We may indeed be heading toward a tapeless environment sometime down the road, but I assure you, we aren’t there yet.

Our videotape services department is still busy all the time. 

So this is a reminder that when sending us or anyone a source or master video tape, it’s just good practice to be in the habit of setting any record tab to “safe” so as to prevent any accidental recording over.

(Sure, we’re professionals, but hey, why take any chances with your media.) 

Such “record inhibit” tabs vary between tape formats.  On most broadcast formats like BetacamSP, dBeta and HDCAM, it’s a red tab on the underside that gets pushed in. (see photo above) . . .

And on other formats, like DVcam or DVCpro, it can be a slide button:

And hey, don’t forget those old vhs tapes you have at home with your priceless family memories.

Just break off the little tab (see photo at left) to prevent accidental erasure of those.

But there is at least one archive format that is different.  It’s the Hi8 video format that was popular in the 1990′s.  Sure enough, the tabs on those tapes have to be slid closed, resulting in the red tab being exposed, in order to be made “safe.”  (see photo below)

As my sales colleague Dave Tierney dtierney@videolabs.net said, “Just another reason why that format was a flop.”  Yeah, what was Sony thinking? 

Oh well . . . regardless of the format, we got you covered here at VideoLabs  www.VideoLabs.net  Contact us for all of your media replication and related multimedia needs.

My info is dryan@videolabs.net,  and I now have a new direct phone line: 240-268-3504  

I invite you to browse these categories of other related quick-read tape-related blogs on this site: 

video production: http://tinyurl.com/ygmmrzt  

video duplication: http://tinyurl.com/ylskb8e 

post-production: http://tinyurl.com/yzwltx2

And follow me on Twitter for exclusive short-term steep discounts: www.Twitter.com/DRMediaSolution

I always welcome your comments.

Recuerda que hablo espanol tambien.