Vicissitude of magnetic tape data storage: comparison with video tape recording

Magnetic tape storage has been used for recording audio, video, instrumentation, and computer data. The medium can record a large amount of data on winding tape and recorded data are reliable and stable. However, the performance of the other storage media, such as optical disc, magnetic disk, and integrated circuit memory, has progressed remarkably, so the advantage of tape storage has decreased. Video tape recorders (VTRs), which are typical systems for magnetic tape storages, are only used for limited purposes now. For these applications, data storage that records instrumentation and computer data on tape retains its advantages and its performance has been improved. We described the history of VTRs at the HISTELCON 2010 and showed that Japan made substantial contributions to their practical use and popularization. In this paper, we compare the vicissitude of magnetic tape data storage with video tape recording.