All tape is prone to damage from incorrect storage, most common is mold damage. As a result, this causes the layers of magnetic tape to stick together causing the tape to snap during playback.
A batch of DVCPRO cassettes were sent in to us after another local transfer facility returned the tapes to the customer as “unrecoverable”. Challenge accepted! We subsequently stripped the magnetic tape from the cases and after a short time in our tape baking oven we manually cleaned and rewound the tape onto new tape reels. Thereafter the damaged sections were removed, and the good tape sections reattached to the reels. Once the cassettes were reassembled, we digitized the individual sections of tape with our Sony and Panasonic VTR’s. As a result of the repair process, we were able to rescue over 99% of the material. This was due in part to the damaged tape sections of tape being at the beginning or ends of the various recordings. Subsequent tape recordings were done via a direct serial digital transfer and uncompressed QuickTime files supplied to the customer.
The result – a very happy customer.
Below are pictures of the tapes showing some of the damage.
Digital Mix can repair and transfer most professional and domestic tape formats, and we stock spare cases and reels for most of the supported formats.
We transfer the following video, sound and film formats.
Video
- Digital Betacam
- Betacam SP
- Betacam
- DVCAM
- XDCAM Disc HD or SD
- DVCPRO 25
- Umatic SP
- Umatic low band
- Super VHS
- VHS
- VHS C
- Video 8
- Hi8
- Digital 8
- Mini DV
- HDV
- Betamax
Audio
- Audio Tape
- Mini Disc
- Micro cassette
- LP
- 1/4 inch audio reel
Film scanning 2K / HD under or over scan options
- Super 8 with or without sound
- Regular 8 film
- 9.5mm film (pathescope)
- 16mm film.
Contact Digital Mix to discuss your tape or film transfers.