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how to scramble miniDV tapes?
I have hundreds of old miniDV tapes which I am done with. Is there a simple way to scamble the info on the tapes so no-one see what was recorded on them?
That way I could hand them over for re-use. Blacking them would take far too long
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7 Replies
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Pat,
Digital tapes can be degaussed (demagnetized) by a strong electromagnet just like analog tapes. Most older sound facilites/studios have fairly robust degaussers. I’d call and ask…
DRW
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interesting, is there anywhere I could buy such a thing?
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Google is your friend!
Or just google “degausser”.
Cheers!
debe
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This is a good answer, but to be practical…
DV tapes are very DENSE and cannot be erased (degaussed) with standard hand-held or small tabletop degaussers (aka Bulk Tape Erasers).
So to invest in the “industrial, super-high-gauss” machines that WILL erase Digital tapes may end up costing thousands of dollars.
Whether this is a good investment versus just tossing out the tapes (used, they might be worth only a buck or two each), giving them out still recorded, or finding and utilizing a local tape or computer shop that already OWNS one of these “brutes”, is up to you and your budget.Again, the kind of erasers that most hobbyists, radio stations, or even some TV stations commonly used in the 1960’s thru 1990’s don’t have much affect on DV tapes.
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yup, that is what I found – dv degaussers $1500 and up
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Reusing DV tapes isn’t usually very recommended either. Maybe fire, a trash compactor, or a big hole in the ground is your best answer.
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Some people report that the High power version of the radio shack / realistic tape eraser will work.
The normal version DOES NOT work. I know because I’ve tried 😛
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