Can a VCR be used for computer backup?
The answer is yes but I would not recommend it. In order to provide reliable backup, totally error free storage and retrieval must be guaranteed. This is a non-trivial problem given that the video tape is an analog storage media prone to noise and dropouts. Redundant information would need to be stored and sophisticated error detection and correction circuitry must be included. By the time you are done, the theoretical capacity of a T120 video cassette of, perhaps, 5-10 GB is greatly reduced. Furthermore, you probably want somewhat rapid random access and this **will** be very hard on a consumer grade tape transport designed for movie viewing and time shifting of soaps. With the cost of reliable tape and disk storage units having enough capacity to backup a 1 GB hard drive available or on the way for less than $200, it doesn’t make sense to use a VCR with a totally incompatible format and questionable reliability when you will need it most – in a data emergency. I have no idea if the f
