On Mon, 14 Jan 2002 19:12:19 -0500, Jeff Wildman wrote:

>My qualified response (claiming as long as 40 years) was based on the
>ongoing studies by archivists, manufacturers, and scientists who track the
>behavior of magnetic media in long-term storage situations.
>I have been using and collecting videotaped material since 1973, and have
>1/2" EIAJ and 3/4" U-matic master tape libraries that are still holding up
>after almost 30 years. Also, I have been involved in re-mastering projects
>of 2" quadruplex tape dating back to 1962. These tapes are still quite
>playable (aside from the problem of finding enough parts to keep the old
>quad machines going). My VHS collection dates back to 1978 and at this
>point, I have never encountered a single problem due to deterioration
>through aging.
>Many audio archivists have tapes dating back into the 1950's that are
>useable as "source elements".
>Many people obtain shorter life spans from their tapes because of
>mishandling and poor storage practices.
>FWIW, my S-VHS collection was started in 1988 and currently is up to 8,000
>tapes without any deterioration. If you are experiencing problems with your
>S-VHS tapes after only 6-7 years, you've got a problem with some aspect of
>your storage and handling practices.

Thanks for this information.