That's true Steve. The early tapes from the 1950s that have been transferred (both B&W and colour) have been very successfully transferred to digital, even the earliest tapes

!!! The 1959 Ed Sullivan Show I have (well watered down 25 minute version) is pretty much glitchless!!! I reckon an old vintage quad tape from the 50s and 60s can outlive a Digital Beta tape by decades!!!
Cheers
Troy