[lug] 8mm video vs. data tapes

[J. Wayde Allen]

On Sun, 29 Apr 2001, ljp wrote:

> Being an old timey musician, I can say, for a fact. that there IS a 
> difference between the (audio cassette) high bias tape and the standard 
> type, in 2 important ways. Width, high bias mylar is thicker, thus less 
> prone to stretching & breakage. And density. The high bias mylar has more 
> magnetic particles per mm than normal bias, thus can retain more and 
> higher/lower frequencies than standard bias.

I'm thinking that the high bias tape also affects the signal level
available from the tape.  This affects the way the read/write circuitry
would have to be designed, and may also help to separate the wanted signal
from the background noise.  Yeah, I'm speculating a bit here.

> Sometimes manufacturers put tape 'specs' on the covering.

Quite often this is true.  Sometimes you'll even find graphs of the
response curves, on analog tapes anyway.

Tkil's got a point about the newer recording equipment though.  A digital
camcorder for instance wouldn't have the same tape limitations as an
analog system.

Anyway, this thread is getting pretty far off topic.  I think we'd better
let this one go ...

- Wayde
  (wallen at lug.boulder.co.us)