VIDEO DOC PRODUCTIONS & VIDEO DOC DIGITAL
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VIDEOTAPE DETERIORATION
Now is the time to digitize. Preserve your family memories before it's too late!
As a video professional, I can tell you that the lifespan of VHS tapes can vary depending on various factors. On average, the magnetic tape inside VHS tapes can degrade over time, leading to a loss in video and audio quality. However, if properly stored and handled, VHS tapes can last anywhere from 10 to 30 years.
Several factors can impact the longevity of VHS tapes and home camcorder 8mm tapes. One crucial factor is the quality of the tape itself. Higher-quality tapes, such as those produced by reputable manufacturers, tend to last longer compared to lower-quality or generic brands. Additionally, storage conditions play a significant role. Exposure to extreme temperatures, humidity, and direct sunlight can accelerate the degradation process.
Proper handling is also crucial in preserving the lifespan of VHS & Camcorder tapes. Avoid touching the tape directly, as oils and dirt from your fingers can damage it. Always handle tapes by their edges and keep them in their protective cases when not in use. Rewinding and fast-forwarding tapes too quickly or forcefully can also lead to tape damage, so it's important to handle them with care.
To ensure the longevity of your VHS/8mm Camcorder tapes, it's recommended to transfer their contents to a digital format. Converting them to a digital format not only preserves the content but also allows for easy playback and sharing on modern devices. There are VHS-to-digital conversion services available, or you can do it yourself using a VHS player and a video capture device connected to your computer.
In summary, while VHS tapes can last for several decades, their lifespan can be influenced by factors such as tape quality, storage conditions, and handling. If you have valuable content on VHS tapes, it's advisable to consider transferring them to a digital format to ensure their long-term preservation.
Facts about Old Video Tape Deterioration:
Why You Should Transfer/Digitize/Convert Now?
Somewhere in your house is a drawer full of videotapes — aging home movies shot with a camcorder that may not even work anymore. You have not watched these movies in years, but lately, you have been thinking, “Why not transfer those old videos to DVDs or an MP4 Video File?” Text us for faster info: 407-982-3176
You should have important family videos like a wedding, baby births, holiday family gatherings, dance recitals, school plays, sporting events, birthday parties, competitions or just kids playing around the house converted to DVD. Why? Because you are in danger of losing them forever! The magnetic signal will dry-up and drop off your tape over time.
VIDEO TAPES DETERIORATE!
DO YOU WANT TO LOSE YOUR MEMORIES FOREVER?
Videotapes lose their magnetic signal over time, quality and color of your memories deteriorate due to the friction between the VCR head and tape, and the tape grows brittle and eventually breaks – even when sitting on a shelf! Keep videotapes, CDs and DVDs away from direct sunlight and store them on end like a book. DO NOT LAY THEM FLAT! Gravity will affect the tape!
VHS recordings were made with an analog process. The camera recorded on to a magnetic tape. As time passes, this signal can fade because of different factors and the signal will turn out to be grainy and deteriorate in top quality. Videos recorded onto DVD last longer since the digital codes embedded into the DVDs are higher in high quality compared to their analog tapes. Given these differences, wouldn’t you say that it is time to save your family VHS tapes to DVD or MP4 Video file?
When videotapes are copied, each copy loses a bit of the information from the original – in other words, the video loses quality. Consider that in a few years nobody will use traditional VCRs, as we know them today. How many people do you know that watch video tapes at home anymore? Therefore, if you want your memories to last, DVD is the clear format of choice.
HOW LONG DO VIDEOTAPES LAST?
It is one of the toughest questions, and few people bother to ask it: How long does a magnetic tape last? Popular belief has always been that the information stored on videotape is permanent. Magnetic tape (cassettes, VHS, and camcorder tapes) has allowed us to document and replay our history. Nevertheless, magnetic media has a very limited lifespan, and your priceless sounds and images will soon be lost forever! The truth is, videotape is not forever. Unlike movie film — which can last for decades — videotape is far more fragile. In fact, no magnetic recording medium is permanent! No hard drive is permanent. DVDs will last a lot longer until a new format emerges.
All magnetic tape older than 15 years is in serious jeopardy! The greatest problem with videotape is that over time it will break down. Breakdown occurs when the binder that holds the magnetic particles to the polyester base on the tape decays. As the breakdown process progresses, the tapes become extremely difficult to play. The problem may be so severe that the magnetic material literally falls off, leaving a pile of dust and clear tape. I have actually opened a tape box to find a box full of oxide dust- rust.
FACTS ABOUT VIDEOTAPE:
1. Video quality deteriorates each time you play the tape.
2. Video quality will deteriorate after 10 years, even if you do not watch them.
3. Your VCR can destroy your tape when it malfunctions.
4. Analog videotape (from the 20th century), like VHS tapes, will not last as long as digital tape.
5. Digital tape is better, but it has an expected useful life of only 20 years if stored under ideal conditions.
WHY ARE DVD’s or MP4 VIDEO FILE BETTER?
DVDs are better because they are the next generation in media. It is expected that a DVD will maintain video quality for 100+ years (though we used to think that about video and audio tapes, too!). Your saved digital images on DVD will then be available for the next evolution in media for future saving. As of 2023, we now offer MP4 video files stored on a Solid State Hard Drive (SSD Drive). Now, you can watch your old home videos and movies on your big-screen TV.
F.A.Q.s
The conversion process does not affect the original tapes. We do not make any changes to the original tapes unless we need to in order to play them! They will be played and rewound a few times by a quality VCR while they are being processed. This will not affect the original tapes anymore, than if you played and rewound them a few times at home.
Q? How much video can be burned onto a DVD? We can burn up to 2 hours of video and audio to one DVD-R.
Q? Can chapters be added to the DVD? Yes, there is an additional charge due to increased labor time.
Q? Can tapes be combined on to one DVD? Yes, just let us know you want them combined.
Q? What if my tape has more than 2 hours on it? The tape will be broken up into several DVDS of close to 2 hours each and charged accordingly as additional tapes.
Q? Do you label the finished DVD? Yes, we print directly on special inkjet printable DVDs the basic title information from what is written on the videotape.
Q? Can you combine photos or slides/movies with videotapes? No, they are all separate mediums and separate processes. You can always request customized editing services, but that is charged at an hourly rate for computer time.
Save your family videotapes on DVD or MP4 Video File today! Convert your VHS, VHS-C, Camcorder, 8mm, Hi-8 Tapes to DVD.
Call 352-728-0602 or Text Us at 407-982-3176 and preserve your spot by saving your family memories before it is too late!