By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 1990, The Syracuse Newspapers
How can you tell good videotapes from bad ones?
This is one of the questions called in by readers after my last
column, on videotape quality vs. price.
I had pointed out testing by Consumer Reports confirmed my own
findings that expensive tapes don't necessarily work better than
cheap tapes. And I had also noted that ultra-cheap tapes should
be avoided, since they could make your VCR jam and could even
ruin the recorder's spinning heads.
This brought up the obvious question: Is there a way consumers
can tell which tapes are just cheap and which are both cheap and
poorly made?
Yes, there's a simple inspection you can make. You don't even
need to put the tape in a VCR.
Just examine the slipcase—the outer box that the videocassette
comes in. Because none of the makers of ultra-cheap tape would
dare spend anything extra on packaging, all poor-quality tapes
come in cheap cardboard slipcases. It's their mark of non-quality,
if you will.
You can tell cheap cardboard easily—it's soft and rough. It's
so soft, in fact, that it tends to shed tiny paper fibers. They
fall into the cardboard slipcase and work their way into the cassette
shell.
Then, when you put the tape into your VCR, the cardboard debris
acts just like sandpaper. The moving parts in your recorder can
be damaged with just a few playings.
No reputable manufacturers use cheap cardboard slipcases. Most
use plastic, although some have turned to heavy cardboard that
has been coated to keep it from flaking.
By the way, don't be afraid to take the shrink-wrap off a cassette
before you buy it. There's no other way to find out whether the
slipcase is made from cheap cardboard before you get to the cash
register.
Another reader asked whether some videotapes are less likely to
jam or break than others. The answer is in the ``yes, but'' category.
Yes, there are cassette designs that put less stress on the tape.
These are the hard-to-find ``short-play'' tapes in such lengths
as 30 minutes and 60 minutes (T-30 and T-60).
Manufacturers usually place larger-than-usual hubs inside these
cassettes—partly to make them look less empty, and partly to
reduce the pulling force exerted on the tape each time you switch
the VCR into play, record or one of the fast-wind modes.
The principle is the same as idea of bigger and smaller gears
on a 10-speed bike. A large hub slows down the transport's responses
and makes them gentler.
However, if you are having trouble with cassettes that jam, you
should have your VCR checked. A properly operating recorder won't
cause a normal tape to jam.
Another question: How long will videotape last?
The answer is not clear. Experts at some of the tape companies
say videotapes that are kept in so-called ``archival'' conditions
-- a cool room, apparently—should last for 80 years. But others
doubt that tapes will last for more than 20 years.
If you have priceless tapes, you'd be wise to make copies of them
every five years or so.
technofile:
[Articles]
[Home page] [Comments: afasoldt@dreamscape.com]