DC Video

12/31/2025

Beyond button pushing: Teaching the younger generation about Ampex power supplies on the VPR-3.

They will be taking over soon.

12/21/2025

One of the most useful tools to help maintain top-notch audio reproduction quality for our clients is the constant monitoring of audio with a phase scope. With stereo and other multi-track sources, the ability to see a visual representation of levels and channel to channel phase relationships is important. With dual channel tapes, the phase scope quickly helps to determine if what we are hearing is true mono, phase-splatter mono or true stereo. The phase scope shows all!

12/05/2025

Just in time for Christmas: EECO Time Code!
www.dcvideo.com

12/03/2025

AMIA Conference Alert
On Thursday morning at 10:30 AM EST, Margie Compton will be part of this panel: Designed for Learning: Archiving, Preserving and Accessing Rare Educational Television where she will talk about a UGA preservation project: "The Protestant Radio and Television Center". These videotapes are rich in unique content and are worthy of study. To augment Margie's presentation, I am providing here a link to a sample reel from this collection.

https://youtu.be/o2rfTL9TPng?si=MiIYKjIRPy0FbNmn

Thank you.

Best Regards,

David Crosthwait
DC Video
Preservation Level Videotape Transfers and More!

Here is a sample of the holdings at the Protestant Radio and Television Center Collection, University of Georgia Libraries.All one-inch type C videotape for ...

11/20/2025

Sony One Inch EV Format Color Videotape

In this short presentation, you will see a very obsolete Sony 1" EV videotape machine working as it recovers a 55 year old color recording. Some facts with visuals will be onscreen to educate and to inform.
If you have tapes such as these in your collection, you need to migrate the content to digital now. Working machines are very rare with zero parts on the shelves to keep them running.
www.dcvideo.com

11/05/2025

The latest delivery to DC Video: Concert videotapes from the mid 80's to be digitized. One-of-a-kind live, on-stage performances from A-list legends.

Our preferred trucking company, Old Dominion, gets the job done with these archival elements.

Old Dominion Freight Line

www.dcvideo.com

10/17/2025

One of the joys of running your own business is routine maintenance. In this case, a broken belt. If one has the experience and a stockpile, then it just takes time. After decades, you know right away which belt it is when a certain machine segment malfunctions.

To the bench: Disassembly, tools, a new belt then put it back together. Test and return to service for another few years.

Background music:

Long John Baldry with Elton John and his signature piano performance on: "Flying".

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/english-singer-songwriter-elton-john-performs-with-long-news-photo/154057886

www.dcvideo.com

10/13/2025

What an ICONIC afternoon of glamour and sophistication at the KWEX TV transmitter, Elmendorf Texas.

(Disclaimer: Photo taken more than a few years ago. One of my first paying jobs twenty-five years earlier was at the KERA TV and FM transmitters in Cedar Hill Texas. I have a respect for these installations!)

09/25/2025

A project consisting of over 50 hours of transfer from the very obsolete Sony 1" helical EV format to MKV files has been completed and delivered. As is standard procedure, we awaited any feedback.

Yesterday, we received a very nice note from the client consisting of the following:

"I have now finished going over the files and we happy with the end result! Thanks so much to the DC video team!"

This really made our day here!

The Sony 1" EV format predated type C by at least ten years. It was color-capable with the CLP-1B adapter which we have. This machine has been modified for external cooling, variable early-stage demod video level out, RF waveform monitoring and external dropout compensation.

If you are in possession of Sony 1" EV videotapes, now is the time to transfer them. These machines and their video heads will not last forever. Typical EV videotape reels include the Sony V-12 product.

These tapes are for the most part 50-55+ years old as are the machines.

www.dcvideo.com

09/16/2025

DC Video has completed the transfer and delivery of a very special videotape.

The occasion: The first broadcast of educational station WCVE channel 23 in Richmond Virginia on November 17, 1964. They are now a P.B.S. affiliate.

This opening ceremony was recorded on 2" Quad videotape in the low-band monochrome standard at 7.5 I.P.S. The recovery was accomplished on the third-generation Ampex AVR-1 using a specially-built 5 mil head.

From the client:
"Wow, these images look really crisp and clear—from a 60 year old tape! Again, wow! They all think it looks amazing".
Those comments made our day.

www.dcvideo.com

09/10/2025

Avid. Premiere. Final Cut. All junk.

Throw them away and get back to the basics: CMX!!!

www.dcvideo.com

08/26/2025

Spot Reels Galore: One more trip down memory lane for you two-inch Quad aficionados.
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