GM> PM> Same here, worst stuff is Ampex Grand Master from the late 70s early
GM> PM> 80s. I have some early Ex ABC Byer/Rola paper based tape thats still in
GM> PM> good nick. Maybe paper is a more stable medium? but thicker and you
GM> PM> dont get as much on a reel.

GM>AFAIK mylar is a very stable medium, but obviously not all
GM>manufacturers were using it, d***ed if I know why.

GM>Paper is very stable if made acid free, as can be seen by the
GM>number of old books that are still in good condition.

GM> PM> quality. Why would you spend so much money on sending someone to the
GM> PM> moon only to document it in such an amateurish way.

GM>Nah, that's the professional way -- minimum cost, maximum profit.

GM> JB> dunno, it's kind of hard to buy a phonograph (cylinder) player, but
GM> JB> one could probably built given specifications.

GM>I guess that any reasonably competent engineer could make up a
GM>player from just looking at the recorded cylinder.

GM> PM> I have two Edison cyinders but no way to play them back. I've seen
GM> PM> people with various rig-ups for playback, problem is with hill and dale
GM> PM> recording, later stylii/cartridges are designed for lateral recordings.

GM>Use a stereo pickup and parallel the two channels out of phase.
GM>In phase = lateral, out of phase = vertical.

GM> PM> Changing standards are a big problem.
GM> PM> My dad filmed all his stuff in the late 1950s early 1960s on
GM> PM> Pathescope 9.5mm film, (sprocket holes down the centre) the Pathescope

GM>I remember it well. I doubt that you'd find a working projector
GM>anywhere these days.

GM> PM> Ace projector suffered from that "die cast cancer"
(inter-granular
GM> PM> corrosion) in the gate and never worked again. I was able to get some

GM>Yeah, a very common problem. My friend that repairs/rebuilds
GM>player pianos found the same with some of the roll transport
GM>parts. But someone had the foresight to start making bronze copies
GM>of the old "muck metal" castings before they all disappeared, so
GM>he can still replace the collapsed ones.

GM> PM> footage transferred to super 8 in 1979, now its even difficult to find
GM> PM> a good quality working 8mm projector. When the belts break and the
GM> PM> lamps blow.... where do you get parts?

GM>Exactly! Although in some cases you can replace the belts with
GM>neoprene O-rings, if suitable sizes are available. The pulleys
GM>may need a bit of modification if they are made for flat belts.

GM>And replacing the lamp with an 12v/18w QI gives plenty of light
GM>for a video camera to transfer the stuff to videotape.

There are projectors made that go directly from 8mm to VCR
tape WITHOUT using a video camera to take pictures of the
projected image. I had converted all of our 8mm to VCR tape
that way - which were stolen!

GM> PM> My sister recently asked if I could convert the 8mm to video, but
GM> PM> thats almost eclipsed by DVD already. You start looking at layers of
GM> PM> degradation as well, each time the media crosses formats.

GM>Exactly.

No definitely not. One just about has to go from 8mm to VCR
tapes and then to DVD.

GM> PM> These videos are so precious and so difficult to preserve. Maybe they
GM> PM> should be digitised uploaded to a dozen mirror sites on the internet, I
GM> PM> dont know the answer, I'm faced with the same problem.

GM>You and thousands of others...

GM> PM> All my wedding photos went pink, the photographer with the negatives
GM> PM> is long gone. Maybe I could scan the photos and colorize them. Any
GM> PM> ideas?

GM>Yeah, copy them onto b/w stock. You may have to use colour
GM>filters to get the proper grey scale rendition and to offset
GM>colour shifting, but at least they'll be on a more stable medium.

GM>Fortunately I was married in the days when b/w photos were the
GM>norm. I have several boxes of b/w negs that I took before 1970.
GM>The ones I've looked at appear to be still in good condition.

GM>But I have more boxes of colour negs that I've taken since -- I
GM>should check through them and transfer those I really want onto
GM>b/w stock.

Maybe it would be better to also preserve them by
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