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Research draft

magnetic tape

vr.tr.magnetic-tape · PHY.OBJ

Let an agent explain magnetic tape, relay history, formats and preservation from recording technology and archival sources, describe the formats the registry aliases name, and distinguish magnetic tape from magnetic disks, optical media, the cassette as a housing and wire recording.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain magnetic tape, relay history, formats and preservation from recording technology and archival sources, describe the formats the registry aliases name, and distinguish magnetic tape from magnetic disks, optical media, the cassette as a housing and wire recording.

A recording medium consisting of a thin plastic film coated with magnetisable particles, used for audio, video and data storage in reels, cassettes and cartridges, including the historic Soundmirror recorder, consumer video formats such as Compact Video Cassette, Akai VK and Hi8, toy and niche formats such as Bandai micro cartridges and Pocket Rockers, and enterprise data tape such as LTO that remains in use for archival backup.

What it is for: Recording and storing audio, video and data.

It can be explain technology; relay history and formats; describe named formats; distinguish related media.

Distinguishing features

Sequential access

Magnetic coating

Many formats

Long archival life

What it looks like

Thin brown or black ribbon on reels or in cassettes.

Physical character

Magnetophon: 1935 year - AEG, Germany

Soundmirror: 1947 year - Brush Development Company

LTO-9 native capacity: 18 TB

Hi8 introduced: 1989 year - Sony

How it is recognised

Plastic film with magnetic coating

Soundmirror, Compact Video Cassette, Akai VK, Hi8, Bandai micro cartridge, Pocket Rockers

Disks store on platters; optical media use lasers; a cassette is the housing; wire recording used steel wire

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

recording medium

was developed from -

Magnetophon

includes -

Linear Tape-Open

is contrasted with -

hard disk drive

In practice

Families and kinds

reel-to-reel audio tape

audio cassettes

video formats such as CVC, VK and Hi8

data tape such as LTO

toy and niche cartridge formats

Standards and regulation

IEC and ISO tape format standards

Archival preservation guidelines

Failure modes and hazards

Sticky-shed syndrome and degradation

Obsolete playback equipment

Registry aliases naming obscure products

Also called

Bandai micro cartridgePocket RockersSoundmirrorCompact Video CassetteAkai VKHi8Video 2000reel-to-reel audio tapeTesla SP 210D/CASmagnetic tape data storage8 mm video formatmagnetic tape storage formatType C videotapetape loopvideo magnetic tapeopen reel audiotapeopen reel videotapeVidiLoopSONIFEXIBM 7 track9 track tapeV-Cordquarter-inch open reel tapeMail Call LetterpackReditune cassetteScotch One Five SpecialEcho-matic IIAudiopakScotchcartMiniDVDigital8D-VHScomputer tape reelDigital Linear TapeData8Advanced Intelligent TapeD-Theater

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What magnetic tape is.

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is magnetic tape, and how does it differ from disks, optical media, cassette housings and wire recording? definition
  2. Is the question about technology, a format, preservation or data backup? boundary

Formats

Named formats.

Formats

Formats.

  1. What were Soundmirror, Compact Video Cassette, Akai VK, Hi8, Bandai micro cartridges and Pocket Rockers? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific format? action
Technology Technology.

Science.

Recording

Magnetic recording.

Recording

Recording.

  1. How does magnetic recording store signals on tape? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Data

Data tape.

Data

Data.

  1. Why is LTO tape still used for archival backup? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Preservation Preservation.

Application.

Degradation

Degradation.

Degradation

Degradation.

  1. What is sticky-shed syndrome, and how do archives handle it? provenance
  2. Which entry fits sticky-shed syndrome? action

Digitisation

Digitisation.

Digitisation

Digitisation.

  1. How are tape collections digitised? provenance
  2. Which entry fits audiovisual archive? action
Context History and culture.

Context.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did tape transform broadcasting and music recording? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the history of sound recording? action

Culture

Culture.

Culture

Culture.

  1. How did cassettes and camcorders shape popular culture? provenance
  2. Which entry fits mixtape? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should the consumer video formats be separate primary entries?
  • How should archival sources be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming specific products; should they be split off?