Lifespan Of Minidv Tapes?

I'm getting old... and I just realized that means so are all my mini-dv tapes. A lot of them are just on the brink of being 10 years old... so I'm wondering if anyone knows what the average lifespan of a mini dv tape is?

I've been searching around and a lot of people are saying 10 years... but I think it's all dependent on how often view and use the tape.

One site I checked out analyzed the lifespan in terms of use rather than time... and it said on average they last for about "9 passes"... meaning a full 9 times of either playing back the tape, or recording over it. But even this sounds a bit off. I've watched tapes a dozen times and they play fine... although I do notice the majority of my older tapes have a ton of dropouts.

Anyone have any info on this stuff? I may need to start backing up 200 hours of footage...

Depending on how you store them, they could possibly make it 8 years, sorta..
The dropouts are either from parts of the tape deteriorating or dirty heads on the camera. I say you should back them up. If not, keep them away from any computers, speakers, and hard drives because that can damage them as well. Keep them in a cool place, about 60F with a low humidity. I've had tapes last over 9 passes so I think if your just watching over the tape it'll be okay, but eventually you'll start to see dropouts from it. That's a lot of fotage to back up, but it would suck if you lost some of it because of faulty tapes.

you're best bet would be to capture them all and edit the footage into some kind of dvd movie film then release it, weak sister would live forever.

yuss. ^

^

well ive got around 50 tapes that are all over 8 years old already and theyre all still fine, minus the ones with the drop outs. The ones with the dropouts are usually tapes that I ended up putting through various cameras and reusing 2 or 3 times. For some reason when I would record with a JVC, and then re-record with a Sony, it would royally fuck the quality up. But point is.. the drop outs have nothing to do with time or lifespan, as these dropouts occured very early on. I have no tapes that appear to be damaged simply by age.

and now that I think of it.. people said VHS tapes only last 10 years as well... I have ones that are close to 20 years old and still work fine..

I think people are coming up with these numbers by factoring in what they believe to be the average use of a tape over time. If a tape sits around in a box unused I wouldnt be surprised if it could last 20 years.

My only concern atm is that Im near the ocean and the air here has a tendency to cause corrosion to certain materials over time.

anyway thanks for the feedback

just upload every tape you have, and send it to me, or edited all the footage and make a weak sisters dvd...and send it to me. like common start filming again, and not just porn, some of the stuff you've released is sooo good, episcally the unfinished edits. please start filmin again man!!!

Keep tapes in cases and in a box and the air wont effect shiiit.

I still have all your upped footage from Weak Sisters/Destray/Fukt. All the promo's and trailers etc, they are the only ones I have ever kept.

I have those 2

I have those 3.

I have those 20 something.

I have cancer.

We can only hope.

is there any website where I could watch them ??

Fuck you Matt! FUCK YOU.

That's definitely true, the salt and humidity in the air can corrode those tapes. Dropouts can be caused by many different things, even more expensive dvcam tapes that I use have an occasional drop out. Best bet would be to back all that up on a hard drive or 2, but that takes time which you probably don't have.

I'm hoping that your footage will be released, I can help if you want, I've got the time and resources. Kinda weird tho, I understand trusting someone on a forum can be hard, but I'm legit.

send me your personal tapes aswell lol

lolerbating all over the idea

all my older tapes are fine, they are easy to loose though

hi weak!

This has come up a few times in some of the skydiving forums.
As long as you are only recording to them once, loading them onto your computer to edit(or old school linear editing) and archiving them, it will last almost indefinately. Assuming low humidity, cool temps, and non corrosive atmosphere and barring some catostrophic event that damages the tape. Some people are arguing that it will last longer than DVD's (they are arguing over the different formats and multiple pass burning methods or something).
the point is as long as you aren't recording multiple times on the same tape (re-recording. The tapes are relatively cheap now.), using the same tapes in your camera, and store them properly, you are fine. Now recording raw footage in multiple formats and storing in different location so you don't loose the footage in some catastrophic event isn't a bad idea either.
Keep in mind some formats go out of popularity. It will become difficult to access the archived footage without equipment that has since become outdated.

what