Reel
Tape Data Recovery - Reel
A reel is usually a cylindrical core around which a storage medium such as a tape is wound. The reel is supported by walls on the sides to retain the tape wound around the core. The core can be hollow or solid. In some devices, core is provided with grips to facilitate mechanical turning of the wheel.
The size of the core depends on many factors. A larger core typically offers more mechanical strength to the reels than that offered by the smaller ones. A smaller core will allow more material to be wound on it, yielding more storage in the given space. The size of the core is decided by evaluating how tightly the tape can be wound without damaging the core. The size of the reel is also determined by the acceptable turning speed. A smaller core will require much faster turning speed to move a given length of the material.
Reel in Motion Pictures
Conventionally, the length of motion pictures is represented in ‘reels.’ This was accepted as standard measurement considering various factors, such as convenience in printing motion picture film at a film laboratory, for shipping and for the size of the physical film magazine.
The standard length of a 35-mm motion picture reel is 1,000 feet. It runs approximately 11 minutes at the rate of 24 frames per second. The reels are provided with cues to mark the end, allowing projector operators running reel-to-reel to change over to the next reel.
Modern movies use ‘two-reeler’ that is 2000-foot long. For example, a standard Hollywood movie requires about five 2,000-foot reels in length.
