This site is a freely available reference resource maintained by Scott Gravlee. By using analogfieldguide.com, you agree to the following terms. Please read them — they're short, plain, and written in good faith.
All content on this site — including tape stock descriptions, risk assessments, preservation recommendations, glossary definitions, cable reference information, and signal handling guidance — is provided for informational and educational purposes only.
This site is not a substitute for professional archival assessment, conservation expertise, or manufacturer technical documentation. Information here is intended to supplement, not replace, your own judgment and professional practice.
Scott Gravlee and analogfieldguide.com are not responsible for any damage to media, equipment, or recordings that occurs as a result of following guidance on this site. Analog videotape is fragile and its behavior is unpredictable — no reference guide can account for every condition a specific tape may be in.
Risk assessments and preservation notes on this site are based on general patterns observed across tape formats and should be treated as a starting point, not a definitive diagnosis of any individual tape.
I work hard to ensure the information on this site is accurate. Content is compiled from manufacturer documentation, published archival literature, and direct field experience working with legacy video formats. The content status page shows which entries have been reviewed and rated, and which are still pending verification.
Despite best efforts, errors exist. Formats are numerous, documentation is often scarce, and the archival field itself is still developing consensus on many practices. If you find something incorrect or incomplete, please submit a correction — every fix makes the site more reliable for everyone using it.
Information on this site may be updated, corrected, or removed at any time as better sources become available.
This site accepts voluntary submissions of tape stock images, corrections, and additional information via the submission forms on the site. By submitting content, you confirm that:
— You own the rights to any images submitted, or have authorization to submit them.
— The information you submit is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
— You grant Scott Gravlee / analogfieldguide.com a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, display, and publish submitted content as part of this reference database and related educational material.
Submitted content may be edited for clarity, accuracy, or formatting before inclusion. Credit will be given where appropriate.
You're welcome to link to any page on this site, cite it in educational materials, or share it with colleagues and students. If you reproduce content elsewhere, please credit analogfieldguide.com and link back to the source page where possible.
Questions about these terms, corrections, or anything else: scott@v1de0.com