Author Topic: Tapes question (Read 6254 times)

Vahan_Nisanian · « **on:** August 30, 2009, 11:15:42 AM »

Something in a thread about "The Future of GSN" had me thinking: Is there a rule stating that an older game show from the 70's or 80's cannot be converted to digibeta unless GSN acquires it?

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #1 on:** August 30, 2009, 11:40:43 AM »

[quote name=\'gameshowlover87\' post=\'224443\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 11:15 AM\']Something in a thread about "The Future of GSN" had me thinking: Is there a rule stating that an older game show from the 70's or 80's cannot be converted to digibeta unless GSN acquires it?[/quote]
No, of course not. Anybody who has an old tape can get it converted. Whether they would want to, whether they could afford it and what they could do or would do with it afterward are all different questions.

snowpeck · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2009, 11:57:43 AM »

What's so special about digibeta anyway? It's one of many tape formats (and is quite frankly beginning to become out of date) and just happens to be the one that GSN uses.

Greg

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2009, 11:59:25 AM »

What do TV stations use for playback these days anyway?

Vahan_Nisanian · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2009, 12:02:21 PM »

[quote name=\'snowpeck\' post=\'224446\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 11:57 AM\']What's so special about digibeta anyway? It's one of many tape formats (and is quite frankly beginning to become out of date) and just happens to be the one that GSN uses.

Greg[/quote]

Here's the thing I hate about digibeta so much: When an older show gets converted to digibeta, more often than not does it get damaged beyond repair.

wxfrcaster · « **Reply #5 on:** August 30, 2009, 12:06:42 PM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'224447\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 11:59 AM\']What do TV stations use for playback these days anyway?[/quote]

We use Digibeta mainly as a backup for our servers. HD programming is recorded to BluRay, most other programming is stored digitally on the server.

DjohnsonCB · « **Reply #6 on:** August 30, 2009, 01:40:29 PM »

So now DigiBeta is becoming out of date and GSN would do well to switch to another format even though DigiBeta is what they use? And the old tapes become damaged once they're converted???

This is cruel, cruel, cruel. First the tapes of Spin-Off miraculously show up, now I'm told that even though they can be converted and broadcast, they likely won't be. I could have done without this bad news this month. Enough things went bad as it is, starting with the loss of my mother August 8. What next--will someone have discovered that all the color masters of The Good Guys deteriorated beyond use???

MikeK · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2009, 01:59:26 PM »

[quote name=\'DjohnsonCB\' post=\'224454\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 01:40 PM\']This is cruel, cruel, cruel. First the tapes of Spin-Off miraculously show up, now I'm told that even though they can be converted and broadcast, they likely won't be. I could have done without this bad news this month. Enough things went bad as it is, starting with the loss of my mother August 8. What next--will someone have discovered that all the color masters of The Good Guys deteriorated beyond use???[/quote]
I hope and pray you're not saying Spin-Off is anywhere as important as your mother's passing.

I lost my sister on July 13 and there is NOTHING I have experienced in my almost 34 1/2 years on God's green Earth which compares to losing a sibling to cancer not two months from her 30th birthday.

DoorNumberFour · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2009, 07:31:48 PM »

[quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'224455\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 01:59 PM\']I lost my sister on July 13 and there is NOTHING I have experienced in my almost 34 1/2 years on God's green Earth which compares to losing a sibling to cancer not two months from her 30th birthday.[/quote]
Mike, I'm sorry to hear this. Stay strong.

Vahan_Nisanian · « **Reply #9 on:** August 30, 2009, 07:33:12 PM »

[quote name=\'MrBuddwing\' post=\'224481\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 06:16 PM\'][quote name=\'gameshowlover87\' post=\'224449\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 12:02 PM\']Here's the thing I hate about digibeta so much: When an older show gets converted to digibeta, more often than not does it get damaged beyond repair.[/quote]

I'm not quite sure what you're saying - is there something about DigiBeta that causes harm to the original videotape? Or are you simply talking about putting an old tape onto a VTR and having it come apart because it's fragile? If so, DigiBeta hardly seems to be at fault.
[/quote]

Hmmm.

Perhaps I should have said that how an older show gets converted to digibeta depends on the condition of the original master tape.

MrBuddwing · « **Reply #10 on:** August 30, 2009, 07:38:31 PM »

[quote name=\'gameshowlover87\' post=\'224449\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 12:02 PM\']Here's the thing I hate about digibeta so much: When an older show gets converted to digibeta, more often than not does it get damaged beyond repair.[/quote]

I'm not quite sure what you're saying - is there something about DigiBeta that causes harm to the original videotape? Or are you simply talking about putting an old tape onto a VTR and having it come apart because it's fragile? If so, DigiBeta hardly seems to be at fault.

Chief-O · « **Reply #11 on:** August 30, 2009, 08:35:40 PM »

[quote name=\'MrBuddwing\' post=\'224486\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 06:38 PM\']I'm not quite sure what you're saying - is there something about DigiBeta that causes harm to the original videotape? Or are you simply talking about putting an old tape onto a VTR and having it come apart because it's fragile? If so, DigiBeta hardly seems to be at fault.[/quote]

More than likely, he's referring to what happens to the original tape. Not that I've had to dub old tapes, but I know that those reels of 2" quad [and probably 1" Type C] will leave their magnetic material on the heads and other parts of the VTR if not properly cared for. They'd need to be baked beforehand--yes, baked, in an oven. Just Google "sticky shed syndrome" and you'll learn more.

mmb5 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 30, 2009, 09:06:23 PM »

When GSN was building their library in the mid-90s, DigiBeta was state of the art, so it made sense to convert to that format. I'm would assume now that their newer acquisitions (DonD, Catch 21, etc.) are on DVD. If a snowball fight occurred in hell and GSN announced that Baffle would be joining their lineup soon, I'm quite sure the conversion would be made to DVD and not DigiBeta. DigiBeta is not the issue, the business decision not to acquire any future shows is the issue.

--Mike

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #13 on:** August 30, 2009, 09:39:15 PM »

My CBS affil cleared "Spin-Off." It was only "OK" in my book. I watched it for a week and then switched back to "Celebrity Sweepstakes."

As far as "The Good Guys" that was done on film, IIRC, so there would be less of a chance than tape for deterioration. IMDB says Paramount is the current rights holder.

MrBuddwing · « **Reply #14 on:** August 30, 2009, 10:21:50 PM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'224508\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 09:39 PM\']As far as "The Good Guys" that was done on film, IIRC, so there would be less of a chance than tape for deterioration. IMDB says Paramount is the current rights holder.[/quote]

"The Good Guys"? The 1960s sitcom starring Bob Denver, Herb Edelman and Joyce Van Patten? What a blast from the past!

You're right. It was done on film. Except for the pilot episode. One of the strangest viewing experiences of my youth.

It began as film, then abruptly and without explanation, switched over to videotape. And it stayed that way until the epilogue, when it switched back to film. I have no idea why they did it that way.