Katana VentraIP

Magnetic tape

Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic storage made of a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. It was developed in Germany in 1928, based on the earlier magnetic wire recording from Denmark. Devices that use magnetic tape could with relative ease record and playback audio, visual, and binary computer data.

Magnetic tape revolutionized sound recording and reproduction and broadcasting. It allowed radio, which had always been broadcast live, to be recorded for later or repeated airing. Since the early 1950s, magnetic tape has been used with computers to store large quantities of data and is still used for backup purposes.


Magnetic tape begins to degrade after 10–20 years and therefore is not an ideal medium for long-term archival storage.[1] The exception is data tape formats like LTO which are specifically designed for long-term archiving.[2]

Successors[edit]

Since the introduction of magnetic tape, other technologies have been developed that can perform the same functions, and therefore, replace it. Despite this, technological innovation continues. As of 2014 Sony and IBM continue to advance tape capacity.[4]

Reel-to-reel

Fidelipac

(Muntz Stereo-Pak, commonly known as the 4-track cartridge)

Stereo-Pak

Perforated (sprocketed) film audio magnetic tape (sepmag, perfotape, sound follower tape, magnetic film)

8-track tape

Compact Cassette

Elcaset

RCA tape cartridge

Mini-Cassette

Microcassette

Picocassette

NT (cassette)

ProDigi

Digital Audio Stationary Head

Digital Audio Tape

Digital Compact Cassette

Analog recording

Magnetic developer

 – Transfer of content between magnetic tape layers

Print-through

History of Tape Recording Technology

The Museum of Obsolete Media