We all know this, but have we thought about it in depth lately?

A nice overview of the deep pain VCR recording creates published by Indian Gaming a couple of years ago is a thorough reminder of why, for their own good, organizations need to be talked out of "saving money" by staying with VCR recording:

Although most surveillance managers/directors are already familiar with the shortcomings of VHS video tape recorders, it is important to review the magnitude of the disadvantages to appreciate the vast difference offered by digital video recorders:

• Video tape recorders can easily get clogged record heads. There is no way to tell this has happened until the tape is played back. Often, there was nothing recorded on the tape. Many important events have been lost in casinos because of this problem.

• Each tape must be removed and replaced by a blank tape.

• Each tape must be rewound after 8 hours of recording time.

• Each tape must be retained for 1-4 weeks depending upon local gaming control rules. This requires a large storage room and an inventory control system.

• Each VCR must be manually restarted in record mode.

• VCRs have an inherent amount of downtime that can amount to a very large amount of lost recording time whereby casinos are not protected. This unprotected time for a casino with hundreds of cameras can amount to thousands of hours per month. This is a tremendous liability to the overall security of the casino.

• VCR manufacturers are stopping production of recorders and tapes, so they will be more difficult to get, and prices will rise. Already, two of the three major VCR manufacturers have discontinued production.

• With VCRs, surveillance personnel are spending untold hours changing tapes, not doing their main job of surveillance.

Writer Chuck Colby's point about VCR costs rising is now a little off; with so many finally converting to DVR recording (and so many yet to convert) used VCRs are currently fairly cheap. But they have such a short lifespan that they eat up cash over time and incur so many other costs, it's a nonissue.

And can I add that VCR recording has zero green appeal?!

Abigail