediate difference with slow tape speeds, you may be likely to notice differences in six months or a year on those same tapes. The reason? At lower speeds (with both of the casette recording systems) control track information is squeezed into a smaller area per unit of recording time. This renders the tape much more vulnerable to sync glitches and other undesirable video and audio problems as the tape ages. The problem is difficult to avoid without storing your tapes in a good temperature and humidity controlled environment -- this would help prevent the tape stretching and shrinkage that will otherwise occur over time. Of course, just regular tape use also stresses the tape and can cause these same effects. Now, if you're recording something for short-term use and don't plan to keep it around a long time, you needn't worry about these issues, and slower speeds should be fine. But for longer-term storage, it is better to stick with higher speeds to be on the safe side. --Lauren--