#Exabyte what model?
11 messages in this thread
Anyone know what model of exabyte I would have to get to be compatible with
the Abekas systems exabyte tape unit? I have heard of 8200's and 8500's. I
know there isn't a converter yet for .tga to digital but, sounds like there
might be soon and I'm just getting ready for the revolution, as it were.
I'm not familiar with Abekas units but I have used different brands that
use Exabytes with no compatability problems. Software does vary though.
The 8200 stores about 2.5 Gig on an 8mm tape, the 8500 holds about 5 Gig on
the same tape and is downward compatible with 8200 tapes.
-DanP
Thanks. That sounds like it would mean an 8500 could read an 8200 tape to
me.
You've got it about right – the 8500 is more expensive, but has an 8200
compatible mode, so it can read and write 8200 tapes, but I've heard
occasional rumors that this can be problematic sometimes. I've got an 8500,
but I've never tried to make it drop back to 8200 mode. It has to be done
at the SCSI driver level. The second thing to consider is what kind of
drive is at the Abekas site you'd like to use… obviously, you can't send
them an 8500 tape if they only have an 8200. Most Abekas have the 8200,
with the notable exception of the Post Group, who only has 8500s, which was
why I got the 8500.
John,
thanks for the insight. It sounds like the 8500 would be the way to go if
one had the money, which I don't have. At best I may be able to get an 8200
sometime in the near future – one of my sources can get me one for around
$1400. Once the elusive .tga to YUV converter is available I'll probably
sell my 4mm DAT and my ferrets and buy the Exabyte 8200 and the software.
I'm sure you'll be very happy with the 8200, and you'll be completely
compatible with every Abekas in the world, except for the Post Group. It
turns out they can't reliably get their systems to read 8200 tapes, but
that's a problem with the Abekas Exabyte driver, which hopefully will be
fixed soon.
I'm keeping you in mind for the elusive converter. 🙂
John I'm sure you that you have your information correct but let me inform
you that The Post Group does use only 8500 exabytes but does have the
ability to read and write a 8200 tape both PAL & NTSC. There is a simple
solution to the ABEKAS problem and that was to make the drive software do
the switch instead of the Abekas A60. We have had very good success with
our drives and are finishing up The American Music Awards graphics, which
the 3D elements were done on the Video Toaster and transfered to D1 video
tape for compositing via the exabyte 8500 and abekas software from ASDG.
Peter Moyer
The Post Group
Hollywood
I'm glad to hear you solved that problem. When we last talked in August,
you or your assistant had told me you were having trouble writing 8200
format tapes.
This was the reason I had to upgrade from an 8200 to an 8500, remember? And
Jennifer's animations are fantastic, I saw them at the NewTek party.
Peter,
Please e-Mail me your rates for layoff from Exabyte. No immediate need,
just for my files. Don't forget the ex-family discount (surcharge ?) — I
was on-air supervisor for Cable Music Channel under Rich Thorne back in
1984.
Bruce N. Goren
Martin,
There has been a TGA-YUV (D-1) file format converter around for a few years
now from a little company out of New York. Don't have thier name handy but
they had a demo version of thier software sitting in the DL's of the
BPForum, (YUVIS.EXE) probably still there. It stamps a logo on the output
image if you have an unregistered version.
Bruce
Bruce,
really? Way cool! I'll have to check it out although without having an
exabyte I don't quite know what I would do with it <g>.