Storing tapes - not digital storage
 

Okay, I'm starting to accumulate a little pile of DV tapes.

How do you guys store, organize tapes? If these were CDs or DVD, no problem. Lots of storage options. Are there tape sleeves out there? I like envelopes rather than towers.

Keith,
Yes, that's the dirty little side effect of the video camera; you accumulate these tapes. And, just as tiny snowflakes accumulate to eventually cripple a city, so can tiny little tapes accumulate to cripple a room.

Cool, dry, and consistent are the watchwords of tape storage. Tapes I'm currently working with go into plastic food containers similar to those Glad storage containers you'll find at the grocery store. (A local Japanese restaurant provides perfect containers for free each time I order a delivery.) For intermediate storage I use an old array of those inter-locking 3.5" diskette drawers (now vacated with the obsolescence of 3.5" diskettes). For long-term storage I use a foot locker case. What happens when that overflows? I've no idea. Perhaps a mountain in Nevada?

You see, I've already stepped on one and went flying against my computer...

Hi, I posted a similar question before, here it is:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2594

Thanks.

I posted the same message on DVDA and the consensus is: shoeboxes.

storage
 

I keep mine inside a fire proof gun safe within the small tower type storage units so I can stack them up neatly.

I also keep plenty dessicant in the safe to keep the moisture out.

Along with Ken's suggestions of cool, dry, and consistent there are a few more rules for maximum tape life in storage. The tape should be rewound to the head of the tape. Do not leave tapes partially wound. Partially wound tapes sag and stretch and when put in player may be eaten. At least once or twice a year exercise your tapes. They need to be fast forwarded and rewound . This will re-tension the tapes evenly and release residual magnetism. Residual magnetism is caused by two magnetic surface (one layer of tape on top of another) that stay in close proximity or contact with each other. By fast forwarding and rewinding the tape is not in contact with exactly the same piece of tape as before. These suggestions are for maximum archival storage.

Jeff

Tape storage
 

I was wondering if there is some specific way to store blank and recorded tapes (ie such as film in the freezer). I tried a search but didn't find anything that answered both questions. Thanks.

Cool, dry, protected from dust and direct sunlight, and protected from wide variations in temperature. I believe that edge-up, rather than flat-down, may be the preferred attitude for long-term storage. I know that that position was often recommended for larger tape cassettes.

Maybe we should call this new forum The Long, Cool, Dry, Clean Black Line.

Thanks Ken.

DV tape storage?
 

What would you recommend to store DV tapes? Especially lots of them....I've seen some of these DV tape storage cases at B&H. Anyone recommend a certain brand/model? Those wall-mounted ones should be very nice...my room/office is already crowded enough on the ground. :-)

Dave, a quick search of your key words (DV tape storage) revealed many threads on this topic. After scanning the possibilities, this thread seems like a good one for you.

Datrax & others wall-mountable MiniDV Tape storage?
 

Has anyone tried one of these? I am thinking about buying one from B&H (I can't find it anywhere else local). The wall-mountable idea seems very neat and some can place 25 and some place 50 MiniDV tapes. Would be great for organization to hang in an office or video editing room/place. :-)

Has anyone ever tried these? I know some people just use a regular box for storage and jam tapes in there, but I want to find a more organized approach...

Is it open or closed? Definitely go with a closed system.

Opened...why closed? Take a look at B&H's inventory, search for Datrax. They are like insertable-DV-tape trays.