- Reel to Real: A Case Study of BAVC's Remastering Model Preservation
Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Background on the BAVC Model Elements of the Remastering Process Tape Preparation and Cleaning Origination Formats and Machines Preservation Formats Components of the Remastering System Care of the Facility Documentation of Cleaning and Remastering Ope…
- Tape Preparation and Cleaning Preservation
BAVC evaluated four tape-preparation methods (no preparation, washing, baking, cleaning machines) and chose to adopt tape-cleaning machines, postponing washing and baking until after implementing the machine method. The organization selected a Recortec VTE-200 (located less than sixty miles from BAVC in San Jose, CA) based on a 1982 NASA report and a 1985 Video Networks article by Sharon Grace; the VTE-200 uses tissue, slotted metal grids with vacuum, a sapphire block and a vacuum chamber to minimize tape tension. In 1995 BAVC tested up to 20 Recortec passes recorded to Betacam SP with no detectable degradation and found 2–5 passes (one pass ≈5 minutes) typically sufficient; Recortec now refurbs machines. Two years after starting 1/2" cleaning, BAVC purchased an RTI 3/4" U-matic cassette cleaner and recorded RTI contact information.
- Documentation of Cleaning and Remastering Preservation
BAVC initially inventoried client tapes, sent them to an off-site cleaning technician, checked returns against the inventory, rubber-banded original 1/2" open-reel tapes to new copies and labeled copies with title, artist, running time, format and client. As remastering demand increased, staff created a Preservation Dub Watch form to record playback deviations and artifacts; clients were often not the original creators and frequently did not know tape contents, with common concerns including no color, no sound, missing titles or credits, seconds of video noise between segments and herringbone patterns. The form aided in diagnosing equipment versus tape problems, supported shift-to-shift technical communication and is still in use; BAVC cites Playback: A Preservation Primer for Video (BAVC, 1998) and Appendix 12.3 for the Dub Watch Sheet.
- Care of the Facility Preservation
Practical maintenance guidance for video facilities, emphasizing cable management and upkeep of 1/2" open reel playback machines; BAVC cites The Video Guide (Charles Bensinger, Video-Info Productions, 1979) as an essential reference. Detailed cleaning procedures are provided for AV-8650 and CV-2100 head drums, specifying lint-free clean-room cloths and denatured alcohol and describing techniques for spinning heads, removing debris from tape-path grooves, inspecting and restoring pinch roller traction, and cleaning slip rings.
- A Proposal for Low Cost Retrieval of Early Videotapes Produced on Obsolete Equipment and/or Videotape that Will Not Play Back. Or The Resurrection Bus Preservation
Proposal from an author at the TV Center to outfit a vehicle with early videotape playback equipment to retrieve reel-to-reel tapes produced from the late 1960s to about 1975; formats cited include several 1/2", 1/4" and possibly 1" tape, with 2" tape handled by commercial services. The plan calls for traveling to owners, sending a tape-cleaning machine ahead, using equipment including Frame Synchronizers, ProcAmps, Magic, Candles and Prayer Rugs, and transferring material to a current videotape format chosen by the owner; transfers would be one-time and tapemakers are expected to participate. The proposer offers to research costs and scope and requests contact by mail at the TV Center.
- Cleaning, Remastering and Restoration Preservation
Survey of videotape cleaning, re-mastering and restoration practices; early experimenters named include Bob Harris (Anthology Film Archives), Tony Conrad (Media Study/Buffalo), Ralph Hocking (Experimental Television Center), videomaker David Schulman and staff at Electronic Arts Intermix. Methods discussed include scraping, wiping, vacuuming and baking for open-reel tape and RTI machines for cassettes; preservation-format considerations include transfer to uncompressed digital (D-2) or analog (Betacam SP) and creating two preservation masters stored in separate locations. Non-profit and commercial service providers are listed (BAVC, Vtape, VidiPax, Roland House and others); the text advises checking vendor inspection procedures, references and preserving hardware, manuals and engineer contacts.
