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From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs,comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: Helical-Scan Query
Message-ID: <11959@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: 14 Jun 88 11:56:55 GMT
References: <2648@usceast.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 22

In article <2648@usceast.UUCP> baldwin@usceast.UUCP (Chuck Baldwin) writes:
>     Several weeks ago, I posted a request to the net for information
>concerning Helical-Scan backup devices. ...

>     The following reply, from David Lesher, has created a lot of rethinking
>about the entire problem:

>>I am very wary of such devices. Since there is NO way to
>>verify (read after write) on a vcr [besides stopping the tape,
>>going back to the beginning, reading and comparing, etc]
>>the ones I have seen record each file several times in hope
>>that one is perfect.  ...

Note that the Exabyte 8mm videotape backup (and another similar 8mm
system---I forget whose, but it has a Pertec interface instead of SCSI;
it is the same drive with a different controller) are not VCR backup
systems.  Apparently most VCR systems do indeed have no motor control.
The Exabyte does, hence it could do verification.  (Whether it in fact
does, I have no idea.)
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris