FORMAT

- Reformatting : at present, transcription is the most effective method we have for archival preservation of videocassettes. This must be done carefully. Cassettes used for new copies should be high-end and brand-name, and purchased in bulk to allow for ample testing of the new material before transcription. Unless it is an absolute last resort, cassettes should not be copied to film, and vice-versa. They have different color spectra and frame rates, and some playback integrity will be lost in transcription from one format to the other.

 

           

- Treatment : many issues that surface with magnetic tape media, such as videocassettes, are reversible or extenuated to some degree:

 

• Due to the inherent warp-and-return properties of PET, tape warping can often be corrected by carefully re-winding the tape inside the cassette and baking it carefully at 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

• Playback issues, such as image “jiggling” or misalignment, can often be fixed either by adjusting the tension inside the cassette itself or using a time-base corrector.

 

• Tape-cleaning machines can be used to clean cassettes when foreign substances have contaminated them.