Recovering Mini DV taped footage

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Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

I just created a problem for myself that I need help fixing. I am using
a Sony Handycam and I recorded about an hour of video on the Mini DV
digital video cassette. After recording and hour of footage and then
rewinding the tape, somehow the Record button was hit and then recorded
OVER the hour of precious tape I had just recorded. 🙁

Any idea how I can recover that previous hour? The footage that was
shot on top of it is all black screen and subtle sounds in the back.

Is there software I can buy to do this myself? Can I go to a
professional and have them fix this for me? I hope it's fixable--it's a
digital tape and I know computer disks can be recovered.

Any help you can lend is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks/nate
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

nathanroad wrote ...
>I just created a problem for myself that I need help fixing.
> I am using a Sony Handycam and I recorded about an hour
> of video on the Mini DV digital video cassette. After recording
> and hour of footage and then rewinding the tape, somehow the
> Record button was hit and then recorded OVER the hour of
> precious tape I had just recorded. 🙁
>
> Any idea how I can recover that previous hour? The footage
> that was shot on top of it is all black screen and subtle sounds
> in the back.
>
> Is there software I can buy to do this myself? Can I go to a
> professional and have them fix this for me? I hope it's fixable--
> it's a digital tape and I know computer disks can be recovered.

Sorry. No, the video/audio cannot be recovered.

On a comptuer, when you "delete" a file, the operating system
just "marks" the file as deleted so that the space can be recycled
at some time in the future. That is how you can "undelete" a
computer file (assuming you haven't written something over the
space in the mean time.)

But when you rewind a tape and hit the record button, you are
truly erasing and writing over the very same information that
was there before. There is no "undelete" on tape, analog or
digital.
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

The information on the tape is in digital form, but the tape itself is just
that - tape. Once a tape is recorded to, whether it is digital or analog -
audio or video, and then re-recorded to the previous information is gone,
completely.

Remove the little tab on the cassette whenever there is something on that
tape you want or need to save.


<nathanroad@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1108907305.708228.229380@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>I just created a problem for myself that I need help fixing. I am using
> a Sony Handycam and I recorded about an hour of video on the Mini DV
> digital video cassette. After recording and hour of footage and then
> rewinding the tape, somehow the Record button was hit and then recorded
> OVER the hour of precious tape I had just recorded. 🙁
>
> Any idea how I can recover that previous hour? The footage that was
> shot on top of it is all black screen and subtle sounds in the back.
>
> Is there software I can buy to do this myself? Can I go to a
> professional and have them fix this for me? I hope it's fixable--it's a
> digital tape and I know computer disks can be recovered.
>
> Any help you can lend is GREATLY appreciated.
>
> Thanks/nate
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:

>nathanroad wrote ...
>>I just created a problem for myself that I need help fixing.
>> I am using a Sony Handycam and I recorded about an hour
>> of video on the Mini DV digital video cassette. After recording
>> and hour of footage and then rewinding the tape, somehow the
>> Record button was hit and then recorded OVER the hour of
>> precious tape I had just recorded. 🙁
>>
>> Any idea how I can recover that previous hour? The footage
>> that was shot on top of it is all black screen and subtle sounds
>> in the back.
>>
>> Is there software I can buy to do this myself? Can I go to a
>> professional and have them fix this for me? I hope it's fixable--
>> it's a digital tape and I know computer disks can be recovered.
>
>Sorry. No, the video/audio cannot be recovered.
>
>On a comptuer, when you "delete" a file, the operating system
>just "marks" the file as deleted so that the space can be recycled
>at some time in the future. That is how you can "undelete" a
>computer file (assuming you haven't written something over the
>space in the mean time.)
>
>But when you rewind a tape and hit the record button, you are
>truly erasing and writing over the very same information that
>was there before. There is no "undelete" on tape, analog or
>digital.

What you said may be true, but when you have a computer hard-disk and you totally
overwrite everything with zeroes a recovery service still can rejuvenate the
stuff that existed before. It depends on HD but it's been said you should totally
zero out the HD half a dozen times before no-one can retrieve sensitive data. I
don't know if that applies to DV tape but the person asking the question might
ask from a specialized service shop if anything can be done.
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 21:08:44 +0200, 123 <bogus@mail.address.com>
wrote:

>"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:
>
>>nathanroad wrote ...
>>>I just created a problem for myself that I need help fixing.
>>> I am using a Sony Handycam and I recorded about an hour
>>> of video on the Mini DV digital video cassette. After recording
>>> and hour of footage and then rewinding the tape, somehow the
>>> Record button was hit and then recorded OVER the hour of
>>> precious tape I had just recorded. 🙁
>>>
>>> Any idea how I can recover that previous hour? The footage
>>> that was shot on top of it is all black screen and subtle sounds
>>> in the back.
>>>
>>> Is there software I can buy to do this myself? Can I go to a
>>> professional and have them fix this for me? I hope it's fixable--
>>> it's a digital tape and I know computer disks can be recovered.
>>
>>Sorry. No, the video/audio cannot be recovered.
>>
>>On a comptuer, when you "delete" a file, the operating system
>>just "marks" the file as deleted so that the space can be recycled
>>at some time in the future. That is how you can "undelete" a
>>computer file (assuming you haven't written something over the
>>space in the mean time.)
>>
>>But when you rewind a tape and hit the record button, you are
>>truly erasing and writing over the very same information that
>>was there before. There is no "undelete" on tape, analog or
>>digital.
>
>What you said may be true, but when you have a computer hard-disk and you totally
>overwrite everything with zeroes a recovery service still can rejuvenate the
>stuff that existed before. It depends on HD but it's been said you should totally
>zero out the HD half a dozen times before no-one can retrieve sensitive data. I
>don't know if that applies to DV tape but the person asking the question might
>ask from a specialized service shop if anything can be done.


Well, sort of.
Most "recovery" services can't recover overwritten sectors, and some
can, if overwritten once.
Recovering data that's been overwritten twice requires resources that
are expensive, to say the least. Usually, this is only done in cases
of national security, or a Federal indictment for a very serious
crime.
Overwriting three times will stymie all but the most well-sponsored
agencies.

In the case of a DV tape, especially one that's been overwritten with
a black image, I'm sure some of the prior image could be brought back,
but the noise would make it all but unviewable; certainly Aunt Mabel
would be all but unrecognizable.

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"123" <bogus@mail.address.com> wrote in message
news:7qnh11p005bcugn27gauqoj53lfr1q3r9n@4ax.com...
> "Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:
>
>>nathanroad wrote ...
>>>I just created a problem for myself that I need help fixing.
>>> I am using a Sony Handycam and I recorded about an hour
>>> of video on the Mini DV digital video cassette. After recording
>>> and hour of footage and then rewinding the tape, somehow the
>>> Record button was hit and then recorded OVER the hour of
>>> precious tape I had just recorded. 🙁
>>>
>>> Any idea how I can recover that previous hour? The footage
>>> that was shot on top of it is all black screen and subtle sounds
>>> in the back.
>>>
>>> Is there software I can buy to do this myself? Can I go to a
>>> professional and have them fix this for me? I hope it's fixable--
>>> it's a digital tape and I know computer disks can be recovered.
>>
>>Sorry. No, the video/audio cannot be recovered.
>>
>>On a comptuer, when you "delete" a file, the operating system
>>just "marks" the file as deleted so that the space can be recycled
>>at some time in the future. That is how you can "undelete" a
>>computer file (assuming you haven't written something over the
>>space in the mean time.)
>>
>>But when you rewind a tape and hit the record button, you are
>>truly erasing and writing over the very same information that
>>was there before. There is no "undelete" on tape, analog or
>>digital.
>
> What you said may be true, but when you have a computer
> hard-disk and you totally overwrite everything with zeroes
> a recovery service still can rejuvenate the stuff that existed
> before. It depends on HD but it's been said you should totally
> zero out the HD half a dozen times before no-one can retrieve
> sensitive data. I don't know if that applies to DV tape but the
> person asking the question might ask from a specialized service
> shop if anything can be done.

I'm sure that the CIA or the NSA can recover overwritten data
on a hard drive. But I doubt that a conventional disk recovery
vendor does that sort of thing. And I've never heard of anyone
doing that for tape (at least commercially).

In any case, I'd bet that there is no pracical way for "nathanroad"
to recover his video recording.
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Thank you for the responses, but they still make me cry. :<

I had some great footage on there of special family gathering.

I am looking into getting it recreated somehow. It is worth a little
bit of money to me and my family if I can get it back--even just the
images would be great (Aunt Mabel sounds bad with ot without a good
tape).

If anybody knows of any type of company (other than "THE Company') that
can get back lost data like this, I am open to discussions.

Thank you/nate
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Ok, I am looking into this more and will let you all know. I found
through online searches that it does appear possible, albeit difficult
and probably expensive.

Many thanks/nate
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:

>
>"123" <bogus@mail.address.com> wrote in message
>news:7qnh11p005bcugn27gauqoj53lfr1q3r9n@4ax.com...
>> "Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:
>>
>>>nathanroad wrote ...
>>>>I just created a problem for myself that I need help fixing.
>>>> I am using a Sony Handycam and I recorded about an hour
>>>> of video on the Mini DV digital video cassette. After recording
>>>> and hour of footage and then rewinding the tape, somehow the
>>>> Record button was hit and then recorded OVER the hour of
>>>> precious tape I had just recorded. 🙁
>>>>
>>>> Any idea how I can recover that previous hour? The footage
>>>> that was shot on top of it is all black screen and subtle sounds
>>>> in the back.
>>>>
>>>> Is there software I can buy to do this myself? Can I go to a
>>>> professional and have them fix this for me? I hope it's fixable--
>>>> it's a digital tape and I know computer disks can be recovered.
>>>
>>>Sorry. No, the video/audio cannot be recovered.
>>>
>>>On a comptuer, when you "delete" a file, the operating system
>>>just "marks" the file as deleted so that the space can be recycled
>>>at some time in the future. That is how you can "undelete" a
>>>computer file (assuming you haven't written something over the
>>>space in the mean time.)
>>>
>>>But when you rewind a tape and hit the record button, you are
>>>truly erasing and writing over the very same information that
>>>was there before. There is no "undelete" on tape, analog or
>>>digital.
>>
>> What you said may be true, but when you have a computer
>> hard-disk and you totally overwrite everything with zeroes
>> a recovery service still can rejuvenate the stuff that existed
>> before. It depends on HD but it's been said you should totally
>> zero out the HD half a dozen times before no-one can retrieve
>> sensitive data. I don't know if that applies to DV tape but the
>> person asking the question might ask from a specialized service
>> shop if anything can be done.
>
>I'm sure that the CIA or the NSA can recover overwritten data
>on a hard drive. But I doubt that a conventional disk recovery
>vendor does that sort of thing. And I've never heard of anyone
>doing that for tape (at least commercially).
>
>In any case, I'd bet that there is no pracical way for "nathanroad"
>to recover his video recording.

I recall reading that some sort of magnetic residue image remains after a total
overwrite and that can be used for data retrieval. I don't know the specifics of
the physics and DV tape could be different. If one overwrites multiple times I
don't think that even the above mentioned agencies can do much.
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

HD recovery is mae possible because the heads rarely sit in exactly the
same place so wiping a track, even several times, still potentially leaves
a thin strip of the old data either side of the track proper. I don't
think tape has that luxury but I'd love to be proved wrong.

Iain
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Ok, an update on my situtation.

I live in Hongkong/China and I found a place in Shanghai that can
retrieve the one-hour data for about US$400. They are in the midst of
doing the work and will complete it in about a week. They say they are
going to burn it to a DVD afterwards. They also say that it won't, of
course be 100%, but that they can get over 80% of it and have it in a
decent clarity. We'll see...

Ok, that is my update and I will let you know in about 7-10 days what
the result is.

Pretty good price ;->

cheers/nate
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Amazing - do keep us updated!

Jackie


"nathanroad" <nathanroad@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110173032.811834.24930@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Ok, an update on my situtation.
>
> I live in Hongkong/China and I found a place in Shanghai that can
> retrieve the one-hour data for about US$400. They are in the midst of
> doing the work and will complete it in about a week. They say they are
> going to burn it to a DVD afterwards. They also say that it won't, of
> course be 100%, but that they can get over 80% of it and have it in a
> decent clarity. We'll see...
>
> Ok, that is my update and I will let you know in about 7-10 days what
> the result is.
>
> Pretty good price ;->
>
> cheers/nate
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On 3/6/2005, nathanroad managed to type:
> Ok, an update on my situtation.
>
> I live in Hongkong/China and I found a place in Shanghai that can
> retrieve the one-hour data for about US$400. They are in the midst of
> doing the work and will complete it in about a week. They say they are
> going to burn it to a DVD afterwards. They also say that it won't, of
> course be 100%, but that they can get over 80% of it and have it in a
> decent clarity. We'll see...
>
> Ok, that is my update and I will let you know in about 7-10 days what
> the result is.
>
> Pretty good price ;->
>
> cheers/nate

Great news! I never imagined it could be done as cheaply as that...

Please let us know how it looks when you get it back.

Gino

--
Gene E. Bloch (Gino)
letters617blochg3251
(replace the numbers by "at" and "dotcom")
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Hmm, ok, a quick update: The place says they now cannot retrieve it and
have sent it to another place that they say can do a better job. They
tried working on it for 3 days and did not charge me anything since
they could not retrieve any data.

I jumped the gun earlier on my optimism. I will continue to keep you
updated in this sad sad tale. Hopefully this second place can do the
job, but I am not holding my breath.

cheers/nate
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Nate,

I really think you're going to be disappointed with the result of recovering
data from a blanked tape.

Per some of the original posts, this is the kind of thing the CIA or FBI
would do to recover evidence from a tape.

I suspect what you're going to get is grainy, almost black and white,
jittery footage. You'll be able to identify who you're looking at and what
they're doing but that's about it - hence the use by policing agencies for
evidence.

Not stuff you'd want to look at for the most part.

I wish you luck with it and look forward to hearing the result though! If
you feel like posting a scrap of what you get in WMV format, I'd LOVE to see
the result so I can speak with authority about this kind of thing in future.
(maybe a 10 second clip in full DV-AVI format?)

Thanks,
Chris




"nathanroad" <nathanroad@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110258737.640461.217830@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Hmm, ok, a quick update: The place says they now cannot retrieve it and
> have sent it to another place that they say can do a better job. They
> tried working on it for 3 days and did not charge me anything since
> they could not retrieve any data.
>
> I jumped the gun earlier on my optimism. I will continue to keep you
> updated in this sad sad tale. Hopefully this second place can do the
> job, but I am not holding my breath.
>
> cheers/nate
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Yes, no problem: if it comes back in ANY form, I will post a quick
sample. I still have about another week until I get word from them on
whether they can adequately deal with it.

As this is a personal family gathering on the tape, I would be very
happy to have any sort of quality to look at. ;->

cheers/nate
 
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