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From: lute@abnjh.UUCP (J. Collymore)
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Re: Info wanted on Beta Tapes
Message-ID: <478@abnjh.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Feb-84 11:32:16 EST
Article-I.D.: abnjh.478
Posted: Wed Feb 22 11:32:16 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Feb-84 04:16:45 EST
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I think that the method of determining the thickness of Video tapes is the same
as audio tapes.  I picked this up when I was studying electroniic music (in a
4-track studio) during my undergrad years.

There are three thickness of tape (audio):  1.5 mil, 1.0 mil and 0.5 mil.
Your standard 60-90 minute cassettes are 1.0 mil.  Your 1200 ft. 2-8 track
studio reels are 1.5 mil.  Your 120-min cassettes are .5 mil.  On your
longer tapes, a thinner type must be used to allow the greater playing time
to fit in the cassette housing.  The problem is that 0.5mil tapes are very
susceptible to stretching, caused by the tension on it when running it 
(i.e. play, rewind, ff, etc.).  This is why many people had the problem of
getting their 120-min. tapes jammed in their cassettes players.  This caused
many tape manufacturers to discontinue their 120-min. cassttes.

Now, I'm not sure what the standard thickness of video cassette tapes is in
mils, but I would ASSUME that the principle for video cassettes is the same as
that for audio cassettes.  To be certain, ask your dealer.  Now this doesn't
mean that your longer length video tapes will have a problem (e.g. VHS 8-hour
tapes).  I understand that the transport mechanism is  significantly different
than that in audio machines, and won't stretch your tapes, but you may want
to ask around at various video shops to see what dealers and repairmen have to
say.  You might also want to ask other VCR owners if they have tried these
longer (thinner?) tapes and see if they have noticed any problems.  Problems
with tape stretching, I guess would be flutter, or "wa-wa" in the audio track,
and variation in image motion on the video.

If anyone has any other remarks to add to mine, please post them to the net.


					Jim Collymore