Tape To Tape Video Editing
| Field | Video Production |
| Went Obsolete | Early_mid 90s |
| Made Obsolete By | Low-cost powerful computer editing systems |
| Knowledge Assumed | Use and maintenance of video decks, standards, conventions, and practices of video editing |
| When useful | A few news stations in backwater towns still use tape-to-tape editing, but the number is surely close to zero |
By hooking up 2 video tape decks to a controller, the video editor could play raw video from the “A” deck to the “B” deck which, most often held a blank videotape that had been 'striped' with black to make it usable. The editor would insert 'source' tapes in the A deck, cue them to a spot, cross his fingers and press a button to accomplish the edit onto the B deck.
There were two modes, assemble, for direct transfer of complete segments and insert, used to transfer short segments of audio, video or both. Insert mode was used, for example to insert 'voice over' audio once the chosen video had been assembled. By choosing which tape to play at which time, an editor could create a polished cut. If an editor makes a mistake while using this technique, the editor has to back up, sometimes all the way back to the beginning of the cut to start over.
