Ho Rick, How're you doin'?
On 10-Mar-98 at 21:24:42, Rick Nolan wrote to Graeme Jaye about
Digital recording
 RN> 08 Mar 98, Graeme Jaye writes to Yannick Boucher:
 YB> .. but what about DAT? as far as mastering is concerned, will
 YB> the CD-R replace the DAT in your  opinion?
 > Certainly CD as an *archival* medium is preferable to DAT - for
 > day-to-day use, I'm not so certain which way the market will
 > move.
 RN> I use DAT for audio lots,and one problem it does have is that
 RN> even Pro gear tape handleing is not that robust,and consumer
 RN> quality DAT is a joke as far as reliability is concerned for
 RN> audio.
Which is one good reason why it is not a lot of use as an archival
medium.  As far as 'consumer quality' DAT is concerned, I only know
four or five people who have such a machine in a domestic
environment - and they are all in the audio business.  Ordinary
mortals are just not interested.
 RN> The Techs I've asked about this tell me its something to do
 RN> with the physical size of the mechanism..apparently if the
 RN> standard had been set about 100% larger they would have
 RN> obtained VCR reliability at a reasonable price but because its
 RN> so small its expensive to make and fragile.
I apprecite the merits of the argument - and I suppose there may be
a grain of truth in there somewhere - but there are many similar
sized mechanisms (eg QIC40/80 transports) which have a far more
demanding role asked of them (audio is pretty forgiving - more so
than data) and they seem to work well enough for years on end.  So
maybe the problem lies with the manufacturers for not taking enough
care in the first place.
 RN> CD-R is dead
I can't go along with that.  On what basis do you make that claim?
 RN> DAT is dying
If anything, I would have said it was DAT that was *already* dead.
 RN> I need something better right now :-)
Better in what respect?  Perhaps you might care to produce a wish
list of your requirements?
Keep 'em comin'
Graeme in Dover, England
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