From: mcconnel@b11.ingr.com (Guy McConnell)
Subject: Re: 8mm Video  -VS-  8mm Data Grade???
Reply-To: mcconnel@b11.UUCP (Guy McConnell)
Organization: Intergraph Corp. Huntsville, AL
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 17:33:37 GMT

In article <755@niktow.canisius.edu> pavlov@niktow.canisius.edu (Greg Pavlov) writes:
>In article <1992Apr2.214241.1592@solbourne.com>, kj@solbourne.com (Ken Sullivan) writes:
>> Anyone out in net land have performance specs on the
>> differences between 8mm Video tape vs 8mm Data Grade tape
>> when used for data backup in an Exabyte???
>> 
>> I had heard from another sysadmin that I could expect data loss
>> as soon as 3 months if I used the cheaper video grade 8mm tapes!!!
>> Another issue is the abrasiveness of the video grade tapes causing
>> accelerated head wear when used on Exabyte drives.  Are the Data grade
>> tapes lubricated??
>> 
>  This has been the subject of long "debates" in this newsgroup before.  
>  Lots of claims and counterclaims have been made.  But apx. two years ago,
>  one large university posted the results of what appeared to me to be a
>  rather exhaustive quality and wear test that it performed on a substantial
>  number of tapes from a number of manufacturers.  Their conclusion was that
>  the SONY P6-120MP tape was either the "best" choice or one of two equally
>  good choices (I do not remember precisely right now).  We have been using
>  this tape since before that time with good results.  We perform full backups
>  on 2 GB each night and weekly full backups/daily incrementals on another
>  10 GB or so.  The daily incrementals are dumped to a two-week rotating set
>  of tapes, so they are reused constantly.  Have not seen anything that even
>  remotely points to "...data loss as soon as 3 months...".  

    Hey, like, I just bought this killer CD.  You know, the new one
out by my absolute favorite band of all time.  I don't have a CD
player in my car so I want to make a tape of it to listen to while I
cruise down the road.  Does anyone know who has the absolute
cheapest tapes I can buy?  I've heard claims that the high-grade
tapes are better - better sound reproduction, better dynamic range,
longer life, and less abrasive to the heads in my $5,000.00 car tape
deck/sound system, but I personally believe that this is all hype
designed to part me from more of my hard-earned money.  I have
friends who swear that their $5.00/3 pk. tapes sound just as good in
their Sparkomatic decks as the expensive tapes.  Makes sense to me
because tape is tape, right?  I mean, it's not like the manufacturer
of the system actually *tests* tapes, is it?  I know they recommend
using high-grade tapes in there for longer head life and better
sound, but what do they know?

    Get the picture?  How important is your data?

--
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Guy D. McConnell, Systems Engineer|        |"All that is gold does not
Intergraph Corp. Mail Stop CR1105 | These  |glitter, not all those who
Huntsville, AL. 35894-0001        |opinions|wander are lost, the old
Computer and Storage Technology   |are mine|that is strong does not
Evaluation Group                  |and mine|wither, and deep roots are
uunet!ingr.com!b11!mspe5!guy      | alone. |not touched by the frost."
(205)730-6289   FAX (205)730-6011 |        |                J.R.R.T.
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