OK, I would be hard-pressed to defend our media replication industry as a “green” endeavor. 

But many of my clients are asking for suggestions as to ways they can have less of an enivornmental impact with their orders.  Good for them! I am starting a series of blog entries to offer some answers.  And it’s not just me.  Stacey Flynn, the manager of the multimedia department at Video Labs, has been doing a great deal of research on this matter, and I hope to share some of her findings in the near future as well.

But for this first entry, let’s look at one idea that has been around for quite some time — and provides cost savings.  I’m talking about the use of ”evaluated” Betacam tape stock for your dub orders.  (At this time, we offer evaluated stock in Betacam only.)

Which one of the above is the evaluated Betacam tape?

Ok, sure, it’s not the outside of the tape that’s imporant.  I fully realize that it’s the condition of  microscopic particles of the tape that matter.   That is where the term “evaluated” comes into play.  Used stock is electronically evaluated to be sure that various quality levels (e.g. number of of drop-outs per minute) are maintained. 

The analogy implied in the above picture is not unlike the experience of dealing with automobiles.  We all know that with a new car, it’s said that once you drive the vehicle off the dealer’s lot, it theoretically immediately loses a disporportional percentage of its value.  But has the car really deteriorated that much after being driven less than one-mile?

The same logic applies when comparing new vs. evaluated tape.  We offer evaluated Betacam stock that has just one record pass on it.  Has the tape really lost its integrity?  Well, just as with a the car example, it doesn’t really matter what’s reality. It’s the perception that’s rules. And that perception dictates that evaluated tape should be severely discounted — and we do so with a 25% off new tape prices.  Now we’re talking some savings!

Are there instances where you wouldn’t want to take any chance with evaluated tape?  Sure, a high-end presentation or broadcast for example.

But are there situations where it might make sense to use evaluated tape?  Most definitely.  Certain distributions of PSA’s to broadcast and cable outlets might be such a case.

Maybe you have an example of where using evaluated stock has made sense for your needs.  I invite you to share that below in the comments section.

In conclusion, using evaluated tape is recycling at its best.  And in this case, recycling is good not only for the environment, but for the budget as well.

(By the way, just in case you are curious, tape A above is the evaluated Betacam tape.) 

Next time — wafer seals as a possible alternative to shrink wrap.