Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!dptg!mtune!rkh
From: rkh@mtune.ATT.COM (Robert Halloran)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: Re: 8mm cartridge suppliers, brands, prices, quality
Message-ID: <740@mtune.ATT.COM>
Date: 15 Aug 90 20:45:50 GMT
References: <1990Aug15.132943.17261@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: AT&T BL Middletown/Lincroft NJ USA
Lines: 27

In article <1990Aug15.132943.17261@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> ejk@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Ed Kubaitis) writes:
>Am working on an application (Unix workstation backup) that will require 
>hundreds of 8mm cartridges. Would appreciate information on suppliers, 
>brands, prices, and quality. 
>
>Would also be interested in experience with failure modes when low cost 
>video-quality cartridges are used: irrecoverable write errors, lower data 
>rates due to excessive error recovery, irrecoverable read errors, drive or 
>head damage?

Exabyte (currently the only 8mm drive mfr) only sanctions the use of their
own 'certified' tapes (at $30 each) or Sony consumer tapes (at about $7-8
for 120 minute/2 Gb).  We had tried Maxell tapes and had had problems with
dropouts, unreadable backups, tape jams, etc.  We have had almost no such
problems since converting to Sony blanks.

I DON'T speak officially for AT&T here; just as a user of 8mm drives and
having tried different brands of tape in same.

						Bob Halloran
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Internet: rkh@mtune.dptg.att.com		UUCP: att!mtune!rkh		
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