Hey Old Guys!

Butch Moore wrote on 8/19/2015, 9:57 AM
I need some serious help. I've been contacted by regional law enforcement to help them identify the format of the magnetic tape shown in the attached JPG's. It involves the reopening of a murder case going back to 1978 and may lead to proving a man's innocence.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7022041/IMG_1835.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7022041/IMG_1836.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7022041/IMG_1837.JPG

It appears to be some type of half inch videotape. Can anyone offer insight as to the format...and possible person or company that could transfer it to digital.

Thanks!



Comments

videoITguy wrote on 8/19/2015, 10:25 AM
It is likely to be Sony format 1/2 EIAJ Type (I?) helical scan format. That is about a 99% chance for the format. However, another just a big issue may be what condition is the tape in now, what machine was it recorded on, and how has it been stored over the years? Tape even recorded optimum will not always play well on another machine.

Any major video house in Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York should be able to help you.
jpenn wrote on 8/19/2015, 10:35 AM
I happen to own an old Sony AV-3600 helical scan format video recorder. The tape reels have a small hub. That large hub looks more like a computer mainframe type locking hub.

John P.
rs170a wrote on 8/19/2015, 10:48 AM
Butch, I just threw out a reel of videotape a few weeks ago that looked identical to that one.
From memory, it was recorded on a very old Ampex or Sony 1" reel to reel VTR (circa early 70's).
Model was an EV-320 or EV-320F if it was a Sony.
The Ampex deck we had back then was even older than the Sony.

Mike
Former user wrote on 8/19/2015, 11:42 AM
It looks like an audio tape to me. We used those kinds of reels for 1/2" audio machines. Other images I find online indicate it is a mastering audio tape.

[url=http://vintageking.com/atr-magnetics-studio-master-tape-1-2?gclid=Cj0KEQjw0tCuBRDIjJ_Mlb6zzpQBEiQAyjCoBkkTa-LMzI62_THbA6f4uc2TDaZoXJRXQoR1dNAvB1IaAh5v8P8HAQ&kwid=productads-plaid^42887154264-sku^10429-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^56044781057]
rmack350 wrote on 8/19/2015, 12:37 PM
Given the time spans written on the box I'd go with 1/2 audio tape. Does your PD happen to know if it's audio or video? If audio they'd spin it real slow to capture a lot of time.

That sort of reel pops onto a hub on the deck and then you pull/twist the outer part of the hub to secure the reel. To me, it looks like audio mainly because that's what I was using in school in the early 80's. Probably what my sister was using at Pacifica in the late 70's too.

Audio is going to be a lot easier to recapture. There were probably a thousand reel to reel audio decks manufactured for every reel to reel video deck. And if you can't match the transport speed you can still capture and then slow it digitally.
Chienworks wrote on 8/19/2015, 1:25 PM
There's a fluid made from a suspension of iron particles that can be brushed onto the tape to show a visible image of the magnetic pattern. Applying that to a few inches of the tape, maybe at least 10 feet in to get past the unused section, should show in a moment whether it's analog or digital and audio or video. Analog audio will have one or more tracks running parallel to the edges of the tape with the pattern fading in and out at irregular intervals. Analog helical video will show diagonal stripes across about 3/4" of the width, with 2 or 3 smaller tracks that look like analog audio.

Digital would probably be helical as well, but would show a much finer and sharper pattern while analog would be more continuous.

Something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/171541641329
Marco. wrote on 8/19/2015, 1:31 PM
To me it looks like 1'' C videotape which we still used in the 90th for some broadcasts.
John_Cline wrote on 8/19/2015, 1:47 PM
It appears from the labeling on the box that the recording goes from 1:00am on May 26, 1978 to 1:00am on May 27, 1978, that's a 24 hour time span which eliminates the possibility that this is a videotape. It is most likely an audio tape, probably multitrack, recorded on a slow-speed, reel-to-reel voice logging recorder to record phone calls made to the 911 emergency system or perhaps the police or fire radio systems. Voice loggers were first introduced on a wide scale to police departments in the early 1970s, unfortunately the equipment was all proprietary with components and design being unique to each manufacturer.
Butch Moore wrote on 8/19/2015, 2:17 PM
All of your comments have been helpful! I've passed them along to our state law enforcement division for them to pursue the next step!

Thanks!
AlanC wrote on 8/19/2015, 2:44 PM
I used to run an alarm monitoring station (central station) and we used multitrack analogue call loggers manufactured by Dictaphone. The 16 track machines used 1/2" tape and the 32 track machines used 1" tape. They recorded at a very slow speed and I think the reels were 10" diameter. Each reel would record telephone calls continuously for 241/2 hours. The audio quality was rather poor.
farss wrote on 8/19/2015, 3:11 PM
I think AlanC has nailed it
Racal also made a lot of such recorders. Used for logging voice and data by air traffic control centres etc.
Pretty certain the officials who have the tape must know or be able to find out what it's from. It's a bit strange that someone is keeping such a library without the means or knowledge to access the content.

Bob.
GeeBax wrote on 8/19/2015, 5:54 PM
I will weigh into this and say it is definitely 1/2" audio tape, the hub is certainly an audio machine hub. And most likely four track.
ushere wrote on 8/19/2015, 6:14 PM
It's a bit strange that someone is keeping such a library without the means or knowledge to access the content.

not really - unfortunately even 10 years ago when i got out of the mainstream business i often dealt with 'young' managers in organisations who had no idea of what material they had. eg. they'd turn up at the studio with a box of 'media' that they'd 'inherited' and thought might be of some use - could be anything from ¼" audio spot tapes through to 1" masters, of which they had no idea of even when it was created, what for, andhow it was played. i remember one client turning up in the late 90's with a box of 8" and 5¼" floppies. the 5¼" turned out to be from an aston cg. never could find a working 8"....

and this is only going to get worse as both the knowledge* and instruments to play obsolete technologies disappear.

*read old farts retire