Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!munnari.oz.au!sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au!sirius!jeremy From: jeremy@cs.adelaide.edu.au (Jeremy Webber) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi Subject: Re: Exabyte media Message-ID: Date: 13 Nov 90 22:41:55 GMT References: Sender: news@ucs.adelaide.edu.au Organization: Digital Arts Film and Television Lines: 28 Nntp-Posting-Host: chook.ua.oz.au In-reply-to: graham.elliott@canremote.uucp's message of 4 Nov 90 20:51:00 GMT In article graham.elliott@canremote.uucp (GRAHAM ELLIOTT) writes: There was some traffic on a local newsgroup recently about media errors with Exabyte drives. In summary, the concensus was to avoid Sony tapes. We use BASF almost exclusively, without any problems. This is interesting, because discussion I have seen elsewhere suggests that Sony is the _only_ brand you should use. I think some other brands cause problems, but most likely any high-quality tape should work (poorer quality ones are a definite no-no). I've been using Sony tapes for years now on Exabytes with no problems. However, I have seen problems caused by dirty heads (get a head cleaning tape) and by a manufacturing fault with early model Exabytes (a bad batch of capacitors), both of which caused (apparent) media errors. If your tape drive has not been cleaned for some time it may be necessary to get someone who knows what they're doing to disassemble the Exabyte and clean the heads by hand. This should _not_ be attempted by someone who doesn't know how to handle video heads as they can be destroyed very easily by mishandling. -jeremy -- -- Jeremy Webber ACSnet: jeremy@chook.ua.oz Digital Arts Film and Television, Internet: jeremy@chook.ua.oz.au 3 Milner St, Hindmarsh, SA 5007, Voicenet: +61 8 346 4534 Australia Papernet: +61 8 346 4537 (FAX)