I've seem manufacturers recommend that tapes (specifically mini-DV tapes, though I think this applies to all) should be stored in an "upright or vertical" position.
Now this sounds like a stupid question, but what exactly does that mean? I assume that a tape lying totally flat (on it's large surface) isn't upright. But is it OK for to stand on it's larger edge, or does it have to be standing on it's smallest edge (i.e. like a book in a bookshelf)? And does it matter which end is up?
Mark
[This message has been edited by Mark66 (edited 19 January 2004).]
Hi Mark,
I can understand why tapes shouldn't be stored in extreme conditions of heat/cold/humidity/sunlight, etc. and why they shouldn't be stacked 6 feet high...BUT to say they must be stacked vertically....I think someone is pulling your leg!!
Regards.
Mark,
I think they mean that the tape should be stored so that an (imaginary) line drawn across the width of the tape ribbon would be horizontal.
Alan
Why would "they" recommend that, does anybody think?
I can't believe a spool of tape weighing a few grammes is going to stress/deform a plastic moulded hub or casing, even if left in one particular orientation for years.
all tape at bottom is only pulling on the clear leader.
they also say it is better to fast forward the tape and rewind to beginning before storing upright.
if tape is lying horizontally the tape will , by gravity , shift downward.
this will result in tape no longer centralised on the hub , and a conical look to the spool of tape.
all the tape storage units i've even bought have the tapes lying vertical , none are for tapes to lie horizontally.
It is probably not that important with small “reels†of tape but I think it is still good engineering practice, to completely obviate the tendency for adjacent layers of tape to slide over one another. After all, it is not as if it required any more storage volume!
Alan
Hi Mark
Storage of VHS tapes should be vertical/horizontal to prevent the tape slipping. I don't know how relevant this is to a Mini DV tape which has a lot less weight and therefore would not be subjected to the degree of slippage, however I store my tapes either vertical or horizontal but not flat.
Harry
Thanks for all the input.
It is the tape manufactures (at least Panasonic and JVC) that recommend vertical or upright storage. (It is in the fine print of instructions packaged inside the tape case).
While I don't have this specific unit, this orientation (not flat, but horizontal) is the most convenient for me to store the tapes so I can read the spines http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005QFAS.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Sounds like if I want to be really "safe" and follow the instructions exactly I need to turn them on their side (which means I will need to add an additional label so I can see what they are). But due to the small size of DV tapes this is probably not neccessary.
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Mark
As well as preventing slip in the pancake of tape, vertical storage releases pressure on the brakes within the cassette.
i understand it to mean, rewind tape and store with the shortest edge on the shelf, tape at the bottom. Rewind through once per year and before any transfer to remove sticky bis and shed odide.
Hi Folks,
I'm sure you've hit your head on the nail there!
It's a throwback to when tapes were big and heavy. I'm convinced it's an irrelevance for miniDV. I think most people stand them vertically but on the front edge so you can read the spine label, I do.
You will be much better putting the effort into keeping them out of extremes of heat/cold/humidity/sunlight etc.
Best Regards.
Like Gary, I was always told to fast forward a tape and then rewind it before use and storage.
If tapes are stored upright vertical on their smaller edge then the risk of them causing a domino effect should your home / work be struck by a small tremble / earthquake increases.
Well so I have been told anyhow!
Tilski 
If a loosely reeled video tape is stored flat gravity makes the tape drop to the bottom of the spool which can produce tracking problems when playing back. If it stored vertically it stays exactly where it was wound.
I think that's the theory anyway but I think it is only a problem with really old players. I can remember spending ages playing with the tracking control to get a tape to play but these days it is never a problem so I don't think it really matters.
I still run a tape forward and back before recording it though. It probably makes no difference but I feel happier that the tape is properly lined up in the recorder mechanism before starting to record.
Hi,
I have always looked at a tape as if it were a stack of loose leaf A4 paper.
You would stack it on its back laying it flat, not on its edge, trying to storing it on its edge would be daft.
By storing the tape standing it upon it's edge would be the same as storing the paper flat with each winding of tape sitting flat on its neighbor like the leafs of paper.
Short term, storing the tape incorrectly I’m sure would not cause a problem, but if you want your tapes to last more than a lifetime I would start storing them correctly now.
My oldest tapes were bought in 1980 (VHS), when I rewound them they snapped where the tape connected to the drum on stopping.
I had to open up and use super glue to reattach the tape to the drum, after that they played fine.
It was the opaque plastic strip between the magnetic tape and the drum that broke every time.
Jim Bird.