VHS: Why You Should Transfer and Convert Now
Every home will have one- a drawer or a shelf or a box full of VHS tapes. You know the ones of the arrival of a baby, children’s sporting events, family gatherings, holidays, weddings, parties and functions. You may have not watched these movies in years, but lately you have been thinking, “I would love to watch them again”
Why transfer your VHS and co
nvert them to DVD? VIDEO TAPES DETERIORATE! VHS tapes have a magnetic signal which will breakdown over time. This will affect the quality and colour of your memories. The tape grows brittle and eventually will break taking your important memories with them. HOW LONG DO VIDEO TAPES LAST? It is one of the toughest questions, and the one no-one thinks to ask: How long will a VHS tape last? Magnetic media has a very limited life span, and your priceless sounds and images will soon be lost forever! Unlike movie film — which can last for decades — videotape is far more fragile. In fact, no magnetic recording medium is permanent
All magnetic tape older than 15 years is in serious jeopardy! The greatest problem with videotape is that over time it will breakdown. 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 VIDEO TAPE:
1. Video quality deteriorates each time you watch.
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. Analogue 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.
