Convert Micro MV to Digital

When asked about our most prized possessions, most of us choose to mention sentimental objects or memorabilia. This is no surprise, as memories are some of the most precious gifts one can give or receive. Here at Supaphoto we specialise in bringing your precious memories back to life. This way, you don’t have to worry about them degrading, getting lost or damaged since tapes transferred take the worry away.   

Micro MV is a Sony patented video format which was released into the market in 2001. It is the smallest video format available, at 70% smaller than MiniDV tapes. It belongs to the magnetic cassette tape media family and can hold 60 minutes of video – as a dv format.

Magnetic tape is composed of  two essential layers. Firstly, it contains a thin layer of magnetic pigments mixed with a binder. This is supported by the second layer, which is a thicker film backing. The top layer, which contains the pigments, is the layer responsible for recording and storing video signals. 

Unfortunately, despite the widespread use of magnetic tape media, this media family can degrade in many ways. For example, a common issue with MicroMV camcorders and other magnetic camcorder models that aren’t stored properly is binder degradation. This issue causes the binder to become soft and unlubricated. You will often hear media conversion experts and professionals referring to this as sticky tape or sticky shed. 

Another issue which can occur with MicroMV formats is demagnetisation. In simple terms, Sony MicroMV tapes can easily be damaged by external magnetic fields, like airport security checks and handheld magnets. New tapes have a level of resistance to external magnetic damage, but unfortunately this resistance decreases with age. Unfortunately, this can be worsened by binder degradation too. 

These issues make it even more important to keep your tapes in a sealed and dry environment. But most importantly, these are reasons to convert your MicroMV video tapes sooner, rather than later.