jdt@voodoo.UUCP (Jim Tomlinson) (06/28/90)
Hope this hasn't been discussed. We just got a 4D/320S (gloat, gloat) with the 8mm cartridge drive. The question is, which manufacturer makes the best tape for digital use? Please e-mail; I'll summarize and post. Thanx. - jdt -- Jim Tomlinson P.O.Box 24346 \ BoGART Project M/S 6M-17 \ "Give me some of that Boeing Computer Services Seattle, WA 98124 \ voodoo thang!" - Colin James (206) 234-7741 ....uunet!bcstec!voodoo!jdt \
baskett%forest.asd@SGI.COM (06/30/90)
People tell me that the top-of-the-line Sony tapes that are approximately $10 and usually sold out at your local video store are best. Cheap 8mm video tape is supposed to be dangerous for your data. Forest Baskett Silicon Graphics
jim@baroque.Stanford.EDU (James Helman) (06/30/90)
Does anyone know if using the top quality tapes completely saves you from the write-through problem? The problem (myth?) as I understand it is that over time (> 1 year) the magnetic pattern written on one section tape can affect the next layer with which it is in contact. I've heard that some manufacturers advise you to rerun the tape every year just to change the way it's wound on the reel. Otherwise it's data decay time. Since we keep many tapes for 5 or more years, we've been too paranoid to buy an 8mm drive, although others here seem quite happy with theirs. If top quality tapes don't guarantee long term data storage, will SGI or a third-party have a DAT subsystem out soon? I understand they are much better in this regard. Jim Helman Department of Applied Physics 6 Trillium Lane Stanford University San Carlos, CA 94070 (jim@thrush.stanford.edu) (415) 723-9127
msc@ramoth.esd.sgi.com (Mark Callow) (06/30/90)
In article <JIM.90Jun29141926@baroque.Stanford.EDU>, jim@baroque.Stanford.EDU (James Helman) writes: |> If top quality tapes don't guarantee long term data storage, will SGI |> or a third-party have a DAT subsystem out soon? I understand they |> are much better in this regard. |> Recent articles in rec.video indicate that DAT will not perform any better than 8mm video tape with regard to tape stretching, data longevity etc. Once article mentioned that because DAT's contain digital data with 2 levels of error detection and correction the effects of stretched tape will be reduced. However when using 8mm video for backup the data is digital... -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@ramoth.sgi.com, ...{ames,decwrl}!sgi!msc "There is much virtue in a window. It is to a human being as a frame is to a painting, as a proscenium to a play. It strongly defines its content."
karsh@trifolium.esd.sgi.com (Bruce Karsh) (06/30/90)
In article <JIM.90Jun29141926@baroque.Stanford.EDU> jim@baroque.Stanford.EDU (James Helman) writes: >Does anyone know if using the top quality tapes completely saves you >from the write-through problem? The problem (myth?) as I understand >it is that over time (> 1 year) the magnetic pattern written on one >section tape can affect the next layer with which it is in contact. >I've heard that some manufacturers advise you to rerun the tape every >year just to change the way it's wound on the reel. Otherwise it's >data decay time. Since we keep many tapes for 5 or more years, we've >been too paranoid to buy an 8mm drive, although others here seem quite >happy with theirs. Print-thru on tapes is an old problem. I've seen advice to re-run old-fashioned 1/2 inch tapes periodically too. However, hardly anybody does this and the tapes seem to work for years without it. It might be a good idea though if you are archiving data "for eternity". I have seen very old 1/2 inch (1600 bpi) tapes which had accumulated read errors over time. I don't know whether 8mm is any better or worse than 1/2 inch tape. >If top quality tapes don't guarantee long term data storage, will SGI >or a third-party have a DAT subsystem out soon? I understand they >are much better in this regard. Computer DAT tapes have 3 layers of error correcting codes. The audio DAT tapes only have 2. Since consumer music tapes will soon be competing with CDs and cassettes, they'll have to be adequate media to allow the audio tapes to last for years. If that's the case, then the extra layer of ECC should ensure that computer data will also last for years. Bruce Karsh karsh@sgi.com
schuman@sgi.com (Aaron Schuman) (07/03/90)
Forest Baskett> People tell me that the top-of-the-line Sony tapes Forest Baskett> that are approximately $10 and usually sold out at Forest Baskett> your local video store are best. I got Sony tapes for about $6.00 at Price Club, and they work fine for backup. If anybody knows of a cheaper source, please post.
tonia@maddog.sgi.com (Tonia Cantrell) (07/07/90)
I've been using the Sony P6-120MP for backups for a couple of years now and so far I've had no problems. I've been buying them lately at Fry's Electronics for $5.99 each.