The actual name escapes me right now, but there is a company that has been doing tape for well over a year (probably over two years). They also do reel 2 reel as well.
The comment about life span is interesting. I found three forty year old Ampex cassettes in a box a few months ago. They had not been in a machine for nearly thirty years. I ran them thru a Nakamichi 202, and they worked like a champ. I also have a stack of R2R boot legs, that seem to be just fine. How old are they? I know some were recorded in 1980. I have records that go back to the 1940's, and for some odd reason still play quite well! On the other hand I just tossed a dozen or so CD's that had turned cloudy without a scratch on them.
I use a turntable built in 1995, and it's just as good today as it was in 1995. I have two other tables that after cleaning them up, work like a champ (JVC's). On the otherhand I watch folks buy the latest and greatest DAC every two months!
gary