Analogue Video Rescue - Mad Science

We tend to think of ourselves as technical mercenaries. A kind of Corporate Media version of the 'A-Team', with less fool-pitying and cigar smoking, indeed we've yet to make a weapon from a pen.

A heart warming request came in to rescue a clients only copy of his treasured last holiday home video of him and his late wife - still on the camcorder cassette (Hi8 folks!). The tape was snapped and had been unwound inside the cassette.

We quickly sourced the playback equipment needed but this tape had been badly chewed, tape snapped and the case damaged. Surgery was required to both remove and repair the break, re-spool and somehow keep the integrity of the case strong enough to stomach one last playback.

Splicing Analogue video tape requires delicacy, and a very small, clean, re-connection of the tape. Compressed, slow speed video data on a tape can take several seconds to re-sync and rebuild the picture and audio so not damaging anymore tape was paramount as not to lose any footage.

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Many hours of patient reeling later and splicing the video tape and its back looking like a Hi8 cassette. We "transplanted" the tape into a donor case we had lying around.

Overall, easily done using sticky backed splicing tape, and some delicate work rebuilding it back into a case. Finally, just a quick enhancement and render and he now has an infinitely playable Mp4 on a USB stick and a DVD. Very happy customer and fun, quick job for us to boot.