Mr Skiffler.
A few months ago I needed to transfer a couple reels of audio tape (Quarter Inch) to digits for a CD project. Contacted an Ex Colleague in Broadvasting House, and discovered that there was just ONE Tape machine left in the building! Took a couple of hours to crank it into life, (having taken all the plastic wrapping off it!)
It worked......Just!
So. I'm not surprised that the TV world has gone the same way. Thank god for Phil Lawton in the Radio Archives for all the years of conservation that he did.
I remember paying him a visit in his underground bunker for a chat and a coffee, and whilst leaning against all these racks of tapes, I noticed names like "The Beatles" "Jimi Hendrix" "Rolling Stones"....
Aisles and Aisles of tapes....Priceless stuff.
Phil has retired now, but, without him, a whole shedload of material would have been lost.